Merging Apple IDs/iTunes Accounts - We Need It!

[NightFox]

If you're already using one AppleID for iCloud and another one for iTunes then I'm afraid things are now going to start getting even messier with iOS8.

For some of us it's been a confusing issue for years, and Apple's response has always been "we're working on it", but with iOS8 it's going to get even more complicated if you've got multiple AppleIDs/iTunes Accounts, particularly with the family sharing feature (not just apps, but also location with Find my Friends now only working with the primary iCloud ID).

Come on Apple, please help us out here! Surely a company who can bring us Continuity and Swift can work out how to combine two AppleIDs? (And before anyone criticises, many of us were "forced" to have multiple IDs because of the way Apple set up the predecessors to iCloud so we couldn't use our existing iTunes account IDs - it certainly wasn't by choice)

 

[SandboxGeneral]

I agree. I wish Apple would get on the ball regarding this issue. When Tim Cook said yesterday, "I do read your emails" I thought, no not all of them!

I just have two accounts and would love to merge them and be done with it.

 

[NightFox]

I agree. I wish Apple would get on the ball regarding this issue. When Tim Cook said yesterday, "I do read your emails" I thought, no not all of them!

I just have two accounts and would love to merge them and be done with it.

I suppose the family sharing option might offer a workaround - though a long way off the convenience of merging...

Maybe if you've got a iCloud ID and an iTunes ID, you could set up the iTunes ID as the "controller" of the family account, and then add your iCloud ID as one of your family members. That way, I think you would then be able to just use your iCloud ID for iTunes, in theory never having to touch your original iTunes account again (except for keeping credit card details up-to-date) etc. One big hassle this might lead to though would possibly be the need to re-download all the apps to your device using your iCloud ID to make sure they were properly associated with the new ID so they would update on your device. You wouldn't be charged for any of them as they would be being shared from your original iTunes account.

Does that sound as if it would work? I'm not sure if I can be tempted to try this though, especially with such an early Beta...

 

[SandboxGeneral]

It might work, but like you said, I'd be hesitate to try it with a brand new beta. At least i'd wait until a few beta updates came out.

 

[miamialley]

I'm coming back to iPhone after having an Android and I'm trying to figure out how to work this. My gmail email is associated with the Apple ID that is used for my iTunes account. My icloud email is used to whenever Apple requires you have use an icloud email. I'm confused as to how to manage the 2 different accounts. All of my music, video, apps purchases are associated with my gmail iTunes account, otherwise, I'd just drop it and go with icloud for management.

How do you guys work it out?

(also, there are some random things that require an icloud email, like syncing notes)

I think the only option is to connect to icloud on my idevices with icloud email and connect with itunes using gmail apple id. I think that should work. Ug. Am I missing anything? Wish we could merge them.

UPDATE:

I'm so confused. But now for my mac, I need iTunes to sync with my gmail apple ID. How do I get it to do that if I have to log in my icloud email as my icloud account for my mac?

 

[tigres]

Been trying to figure this out for years actually.

Everyone in our Fam has there own apple id, and it is associated with their respective iTunes account as well. 3 different CC's.

Not sure how to proceed, they are in fact all @mac accounts as well.

I am afraid to even set up family sharing.

 

[miamialley]

Okay, well apparently, on my mac I can use my gmail apple ID for iTunes and the icloud apple ID for syncing bookmarks, find my ithingy and notes and whatever else. It's convoluted, but I THINK it works. At least for my situation, I think it's sorted out.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Okay, well apparently, on my mac I can use my gmail apple ID for iTunes and the icloud apple ID for syncing bookmarks, find my ithingy and notes and whatever else. It's convoluted, but I THINK it works. At least for my situation, I think it's sorted out.

That's what I'm doing since Apple won't allow use to merge ID's. I have to use my old Gmail account for iTunes, but I use my .mac account for everything else.

 

[miamialley]

That's what I'm doing since Apple won't allow use to merge ID's. I have to use my old Gmail account for iTunes, but I use my .mac account for everything else.

Okay, I was worried Apple wouldn't let us do that. That seems to be sufficient. Annoying, but it works. I remember having this problem when they forced you to use icloud emails for certain function (find my iphone) and others.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Okay, I was worried Apple wouldn't let us do that. That seems to be sufficient. Annoying, but it works. I remember having this problem when they forced you to use icloud emails for certain function (find my iphone) and others.

Yeah, I'm still disappointed, along with a multitude of others that Apple won't allow us to merge accounts.

 

[kshitijshah]

How are you guys setting up Family Sharing? Do you use the shared iTunes account as the main account with the credit card and put all iCloud accounts under it?. In that case one has to first sign out of I Cloud and sign into the iTunes account to use for iCloud.

Is this the safest way to enable Family sharing for Multiple accounts?

 

[TwoBytes]

I found out the hard way.

Family sharing will not work properly unless you have your apple ID as the same as your iCloud one which mine isn't

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5449?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

[severe]

If you're already using one AppleID for iCloud and another one for iTunes then I'm afraid things are now going to start getting even messier with iOS8.

