How do I change the Apple ID used for the App Store and iTunes? Discussion in 'iPhone Tips, Help and Troubleshooting' started by annamontana412, Jul 12, 2008. To download and buy apps from the App Store, you need an Apple ID. Your Apple ID is the account that you use to access Apple services. If you've used other Apple services like iCloud, sign in to the App Store with the same Apple ID. Next up, sign out on the iPad, by going to iOS Settings > iTunes & App Store > and tapping your Apple ID. Then restart and immediately sign back in. Then restart and immediately sign back in.
Your Apple ID is the key to your Apple account, Apple services, and your data stored with Apple. If you want to know how to access this ID, change it, reset its password, and more, we’ll show you how to go about it in the FAQ below.
Let’s focus on 10 basic questions Mac and iPhone users often have about their Apple ID.
Note: You can tweak various Apple ID settings from multiple locations across macOS, iOS, and the web. But we’ll cover only a few main ones here.
1. What Is Apple ID and Why Do I Need One?
Your Apple ID is an account that gives you access to Apple services like the App Store, iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, and Apple Music. The email address you associate with this account is also called your Apple ID.
You need an Apple ID to download apps, ebooks, movies, music, and other digital content onto your Mac and iPhone. That’s not all. You also need it for tasks like:
- Buying AppleCare, Apple’s extended warranty coverageAppleCare Warranty: What Are Your Options and Is It Worth It?AppleCare Warranty: What Are Your Options and Is It Worth It?AppleCare+ protects your Apple device, but is it worth the cost? Here's what AppleCare+ offers and whether you should get it.Read More
- Participating in Apple’s official support community
- Scheduling appointments with Apple tech support
2. Where Is My Apple ID Page?
Your Apple ID page lives at appleid.apple.com. Of course, you’ll need to log in at that address to access it. Also, you might want to memorize or bookmark the address, because we’ll refer to it often below.
3. How Do I Find My Apple ID?
If you’re already logged into your Apple account on your Mac or iPhone, you can find your Apple ID from the device’s settings.
On macOS: Visit System Preferences > iCloud to see your Apple ID listed below your profile picture and name on the left.
On iOS: Tap your name at the top in the Settings app. You should see your Apple ID right below your name on the next screen—the Apple ID screen. Tap on iTunes & App Store on this screen and you’ll see your Apple ID displayed at the top on the next screen as well.
Not logged into your Apple account on any device? Don’t worry. You can still retrieve your Apple ID from your Apple ID account page when you’re logged out.
To get started, visit the account page and click on Forgot Apple ID or password at the bottom of the page. Next, click on If you forgot your Apple ID, you can look it up.
Once you enter your name and email address, you’ll see a success message if the email address you entered matches with your Apple ID. Hit the Try Again button if you run into an error message and would like to try with a different email address.
Your Apple ID is also retrievable from a few other locations. This Apple support page reveals them all.
4. How Do I Reset My Apple ID Password?
To reset your Apple ID passwordForgot Your Apple ID or iCloud Password? 6 Ways to Reset ItForgot Your Apple ID or iCloud Password? 6 Ways to Reset ItForgot your iCloud password? Here's how to recover your account if you've forgotten your Apple ID password and can't log in.Read More, start by clicking on the Forgot Apple ID or password link at the bottom of your Apple ID account page when you’re logged out. On the next page, type in your Apple ID and hit the Continue button.
Next, you’ll have to enter the phone number associated with your Apple ID. Once you do, Apple will allow you to use one of your approved Apple devices to finish the password reset process. It will also give you clear onscreen instructions to do the same.
Click on the Don’t have access to any of your devices link if you would like to try an alternative method to reset your password.
5. How Do I Create a New Apple ID?
Visit appleid.apple.com and click on the Create Your Apple ID option in the top navigation bar to set up a new Apple ID. Skip this method if you don’t want to add a payment method to your new account.
You can also set up a new Apple ID from your Mac or iPhone. Of course, if you’re already logged into another Apple account, you’ll need to log out from it first to access the create option.
On macOS: You’ll find the Create Apple ID option under System Preferences > iCloud.
On iOS: Open Settings and tap Sign in to your iPhone at the top of the screen. You’ll then see a login prompt, below which you’ll find the Don’t have an Apple ID or forgot it link. Tap on this link to reveal the Create Apple ID option.
6. How Do I Remove My Credit Card From Apple ID?
You can use either your Mac or your iPhone to remove your credit card as a payment option.
On macOS: In the App Store, click on Store > View My Account. This brings up the Account Information Page, where should click on the Edit button under Apple ID Summary > Payment Information.
Icloud
On the Edit Payment Information page that shows up next, switch to any of the other payment methods available or click on None. Don’t forget to hit the Done button to activate the new payment method and remove your credit card for good.
On iOS: From the Settings app, visit Apple ID > Payment & Shipping. Select your credit card from the Payment Method section to access its Payment Details screen.
