Unintentional Apple ID change...

This one puzzles me and I did see the post with the similar subject line, but that's not applicable in my case. With that said, here we go...

I have my Apple ID, an ISP .net email address, set for about 15 years. The account set up with 2FA that has been working just fine, both on the Iphone 8 Plus and MBP.

Couple of days ego, I've tried to install an app on my iPhone and it popped up with entering the password for my Apple ID. When it didn't work, I'll just canceled it due to time constrain.

Today, for no reason, the iPhone popped up a message to enter the password for the account on a locked screen. I've unlocked the phone and looked at settings, where the the login prompt popped up again. Again, the known password did not work:



The try again popped up and I noticed that the email address is not what I have been using for the last 15 years. Instead, it is one of my email address with my wife's company, a .com email address, that I do have access to. Then I remembered that she said couple of days ego, that she needed to disable family sharing for some reason. Yes, I should have listened more carefully...

I tried to login with my old Apple ID at Apple's website, but it stated unknown account. Using the .com email address with the password used for .net account logged me in, rather text the code to my iPhone first and then logged me in. Entered the password on my Iphone as well and everything is working fine.

I do know that my iPhone/MBP is not hacked and have couple of questions...

Not knowing exactly what she did on my iPhone does not help, but is it that easy to change the email address/Apple ID?

Why wasn't there any email notification from Apple about the account name change? After I've logged in to the new Apple ID and made some changes to the account, I've received four emails from Apple on my new email address/Apple ID.

Shouldn't there be a 2FA text for changing the email address/Apple ID?

Yeah, this one puzzles me to no end...

Well it looks like your wife ceased your family sharing option not by simply turning it off in iCloud Settings but by changing the name of the account.
You may have received notifications of the account name change but they may have been sent to the old account name (email address). Having never done this its a bit difficult to say how Apple would react to a name change.
Do you also have an iCloud email address. eg [email protected] ? You would I think have received some notification.
Has this change also effected your iTunes and App Store accounts?
I mean essentially you have approved the change on your "trusted" device, being your iPhone so i imagine all will be well. It is fairly easy to change your Apple Account name after all and it doesnt need to be an email address. Changing your Apple ID password on the other hand is a different kettle of fish.

Cr00zng said:

Not knowing exactly what she did on my iPhone does not help

Click to expand...

Why not just ask her? And the whole situation is unclear to me. If your Apple ID was the source for family sharing, why wouldn't you just go in and disable it instead of your wife? And yeah, I'm not sure why she would change your Apple ID since she already knows your password.

I did ask her again and she states, that she has only disabled family sharing. That did not change my Apple ID, nor should it result in an email from Apple about this change. There has been no impact due to this change to the few services that are enabled on my iPhone. As a reminder, the iCloud in my case is only used for contacts, calendar, reminder and notes. The utilization for the iCloud stands at 7 MB of 5 GB used, mainly due for contacts and calendar entries.


The change for the Apple ID may have not been done at the time she disabled family sharing. Knowing how infrequently I actually use the Apple ID on my iPhone, the Apple ID change may have happened a while ego. I just did not realize it until now. The actual change may have been done by me, but I am drawing a blank as in "I don't recall...". And yes, I did apologize to her for the usual "techy people pointing finger"....

I have no issues with her unlocking my iPhone, even changing some settings. That's called trusting your life long partner. Indirectly, she also has access to my email and other passwords; in another word, she can look them up in my password app, if she so desires. While this probably not suitable for everyone, at my age, it's a way to ensure that she can use my accounts, if and when I am no longer around...

Cr00zng said:

The change for the Apple ID may have not been done at the time she disabled family sharing. Knowing how infrequently I actually use the Apple ID on my iPhone, the Apple ID change may have happened a while ego. I just did not realize it until now. The actual change may have been done by me, but I am drawing a blank as in "I don't recall...".

Click to expand...

That would make more sense in this situation.

Ah yes.


Sent from my iPhone