You CAN change your Apple ID Primary Email address.

[Rod]

This was something I did not know (there's obviously lots of those). Referring to a recent post by rainbowcat Data breach I said that while one could change their Apple ID password they couldn't change the email address used for an Apple ID without creating a new Apple ID thus losing all the data associated with that Apple account.

Turns out I was completely wrong. Here is a good article from Apple on how to do it;

Change your Apple Account primary email address - Apple Support

Learn how to change the primary email address that you use to sign in to your Apple Account.

support.apple.com

As usual Apple's instructions are a little ambiguous. The page seems to describe two different things; Changing your Apple Account (previously Apple ID) Primary Email Address and changing your iCloud email address only, "
You can change your iCloud email address using a device with iOS 18.1 or later, and iPadOS 18.1 or later.

If your only email address associated with your account is an iCloud email address, you won’t see an option to Remove from Account. Instead, you’ll see an option to Change Email Address.

Choosing this option changes only your existing iCloud email address. You’ll continue to be able to use your iCloud Mail and the messages sent to it. Your new iCloud email address replaces the old email address."

What I wanted to do as I assume others wanted too was to change my Apple Account login User Name from my old @gmail.com address to @icloud.com an address which I use only for Apple related actions.

This appears to be possible on both iPhone and on the web using a Trusted device such as my MBP described in the paragraph, "How to change your Apple Account primary email address on the web."

Although it doesn't mention it, perhapes because it is covered in Step 4 where receiving an email is mentioned, I think that changing the email associated with my Apple Account would mean logging out of all Apple devices and services, eg iCloud and logging back in with the new Account email and existing Password.

If anybody has done it or has any thoughts on the topic I'd love to hear about it.

This topic is not solely related to the recent data breach on 20th of June, these breaches are happening all the time and this one is probably no more threatening than others. So long as users are taking precautions such as MFA, strong passwords, exercising caution with phishing attempts, using authenticator apps and Passkeys where available the risks have not increased greatly. Remember it's your money these scammers are after, whether they know my medical history or not is of little consequence to me but if they can impersonate me it is.

 

[Jimmysb]

@Rod I think you have captured this quite well, and as mentioned in the other thread, I have changed mine.

Although it doesn't mention it, perhapes because it is covered in Step 4 where receiving an email is mentioned, I think that changing the email associated with my Apple Account would mean logging out of all Apple devices and services, eg iCloud and logging back in with the new Account email and existing Password.

Not 100% sure what you are asking, but once the new ID is established, when you open an other device, you will need to login with your new ID, however for your iCloud mail once this is done, you just need to go to Internet Account and switch the mail on:

 

[Rod]

Got it, thanks

 

[IWT]

This was something I did not know (there's obviously lots of those). Referring to a recent post by rainbowcat Data breach I said that while one could change their Apple ID password they couldn't change the email address used for an Apple ID without creating a new Apple ID thus losing all the data associated with that Apple account.

Turns out I was completely wrong. Here is a good article from Apple on how to do it;

Change your Apple Account primary email address - Apple Support

Learn how to change the primary email address that you use to sign in to your Apple Account.

support.apple.com

As usual Apple's instructions are a little ambiguous. The page seems to describe two different things; Changing your Apple Account (previously Apple ID) Primary Email Address and changing your iCloud email address only, "
You can change your iCloud email address using a device with iOS 18.1 or later, and iPadOS 18.1 or later.

If your only email address associated with your account is an iCloud email address, you won’t see an option to Remove from Account. Instead, you’ll see an option to Change Email Address.

Choosing this option changes only your existing iCloud email address. You’ll continue to be able to use your iCloud Mail and the messages sent to it. Your new iCloud email address replaces the old email address."

What I wanted to do as I assume others wanted too was to change my Apple Account login User Name from my old @gmail.com address to @icloud.com an address which I use only for Apple related actions.

This appears to be possible on both iPhone and on the web using a Trusted device such as my MBP described in the paragraph, "How to change your Apple Account primary email address on the web."

Although it doesn't mention it, perhapes because it is covered in Step 4 where receiving an email is mentioned, I think that changing the email associated with my Apple Account would mean logging out of all Apple devices and services, eg iCloud and logging back in with the new Account email and existing Password.

If anybody has done it or has any thoughts on the topic I'd love to hear about it.

This topic is not solely related to the recent data breach on 20th of June, these breaches are happening all the time and this one is probably no more threatening than others. So long as users are taking precautions such as MFA, strong passwords, exercising caution with phishing attempts, using authenticator apps and Passkeys where available the risks have not increased greatly. Remember it's your money these scammers are after, whether they know my medical history or not is of little consequence to me but if they can impersonate me it is.

Brilliant, Rod. I great big thank you.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

As usual Apple's instructions are a little ambiguous. The page seems to describe two different things; Changing your Apple Account (previously Apple ID) Primary Email Address and changing your iCloud email address only, "
You can change your iCloud email address using a device with iOS 18.1 or later, and iPadOS 18.1 or later.

What a huge understatement regarding apples usual ambiguity they seem to be able to accomplish so well in their explanations. Maybe they are created in China along with their computers and high devices...

Anyway, can they change be made if one does not have an iOS device but only a Mac model and is there a list of alternative email address names one can check previously before attempting to make the change?

EDIT: is changing one's Apple ID email address preferred over the method of creating an alias I have read about?
If you're using an iCloud email address, you can also create email aliases to use as alternative email addresses.

EDIT II:

I just found this which should take me a few hours to translate and Digest by various options if I have any:

About your @icloud.com, @me.com and @mac.com email addresses
Depending on when you created your iCloud account, your iCloud email addresses and
aliases may end with @icloud.com, @me.com or @mac.com domains. Here's how they're granted.

https://support.apple.com/en-

gb/118230#:~:text=About%20your%20%40icloud.com%2C,addresses%20%E2%80%93%20Apple%20Support%20(UK)

- Patrick
=======

 

[ferrarr]

I just created my new iCloud email to replace my original iTunes Account login (hotmail email address) the other day, when I posted in the other thread. I still have to wait for the 30 days, to be able to change my login. I tried to sign into that account, but it gives an unknown error warning.