Your Apple ID is the main account you use to manage all your Apple gadgets. Whether that’s an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or a MacBook. And if you own two or more of those, your Apple ID login lets you sync them up so that your purchases, contacts, and more are shared across them. Neat!
Your Apple ID has to be linked to an email address just like most online accounts. But if you’re not using that email anymore or can’t access it — don’t worry. Swapping over to a different email address for your Apple ID is easy and only takes a couple of minutes. Here’s how to do it…
How do I change my Apple ID email?
When you change your Apple ID email, you won’t lose access to your data or other account info. Everything you had should stay exactly the same as it was before, as long as you do it properly.
Changing Apple ID email on a computer
Go to the Manage Your Apple ID page on Apple’s website and sign in.
Click on the ‘Sign-In and Security’ section and select the ‘Apple ID’ option.
Enter your new email address in the ‘New Apple ID’ box and click on ‘Change Apple ID’.
Check your email inbox for a verification code and enter it to finish the process.
Tech tip: If you use iCloud or Messages, then you’ll need to sign into those services again with your new Apple ID afterwards.
Changing Apple ID email on iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings App.
Tap on your account/name right at the top to open your Apple ID settings.
Choose the ‘Name, Phone Numbers, Email’ option at the top of the Apple ID menu.
Tap the ‘Edit’ button next to the ‘Email & Phone Numbers’ heading.
Delete your old email address, then choose ‘Continue’.
Enter your iPhone passcode and tap ‘Done’.
Type in your new Apple ID email address and tap on ‘Next’.
Check your email inbox for a 6-digit verification code and enter it to finish up.
FAQs
Is an Apple ID an email address?
Your Apple ID login is the account that you use to access Apple services (like iCloud and Apple Music) and keep your Apple devices in sync. And like most accounts you have for anything online, your Apple ID has to be linked to an email address. This email address is your Apple ID, which also becomes the contact email for your account.
What do I do if my Apple ID is showing an old email address?
If your Apple ID shows an old email address that you don’t use or haven’t got access to, follow the steps above and update it to your current email address.
If you’ve already done this — but your old email address still shows under your Apple ID account — you might just need to give it some time to refresh. And if this doesn’t work, try to update your sign-in information with any Apple services that you're using. Click here to learn more about that from Apple.
Can I create two Apple IDs with the same email address?
No, you can’t. As an Apple ID account is an email address, this means Apple won’t let two accounts share the same email.
Any more questions?
See, we told you it was easy! Now that you know how to swap out your Apple ID email, why not learn how to take screenshots and screen recordings on iPhone? Or really up your knowledge with our how to scan a QR code on an iPhone or Android guide. You’ll be an iPhone expert in no time!