Exactly. I'm attempting to try a few new things with iOS 8 and the Yosemite beta, at the moment. Having the two ID's (iCloud/iTunes) confuses things, as it always has.

So here I am, as I am a couple times a year, searching for a new solution. Still, no dice.

Until next year.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

It's really a non issue for me. I have two apple ID accounts. One is an iCloud account and one is a gmail account.

The gmail account is strictly used for itunes and app stores purchases/downloads.

The iCloud account is used for literally everything else.

The family sharing setup was flawless, it shows that I am the organizer with my iCloud ID and it is sharing purchases from my gmail apple ID.

Would merging it make everything a little bit easier during the initial setup? Sure, but I have no complaints with the way it is now.

My wife has one iCloud account that she uses for everything and adding her to the family sharing was easy too.

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I found out the hard way.

Family sharing will not work properly unless you have your apple ID as the same as your iCloud one which mine isn't

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5449?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Not the case for me.

 

[Rigby]

I'm coming back to iPhone after having an Android and I'm trying to figure out how to work this. My gmail email is associated with the Apple ID that is used for my iTunes account. My icloud email is used to whenever Apple requires you have use an icloud email.

When does Apple require you to use an iCloud email?

I'm confused as to how to manage the 2 different accounts. All of my music, video, apps purchases are associated with my gmail iTunes account, otherwise, I'd just drop it and go with icloud for management.

Your gmail Apple ID is a full iCloud acccount, including all the iCloud features. So unless you have a specific reason for maintaining 2 accounts (such as sharing purchases), you should be able to use your gmail ID for everything.

(also, there are some random things that require an icloud email, like syncing notes)

Yes, because it stores notes in an IMAP folder. But your account with the gmail ID also supports iCloud email. The gmail address is just the username.

 

[miamialley]

When does Apple require you to use an iCloud email?
Your gmail Apple ID is a full iCloud acccount, including all the iCloud features. So unless you have a specific reason for maintaining 2 accounts (such as sharing purchases), you should be able to use your gmail ID for everything.
Yes, because it stores notes in an IMAP folder. But your account with the gmail ID also supports iCloud email. The gmail address is just the username.

To use find my friends. Not sure if other times.

 

[Kendo]

Am I missing something? My Apple ID and my iTunes account are the same.

 

[bgro]

It's really a non issue for me. I have two apple ID accounts. One is an iCloud account and one is a gmail account.

The gmail account is strictly used for itunes and app stores purchases/downloads.

The iCloud account is used for literally everything else.

The family sharing setup was flawless, it shows that I am the organizer with my iCloud ID and it is sharing purchases from my gmail apple ID.

Would merging it make everything a little bit easier during the initial setup? Sure, but I have no complaints with the way it is now.

My wife has one iCloud account that she uses for everything and adding her to the family sharing was easy too.

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Not the case for me.

This is exactly what I've done. My iCloud ID is the family organizer. My gmail ID (which has long been used for iTunes purchases) is a member of my family and I have no issues downloading past purchases.

The only issue is IAPs and what I do if I really really don't want to spend the $ again is download the app with IAPs, sign out of my iCloud ID in the iTunes store and resign in with my old iTunes ID (Gmail). Then I go into the app and restore purchases. Then I go back into the App Store and resign in with my iCloud ID. Has worked flawlessly.

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Am I missing something? My Apple ID and my iTunes account are the same.

Many people have mulitiple Apple IDs from over the years of new or changed services.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Am I missing something? My Apple ID and my iTunes account are the same.

My Apple ID and iTunes accounts are different. I wish to merge the iTunes account and all its purchases into my Apple ID account.

 

[Rigby]

To use find my friends. Not sure if other times.

Find my Friends works with any Apple ID, including your gmail ID.

 

[KenAFSPC]

Am I missing something? My Apple ID and my iTunes account are the same.

Same. Mine used to be different, but I merged the two.

You can change your Apple ID to whatever email you want, at any time. You can use the same email account for iCloud. It is easy enough to move/copy everything (documents, photos, etc) from one iCloud account to another.

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My Apple ID and iTunes accounts are different. I wish to merge the iTunes account and all its purchases into my Apple ID account.

Why not do the opposite? Merge your Apple ID with the iTunes account.

 

[miamialley]

Find my Friends works with any Apple ID, including your gmail ID.

When I try to log in find my friends on my iPad, it says an iCloud account is required.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Same. Mine used to be different, but I merged the two.

You can change your Apple ID to whatever email you want, at any time. You can use the same email account for iCloud. It is easy enough to move/copy everything (documents, photos, etc) from one iCloud account to another.

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Why not do the opposite? Merge your Apple ID with the iTunes account.

I Suppose it could either way. For my situation I'd want it the way I described.

 

[Rigby]

When I try to log in find my friends on my iPad, it says an iCloud account is required.

If you can use your gmail address to login to iTunes, there is an iCloud account attached to it as well.

 

[miamialley]

If you can use your gmail address to login to iTunes, there is an iCloud account attached to it as well.

Maybe I hadn't had an iCloud account associated with my iTunes ID then? I don't think I did.