Until now, Apple IDs that used a third-party email address could be changed to another third-party email address but not to an Apple email account that is created alongside an Apple ID. The company has made a change and for the first time, users are able to update their Apple ID to an @icloud.com, @me.com or @mac.om email address.
A regular MacRumors reader named Dillon outlined this problem to a number of Apple executives, asking for it to be changed. Last week, he was contacted by Apple Executive Relations and told that the engineering team would look into the issue. After a second phone call, he was told the issue had been fixed. From Dillon:
“For a long time if you had an Apple ID that used a 3rd party email address as your Apple ID you were unable to change it to an Apple email address… even if the Apple address was on the same account.
I couple of weeks ago I sent an email addressed to Tim Cook, Craig Federighi, Phil Schiller, and Eddy Cue. I explained the situation and asked if they could fix it. Last week I received an email and phone call from someone at Apple Executive Relations. The women I spoke to told me that the problem would be sent to an engineering team and would be addressed. Today I got another call and email informing me that the issue had been resolved.
I tried it out and sure enough… I can finally set my Apple email as my Apple ID!”
The “Change your Apple ID” support document was updated to reflect the changes.
However, if you decide to swap your third-party email address to an Apple address, the company warns that there is no way to change it back:
If you enter a new Apple ID that ends with @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com, you see a message to confirm. When you change your Apple ID to an @icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com account, you can’t change it back to a third-party email account. Your former Apple ID that ends with a third-party email, becomes an additional email address for your Apple ID account.
If you want to change your address, follow the simple instructions in the support document. You’ll have to sign out of all iOS devices before you go ahead.