Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

redhawk87

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 11, 2009
181
23
Raleigh, NC
So, the apple ID I usually use is xxxx@hotmail.com. When I log into iCloud.com using that Apple ID and click on my name in the top right corner (near sign out button), it says my Apple ID is yyyy@me.com. When I go into iCloud settings on my iPhone and look up my email address, it shows yyyy@me.com and yyyy@icloud.com and that I have selected to use the icloud one. I have gone to iCloud.com and have successfully logged into iCloud using all three Apple ID's and all three show yyyy@me.com as my Apple ID and they are all linked.

Why do I have 3 ID's? and can I somehow delete two of them? All these ID's are just confusing to me and I dont know why Apple gave me three separate ones that all link to the same account :-/
 

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2011
9,616
2,392
Baltimore, Maryland
You are not alone in your confusion. Why Apple does it this way now is a mystery. A GMail account is a GMail account. You can add a secondary email as a recovery method but your ID is your GMail address (Actually, there is a way that Google can mix up accounts, also, but it's not standard operating procedure).

It is bizarre that you sign into your iCloud email account with a non-iCloud address.

The problem is that Apple IDs predate the use of iCloud, I guess.

I have a customer that had one of the old, one-word non-email Apple IDs and was forced to change it. Now that account is in the Twilight Zone (the one before zombies) with computer authorization problems and Apple hasn't been any help, really.
 

James Godfrey

macrumors 68020
Oct 13, 2011
2,058
1,700
So, the apple ID I usually use is xxxx@hotmail.com. When I log into iCloud.com using that Apple ID and click on my name in the top right corner (near sign out button), it says my Apple ID is yyyy@me.com. When I go into iCloud settings on my iPhone and look up my email address, it shows yyyy@me.com and yyyy@icloud.com and that I have selected to use the icloud one. I have gone to iCloud.com and have successfully logged into iCloud using all three Apple ID's and all three show yyyy@me.com as my Apple ID and they are all linked.

Why do I have 3 ID's? and can I somehow delete two of them? All these ID's are just confusing to me and I dont know why Apple gave me three separate ones that all link to the same account :-/

Apple are currently working on allowing users to change their apple id's to their @icloud.com email address, this will be done via the 'my apple ID' site.

Both your @me & @icloud email addresses are one and the same, but you will be able to remove your hotmail.
 

Lampmeister

macrumors member
Mar 30, 2009
65
0
Fort Worth
Apple are currently working on allowing users to change their apple id's to their @icloud.com email address, this will be done via the 'my apple ID' site.

Both your @me & @icloud email addresses are one and the same, but you will be able to remove your hotmail.

This is the first time I've heard that apple id's will be changeable to icloud.com email addresses....is this for real? My id is an email that I haven't used in forever, and I'd sure like to make the change. Any idea when this will be made available?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.