iCloud and Me accounts?

[stanw]

I'm new to iOS

Under my Mail settings on my iPhone I have an @iCloud.com email account and a @me.com email.com

I have no idea what these are for. Are these just standard accounts you get when you use iOS? Are they actual email accounts that I can send and receive email from?

 

[C DM]

They are email accounts associated with your Apple ID/iCloud (accounts with you can use for email if you wish).

 

[vlinkz]

me.com was used when iCloud [was called/before it replaced] MobileMe. I'm still using that address and I guess you can make a new one today if you want.

 

[stanw]

I'm pretty sure I'm using a gmail account as my main Apple ID account. That is the part I'm confused by....

 

[C DM]

I'm pretty sure I'm using a gmail account as my main Apple ID account. That is the part I'm confused by....

Right, you use an email address (like Gmail) as your username, but iCloud also has an email service that you can use too if you want.

 

[skwood]

I'm pretty sure I'm using a gmail account as my main Apple ID account. That is the part I'm confused by....

I'm in the same situation, I use a gmail address as my iCloud account but you can attach an icloud email to this address to use iCloud email with the same account. Quite confusing I grant you

 

[vlinkz]

I'm pretty sure I'm using a gmail account as my main Apple ID account. That is the part I'm confused by....

Your iCloud email doesn't need to be the same as your Apple ID. My Apple ID is a private email address. Because of this, I have three emails attached to my account.

 

[stanw]

1. So the iCloud email is a fully functioning email account like a Gmail one?
2. If so, are there any advantages to using it vs. a Gmail, Yahoo, etc. account?

Thanks.

 

[C DM]

1. So the iCloud email is a fully functioning email account like a Gmail one?
2. If so, are there any advantages to using it vs. a Gmail, Yahoo, etc. account?

Thanks.

Yes, full email. Advantages would primarily be about being in the same ecosystem and having generally better push notifications.

 

[ardchoille50]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't the me.com simply an alias for iCloud.com?

 

[vlinkz]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. But isn't the me.com simply an alias for iCloud.com?

Yes. iMessage for example works with all of my linked emails.