What to Know
- Before you change your Apple ID email, sign out of all devices except your primary iPhone.
- On your iPhone, go into the Settings app and tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
- In the Sign-In & Security menu, you can change the primary email associated with your Apple ID.
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Your Apple ID is the key to using your iCloud account and making purchases in the App and iTunes Stores. If you want to change your Apple ID email address, perhaps because you no longer use that email, the process is surprisingly simple. Below, let's take a look at how to change Apple ID email.
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Before You Change Your Apple ID Email
Before we begin, please note that Apple email addresses (those ending in @iCloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com) are already Apple IDs, so if you want to use one as your ID, there is no need to make any changes to your Apple account. Also, if the reason you want to change your Apple ID is because your Apple ID is grayed out or you see a message saying, "Sign out is unavailable due to restrictions," you'll want to troubleshoot that first.
Now, to start, it is best to first sign out of everywhere you use your Apple ID on all your Apple devices except for your primary iPhone. This includes iTunes, iBooks, the App Store, Apple Music, FaceTime, iMessages, GameCenter, iCloud, Find My Friends, and Find My iPhone. After changing your Apple ID email, you will likely need to sign out and then sign back in anyway, so it's best to sign out first.
How to Change Your Apple ID
After you have signed out of all of your accounts, you can move on to changing the email address associated with your Apple ID. To learn more ways to use your Apple ID, check out our Tip of the Day. Now, here's how to change your Apple ID email:
- In the Settings app, tap your Apple Account at the top of the screen.
![iphone settings with a red box around apple id]()
- Tap Sign-In & Security.
![iphone apple id settings with a red box around sign in & security]()
- Tap Edit in the Email & Phone Numbers section.
![iphone apple id sign in & security settings with a red box around edit button]()
- Tap the minus icon next to your Primary email.
![iphone apple id sign in & security settings with a red box around red minus icon next to primary email address]()
- Tap Delete.
![iphone apple id sign in & security settings with a red box around delete button next to primary email]()
- Select Choose Another Email.
![iphone apple id sign in & security settings displaying a window prompting the user to enter a new email address for this apple id with a red box around choose another email option]()
- Enter your iPhone passcode.
![iphone change apple id email screen prompting the user to enter their iphone passcode with a red box around passcode entry field]()
- Enter a new email address and tap Continue.
![iphone change apple id email screen with a red box around continue button]()
- A verification code will be sent to your new email. Enter the code, and your Apple ID email will be changed.
![iphone change apple id email screen prompting the user to enter a verification code, with a red box around code entry field]()
That's how to change your Apple ID on iPhone. Once your new ID is verified, you can sign back in on your Apple devices to all the services that require an Apple ID. If you forgot to sign out of any service before changing your Apple ID, you will likely need to sign out and sign in again. As a final note, if you just want to know how to swap Apple IDs, all you need to do is sign out of your Apple ID at the bottom of the settings screen seen in step two above.
FAQ
- Can I change my Apple ID without losing everything? When you change your Apple ID email on your iPhone, you should have no problems with keeping your data. When you sign out of your Apple ID on other devices, your device should back up any necessary data. Once you sign back in with your new email, your devices should all sync up again.
- Can I create an iCloud account for my child? Yes, you can create an Apple ID for a child under 13. You will need to add your child to your Family Sharing group if you want to use parental controls.
- What should I do if I forget my iCloud password? If you ever forget the password for your Apple ID, you can check out our article on how to reset your iCloud password to get your account back.
- How do I recover my Apple ID if I can't reset the password? If you are unable to reset your password for any reason, you can use an Apple Recovery Contact. However, keep in mind that this needs to be set up before you lose access to your account.
