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To switch from an Apple ID to another, sign out of the account you want to delete and follow the steps for creating a new one. If desired, it is even possible to move purchases back and forth between different accounts.
Can I change my Apple ID without losing everything?
I am sure you must have faced this issue at least once. You are using an existing Apple ID on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod and suddenly you wanted to switch to a different Apple ID as it is easier for you. But before doing anything, you want to know whether you can use the same files and data again. This guide will solve all your queries with ease so read on.
Important: If the device that has the old Apple ID which is linked with iCloud was unlocked when it was last synced, then it will automatically update to the newly created Apple ID in case of any future changes in association with the iTunes account or iOS settings even if there are no new purchases or activity on the device itself. The user will not be able to revert to the old Apple ID after this change takes place.
Once you tap on Sign In, you will be redirected to Create a new Apple ID page as shown in the following screenshot. You can either create a new one by giving your details or sign up with an existing email address of yours which is supported by iCloud.
This screenshot shows the New Apple ID creation section but if you choose to Sign Up with your existing email address, then you will see an additional section asking for your name, birthday, etc along with the Password confirmation screen where you need to enter the password for your existing email account as well.
To keep things simple we have been creating a new Apple ID in this tutorial but if you want to switch from your existing one then please follow the same steps and enter details of your old email address instead.
How do I create a new Apple ID without losing everything?
Once you are done creating a new Apple ID, tap on the ‘Agree’ button to proceed further with the signup process.
You will be asked to provide payment information as well as the country/region where you reside for tax purposes during the sign-up process or when making purchases later on. This is applicable only if you choose the free subscription option which comes with 5GB iCloud storage rather than a paid upgrade starting at $0.99 per month which unlocks larger space increments along with other perks like iTunes Match etc, more about it can be found here. If you don’t want to pay anything then you can still use the free basic iCloud services but in case of any new purchases, you won’t be able to save them on your device unless you upgrade to a paid account by entering a valid payment card. This is why it is recommended that if you are going to create an Apple ID without paying for it, ensure using a different email address that is not associated with other cloud services like Gmail or Microsoft Outlook as well as not being linked with any existing iTunes accounts. Lastly, tap on the ‘Continue’ button and enter the requested information such as user name, birth date, etc before tapping on your country from the drop-down list just once again at the end of the page and then tap on the ‘Continue’ button again. That is it, you will now have a new Apple ID associated with your device as shown in the following screenshot. Once you are done creating one, you can simply log out from this screen by tapping on the ‘Sign Out’ option listed under the Apple ID section or simply restart your iOS device to make changes take effect. If you are still logged in at this point, you will be asked to enter credentials for your new account before being temporarily redirected back to the previous screen but after that, both old and new iCloud accounts will no longer work successfully. You can try once more if it doesn’t happen automatically but please do not forget to sign out from iCloud instead.
To switch from an Apple ID to another, sign out of the account you want to delete and follow the steps for creating a new one. If desired, it is even possible to move purchases back and forth between different accounts.
When you create a new Apple ID, all previous purchases are lost. If you have an email address and your old Apple ID, you can change the ID or keep the original one.
Merging one Apple ID with another or transferring content between them is not possible. If you download any apps with the new Apple ID, you will need to use your existing Apple ID and password for updates on all the apps that were downloaded using your existing Apple ID.
Photos stored on your camera roll will not be removed when you sign out of your Apple ID. However, if they are also stored in iCloud, please make sure that Photos has not become enabled and check the settings to confirm.
Apple will now allow users to switch from Gmail addresses and Yahoo emails to their own domain. Apple is allowing people who already have an iCloud or me.com address to be able to change it, in particular those who use a .com Gmail account.
When you see a message that says “Could Not Create Apple ID,” it means that you have exceeded the number of new iCloud accounts that your device is authorized for in one year. Better: When you see a “Could Not Create Apple” message, it means that an account limit has been reached and there’s not enough room on your device to create another iCloud account.