Change your Apple Account primary email address

Find out how to change the primary email address that you use to sign in to your Apple Account.

If you no longer use the primary email address that’s associated with your Apple Account, or you no longer have access to it, you can change it. You won’t lose access to your contacts, purchases or other account information.

The easiest way to change the primary email address associated with your Apple Account is with your iPhone or other trusted device. A trusted device is a device that you’re already signed in to with your Apple Account.

Bear in mind that you can’t use an email address that’s already in use by another Apple Account.

Change your Apple Account primary email address on your iPhone or iPad

1. Go to Settings, then tap [your name].

2. Tap Sign-In & Security.

3. Tap your primary email address to make changes.

4. To remove this email address from your account, tap Remove from Account. If you want to keep the current email address associated with your Apple Account but change to a different primary email address, turn off Primary Email.

   

5. You’re prompted to choose another primary email address. You can either choose one of your other email addresses associated with your account as the new primary, or add a new primary email address.

6. Follow the onscreen steps to enter and verify your new primary email address. Find out what to do if you didn’t receive the email.

If you only have an iCloud email address associated with your Apple Account

You can change your iCloud email address using a device with iOS 18.1 or later, or iPadOS 18.1 or later.

If your only email address associated with your account is an iCloud email address, you won’t see an option to Remove from Account. Instead, you’ll see an option to Change Email Address.

Choosing this option changes only your existing iCloud email address. You’ll continue to be able to use your iCloud Mail and the messages sent to it. Your new iCloud email address replaces the old email address.

How to change your Apple Account primary email address on the web

When possible, the Apple Account website will redirect you to a trusted device to manage your Apple Account. If you’re not using a trusted device, you can still change your Apple Account primary email address on the web. If you want to change your iCloud email address, use your iPhone with iOS 18.1 or later, or iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later.

1. Go to account.apple.com and sign in to your Apple Account.

2. Go to Sign-In and Security, then choose Email & Phone Numbers.

3. Click the Remove button next to primary email.

4. Follow the onscreen steps to enter and verify your new primary email address. Find out what to do if you didn’t receive the email.

If you can’t change your Apple Account primary email address

If you see a message stating that the email address you want to use isn’t available or is already in use, check that you or a family member aren’t already using that email address with a different Apple Account. If a family member is using that email address, ask them to remove it from their account, then try to use it.

If your Apple Account uses a primary phone number

You can change your Apple Account to a different mobile phone number. You can also change your Apple Account from a mobile phone number to an email address to make sign in and recovery easier. Find out how to change your Apple Account primary phone number.