Your Apple ID is frequently used when you want to buy apps, songs, movies or other contents from iTunes and App Store. Other than this, Apple ID is used to access all your iCloud contents. With so much importance attached to Apple ID, you can’t afford to forget Apple ID and password. If this happens, you have to change the email ID linked with your Apple ID.
If you forget your Apple ID and password, you can change the email address associated with your Apple ID. It is a simple process you can do from a web browser on your computer.
Before moving ahead…
It is suggested by experts that if you want to change the email address linked to your Apple ID, you should sign out from all your devices, where you have been using your Apple ID.
Your Apple ID is nothing but your personal email you use; for example, abc@gmail.com or example@yahoo.com. But remember that the password you use in your personal email and Apple ID can be different. Though some users use the same password, they should change it as soon as possible.
Since your Apple ID is your email, you need to access that email for verification purpose. Note that when you create a new Apple ID, Apple also creates an iCloud email ID for you. Apple will link this email address to the Apple ID and you cannot unlink that email.
Note that now you can also change your Apple ID Email from third Party to Apple Email address
How to Change Apple ID Email Address
In case you want to change the email address that you are using as your Apple ID, and you know your Apple ID and password, you can change it from any web browser.
Step #1: Open appleid.apple.com on your web browser.
Step #2: Type in your Apple ID and password.
Step #3: If you have set up two-factor verification on your Apple ID, a code will be sent to your iOS device. Once you enter this six-digit code, you will be landed on your profile page.
If you haven’t set up two-step verification, you will be asked to answer security questions.
Step #4: Next, in the Account section, click on Edit (this is on the extreme right).
Step #5: Now click on Change Email Address link, which is right below your APPLE ID.
Step #6: Type in the new email address.
Step #7: Then, click on Continue.
Note that Apple will send a verification code to this new email address.
Step #8: Open the email you have received from Apple.
Step #9: In this email, you will find a Verification code.
Step #10: Type in the verification code on appleid.apple.com.
Step #11: Click on Continue.
If there is no technical glitch, this process should change your email address associated with your Apple ID. But there is no such thing as an ideal world. Problems do arise and you have to fix them.
What if your email address is already being used with your Apple ID
This is a tricky situation. Apple sends a warning that the email address you want to change is already being used as Apple ID. What to do now?
You need to have three email addresses to solve this issue.
- The email address associated with your active Apple ID.
- Email ID associated with Apple ID you wish to change your active Apple ID to (you are not supposed to remember any Apple ID password, but you must remember the email password.
- A disposable email account (an email that is not already being used as an Apple ID). You can quickly create an email for this purpose only; you can also use an older email address that is not used by you frequently.
Step #1: Get the password for Apple ID linked to the email you wish to change to.
Step #1: Open iforgot.apple.com on your browser.
Step #2: Type in the email ID you want to change your active Apple account to (active Apple Id is the one you are not able to change currently as it is being used).
Step #3: Enter the CAPTCHA to confirm that you are a human being and not a robot.
Step #4: Click on Continue button.
Step #5: From the radio buttons, click on ‘I need to reset my password’.
Step #6: Choose to Get an email.
Step #7: Again, click on Continue.
Step #8: Next, open the email you get from Apple.
Step #9: Now click Reset now link.
Step #10: Type your new password.
Step #11: Enter the new password again.
Step #12: Finally, click the Reset Password.
You have got the password for the Apple ID you don’t remember you have created and you don’t want to use it anyway.
Step #2: Change the email address associated with inactive Apple ID
In step one, you did everything to disconnect the email address from inactive Apple ID. Since you have got access to it now, you can change the email address linked with it to something you don’t bother about. Here, you need to use an old email or the new one you have just created for the only purpose of using it for the inactive Apple ID.
You can follow the steps for changing email address linked with your Apple ID and use the Apple ID email address and password from Step 1 mentioned above. Change the email linked with that account to the disposable email ID.
Step #3: Head back and change your active Apple ID email
Since the email address, you wish to use for active Apple ID is freed up, you can make changes. Follow the steps to change the email address linked with your Apple ID (mentioned above). This time, when you enter the new email address, you will be able to use the one you want.
What if there is no option to change your email address
You won’t be able to change your Apple ID if the email address linked with your Apple ID is an @me.com, @Mac.com, or @icloud.com. You can’t even see the option to change the email address. You are helpless as you can do nothing.
There is only one option left for you and that is to start over with a brand new Apple ID by using your choice of email address. But this means you will lose all the contents you have associated with your current Apple ID.
If you can log into the Apple ID that uses an @me.com, @Mac.com, or @icloud.com, you should download as much content as possible on your devices or on other cloud-based services like photos, contacts, iCloud Drive documents, etc. Then start afresh with your choice of the email account.
A word of caution
Once you go for above solution, be prepared to lose all your iTunes purchases like movies, music, iBooks and apps across all iOS devices.
What if you entered the wrong email address when you created an Apple ID
If you have used an incorrect email address by mistake to create an Apple ID, you can solve this issue by changing the email address associated with your Apple ID (please read the process: How to Change Email Address Associated with Apple ID mentioned above). Remember to enter the correct email address to sign in.
During the entire process, you have to use your Apple ID frequently. Many users face an issue of iPhone keeps asking for Apple ID.
In an extreme situation, you may want to delete or remove Apple ID from iPhone and iPad. Go for it!
Have you ever faced such a situation, wherein you have to change the email address associated with Apple ID? Share your feedback with us in comments below and Follow us Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for more updates.