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Cannot Change Apple ID (new email adress)

frank4

frank4

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 17, 2011
192
43
I recently discovered my old gmail address is no longer valid, possibly cancelled by Google for no access by me within 5 months or so. Possibly my gmail account had been compromised, I read recently they had a hacking incident a few months ago. I am unable to log in to my gmail email account, password seems to have been changed, probably reset by Google but maybe by a hacker.

I was using the gmail address as my Apple ID for last 5 years. So I decided I better change my Apple ID to use my iCloud email address, since iCloud email is what I have been using for almost 5 years, and I'm unlikely to leave the Apple ecosystem anytime soon.

I signed out of iCloud on all my devices (iPad 2, iPad Air, Apple TV 3), since this is recommended before resetting the Apple ID.

On my Mac Mini I went to www.iCloud.com to set up my new iCloud email, to change my Apple ID accordingly. However the account management icloud.com page just goes into a wait state and does not return, when I try to set the new email address, so I just cancel after a few minutes of waiting. Also in the last few minutes it is giving me a "403 Forbidden" server error when I try to manage my iCloud settings.

What's going on, is Apple's iCloud server management system on the fritz???
 
frank4 said:
So I decided I better change my Apple ID to use my iCloud email address, since iCloud email is what I have been using for almost 5 years, and I'm unlikely to leave the Apple ecosystem anytime soon.
Click to expand...
That won't work. Your iCloud address/account IS an AppleID already, so you cannot reuse it. You will need to use some other email address for your AppleID.
 
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Weaselboy said:
That won't work. Your iCloud address/account IS an AppleID already, so you cannot reuse it. You will need to use some other email address for your AppleID.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, well my Apple ID has been a Gmail address, I'm trying to get an iCloud based Apple ID for the first time. I think that is allowed by their rules. It looks like the rule is you cannot change your Apple ID if it is ALREADY based on an iCloud email. My Apple ID is based on a Gmail address. I have been using iCloud for email, but it is not my Apple ID.

Here is what Apple support pages say:

"If you can't change your Apple ID
You can change your Apple ID to any other email address you control, as long as it's not already in use as an Apple ID. If your email address ends with @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com, you can't change your Apple ID. You also won't see Change Apple ID on your account page or the option to delete your email on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 10.3 or later."

I will try again today, assuming something was wrong with the Apple site last night (around midnight W coast), I should not have been getting the "403 Forbidden" error, maybe they were doing maintenance.

*** update 9 am W. Coast time Aug 11 - still getting the "403 Forbidden" message when I try to manage my iCloud settings.
 
Last edited:
I don't think you are understanding what I am saying. Your iCloud address IS an AppleiD, so you will not be able to change another AppleID to that address.

Just sign up for an outlook.com or whatever address and use that.
 
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