What is an Apple ID? Many of my clients think of it as a password, but in reality it is the username of your Apple account and is in the form of an email address.

When you log into your Apple ID (either with your associated password or using Touch ID or Face ID on a supporting device), you get access to any number of Apple’s services, including iCloud, App Store, Music, TV, Arcade, Fitness, and more.

More Than One Apple ID

There are a few common scenarios in which you might have more than one Apple ID:

  • Your primary Apple ID is an email address from a non-Apple provider, such as Gmail or your own domain, and you wanted to use iCloud Mail. Thus, you ended up with an email address @me.com or @icloud.com.
  • At some point, you created a separate Apple ID for use with the iTunes and App Stores. As a result, your Apple purchases are on a separate account from the one used for syncing personal data among your devices.
  • When you bought a new Apple device, you opted to created a new Apple ID instead of signing in with the one you already had.

None of these scenarios is particularly bad or wrong, but they could lead to frustration or confusion depending on your situation.

Consolidate Apple IDs

While it’s not possible to merge the entirety of two Apple IDs or transfer purchases from one to another, you might wish to delete one of these accounts. For example, suppose you created one for Apple media purchases but never actually bought anything with it.

If you have an Apple ID with no associated content or services, you can visit Apple’s Data & Privacy site to request it deleted and potentially simplify your technology experience.

Change Your Apple ID

If your Apple ID is an email address that you no longer use, you can change it to another address:

  1. Sign in at appleid.apple.com
  2. Click Edit in the Account section
  3. Click Change Apple ID
  4. Enter the email address you want to use instead
  5. Enter your Apple password to confirm

As an Apple user, your Apple ID enables you to be intensely flexible and use any of your various devices depending which one is at hand, convenient, and/or efficient for various tasks.

Does your Apple ID serve you in all the ways you need it?