Your Apple ID (now officially called your Apple Account) is the key to everything in the Apple ecosystem—iCloud, the App Store, iMessage, and more. If the email address you originally used to create your account is old, unprofessional, or you simply no longer have access to it, you can change your primary Apple ID email without losing any of your purchases, photos, or contacts.
How to Change Your Email on an iPhone or iPad
- Open the Settings app on your device.
- Tap on your name at the very top of the screen to open your Apple ID settings.
- Tap Sign-In & Security.
- In the “Email & Phone Numbers” section at the top, you will see your current email address. Tap the Edit button in the top right corner.
- Tap the red minus icon (–) next to your current email address, then tap the Delete button that appears on the right.
- A prompt will ask you to select a new email. Tap Choose Another Email Address.
- You may be asked to enter your iPhone passcode to confirm your identity.
- Type in the new email address you want to use and tap Continue.
- Apple will send a verification code to that new email inbox. Open your email, find the code, and enter it on your iPhone to finalize the change.
Important Note: If your current Apple ID ends in @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com, Apple’s system restrictions generally prevent you from changing it to a third-party email (like Gmail or Yahoo). You can, however, change a third-party email to another third-party email, or change a third-party email to an iCloud email.