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.
Your Apple ID is now known as your Apple Account, and comes with new flexibility.
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.