You can now change your Apple ID email, as of iOS 18.1

The upcoming iOS 18.1 update will allow users to change a previous primary email address, as well as letting those with iCloud.com, mac.com, or me.com email addresses change them.

Previously, Apple didn't allow any changes to your primary iCloud email address. Instead, those who regretted or no longer wanted to use that primary address could create a handful of "alias" email addresses that covered most uses.

As of iOS 18.1, however, users can change the primary email address associated with your Apple Account — formerly known as Apple ID — and use either the new address or the prior one for logging in. Previously, users would have to delete their old primary email, and re-verify their identity in order to pick a new one.

Even if you used an alias, the primary email address could still be seen by others when users send requests to share or collaborate on documents. The same applies to sending invitations to events via the Calendar app.

The change, first spotted by MacRumors, allows those who picked a flippant @icloud.com, @mac.com or @me.com, or have simply outgrown the old primary email address, to update it. The move by Apple also allows users, for the first time, to turn off a primary iCloud email address in addition to the option of deleting it.

19 Comments

Xed 2896 comments · 4 Years

About 2 months ago

Hmm... I wonder if there will also be an option to effectively merge two iCloud accounts.

omasou 643 comments · 7 Years

Xed said:

Hmm... I wonder if there will also be an option to effectively merge two iCloud accounts.

That's what I'm waiting for.

pedropedro 1 comment · 7 Years

I am in the same mind set as you all. I totally can not comprehend why we can not merge two ICloud accounts. Back in the day when Apple introduced the ITunes store, THEY emphasized the idea to set up a different account from ones primary account mainly for security purposes since money was involved. Now I have two accounts on all the devices. Just does not make sense since there are so many ways to verify said accounts.

omasou said:

Xed said:

Hmm... I wonder if there will also be an option to effectively merge two iCloud accounts.

That's what I'm waiting for.

Even if not officially, I do wonder if there's a way we can play a shell game with accounts so that you can get the account you want as your iCloud account also working as your Apple Store account.

rezwits 856 comments · 17 Years

Is 18.1 officially out or something? Cause no way in HELLLLL! would I dick around with that until the final release is out! Call me paranoid or something but my appleid is waaay to important to me, as I am sure yours is... fair warning.

But if my Beta updates aren't showing the actual releasing let me know... thanks!