Change your Apple Account primary email address

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

If you no longer use the primary email address that’s associated with your Apple Account, or you no longer have access to it, you can change it. You won’t lose access to your contacts, purchases, or other account information.

The easiest way to change the primary email address associated with your Apple Account is with your iPhone or other trusted device. A trusted device is a device that you’re already signed in to with your Apple Account.

Keep in mind that you can’t use an email address that’s already in use by another Apple Account.

Apple ID is now Apple Account. You can still sign in with the same email address or phone number and password.

Change your Apple Account primary email address on your iPhone or iPad

  1. Go to Settings, then tap [your name].

  2. Tap Sign-In & Security.

  3. Tap your primary email address to make changes.

  4. To remove this email address from your account, tap Remove from Account. If you want to keep the current email address associated with your Apple Account but change to a different primary email address, turn off Primary Email.

    iPhone showing Apple Account settings and options for changing a primary email address
  5. You’re prompted to choose another primary email address. You can either choose one of your other email addresses associated with your account as the new primary, or add a new primary email address.

  6. Follow the onscreen steps to enter and verify your new primary email address. Learn what to do if you didn’t get the email.

If you remove an email address that isn’t an iCloud email address from your Apple Account, it can’t be associated with another Apple Account for 30 days for security reasons. After removing an email address from your account, notify anyone who might contact you on Messages, FaceTime, or other Apple apps using that Apple Account email address. After 30 days, another user might be able to associate that email address with an Apple Account for Messages, FaceTime, and more.

If you only have an iCloud email address associated with your Apple Account

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.

How to change your Apple Account primary email address on the web

When possible, the Apple Account website redirects you to a trusted device to manage your Apple Account. If you’re not using a trusted device, you can still change your Apple Account primary email address on the web. If you want to change your iCloud email address, use your iPhone with iOS 18.1 or later or iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later.

  1. Go to account.apple.com and sign in to your Apple Account.

  2. Go to Sign-In and Security, then choose Email & Phone Numbers.

  3. Click the Remove button next to primary email.

  4. Follow the onscreen steps to enter and verify your new primary email address. Learn what to do if you didn’t get the email.

If you remove an email address that isn’t an iCloud email address from your Apple Account, it can’t be associated with another Apple Account for 30 days for security reasons. After removing an email address from your account, notify anyone who might contact you on Messages, FaceTime, or other Apple apps using that Apple Account email address. After 30 days, another user might be able to associate that email address with an Apple Account for Messages, FaceTime, and more.

If you can’t change your Apple Account primary email address

If you see a message that the email address you want to use isn’t available or is already in use, check that you or a family member aren’t already using that email address with a different Apple Account. If a family member is using that email address, ask them to remove it from their account, then try to use it.

If you remove an email address that isn’t an iCloud email address from your Apple Account, it can’t be associated with another Apple Account for 30 days for security reasons. After removing an email address from your account, notify anyone who might contact you on Messages, FaceTime, or other Apple apps using that Apple Account email address. After 30 days, another user might be able to associate that email address with an Apple Account for Messages, FaceTime, and more.

If your Apple Account uses a primary phone number

You can change your Apple Account to a different mobile phone number. You can also change your Apple Account from a mobile phone number to an email address to make sign in and recovery easier. Learn how to change your Apple Account primary phone number.

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