At the bottom of this screen, you’ll find a Change Payment Method option. Tap it to switch to a different payment option; select None if you would like to skip adding a payment method. In some cases, you might not see the None option. Check Apple’s Support page on this for more information.
Depending on the payment options available for your country/region, Change Payment Method might also be missing. For example, logging in from India, I directly get a Switch to None option instead of Change Payment Method.
7. How to Add Two-Factor Authentication to Apple ID?
On macOS: Visit System Preferences > iCloud and click on the Account Details button below your Apple ID on the left. Next, switch to the Security tab of the dialog that appears. Click on the Turn On Two-Factor Authentication button at the bottom of this tab to start setting up 2FA.
On iOS: In the Settings app, tap on your name/Apple ID at the top and then on Password & Security. In the next section, you’ll find the Turn On Two-Factor Authentication option to proceed with the 2FA processHow to Protect Your Apple Account With Two-Factor AuthenticationHow to Protect Your Apple Account With Two-Factor AuthenticationApple's two-factor authentication lets you protect your Apple ID using your iOS device or Mac. Here's how to set it up and ensure you don't get locked out.Read More.
8. How Do I Change My Apple ID?
You can change your Apple ID from your Apple account page. Log in and click the Edit button in the account section. You’ll then find a Change Apple ID option. With this option you can update the email address associated with your Apple ID to a current one.
9. How Do I Change My Apple ID Password?
Click on the Change Password link under the Security section of your Apple account. You’ll need to know your current password to make this tweak.
If you can’t remember your passwordHow to Create a Strong Password That You Will Not ForgetHow to Create a Strong Password That You Will Not ForgetDo you know how to create and remember a good password? Here are some tips and tricks to maintain strong, separate passwords for all of your online accounts.Read More and can’t log into the account in the first place, try resetting the password to a new one as we discussed in section 4 above.
You can also change your password from a macOS or iOS device that’s logged into your Apple account. You’ll find the Change Password option:
- On macOS: Under System Preferences > iCloud > Account Details > Security
- On iOS: Under Settings > Apple ID > Password & Security
10. Why Is Apple ID Disabled and How to Unlock It?
Your Apple ID can sometimes get disabled for security reasons. This usually happens if there have been one too many failed login attempts. Password mismatches, incorrect answers to security questions, mistyped account details, and similar can all trigger this protection measure from Apple.
The security feature is in place to protect your Apple ID and its data from anyone who’s not you. If you lock yourself out accidentally, log in with your password at iforgot.apple.com to regain access to your Apple account.
You might have to enter the phone number linked to your Apple ID to confirm your identity.
If you have enabled two-factor authentication for your account, you’ll also need a verification code from one of your trusted Apple devices.
Still Having Issues With Apple ID?
If there’s anything wrong with your Apple ID, you’re sure to find a fix for it online quite easily. Apple tech sites, Apple’s own support pages, online forums—quite a few avenues can provide you with solutions.
And if all else fails, Apple’s reliable tech support sourcesNeed Mac Tech Support? Here Are Your OptionsNeed Mac Tech Support? Here Are Your Options'Tech support' — two words that strike fear into the hearts of all but the most competent computer users out there. Where do you begin to look when things start to go wrong?Read More are here to troubleshoot for you.
Explore more about: Apple, iOS App Store, Mac App Store, Password.
- I don’t want an Apple ID Ii don’t use Apple products I only have this because work gave it to meI tried doing what I alway do when forced to make an accountFake name fake email etc but it wants a credit car (hell no)
- I’m only using this thing for workI do not want an Apple IDI repeat I don’t want an Apple IDIt keeps asking me for my personal infoI tried using a fake email name etc but now it wants credit card information etc I’ve tried choosing none under payment options but that does nothing
Apple's requirements for apps sold in the Mac App Store prevents many useful utilities from being made available. Should Apple change its tune on sandboxing?
I've written before about some of the limitations that Apple imposes on game developers who want to sell their games through the Mac App Store. The problem isn't limited to games — Apple's rules for how Mac App Store apps work keep lots of different apps from being distributed.
Id Login
The year after the Mac App Store launched, Apple announced that apps sold using the service would have to be sandboxed. Sandboxing is a security technique that's been around since the dawn of iOS apps — it restricts the access that an app has to other user data and other system resources other than what it needs to get its job done.
Sandboxing in the Mac App Store means that users can be reasonably assured that the apps they're downloading won't compromise the security of their computer or damage the system in any way; it also makes sure that apps won't interfere with each other.
Apple Id Password Reset
Sandboxing enforces the idea that good fences make good neighbors — that applications work better if they don't interfere with each other or the operating system itself. That's all great in theory, but in practical terms it's not always the best solution, at least not on the Mac.
Take an app I use every day - TextExpander from Smile Software. TextExpander is a handy utility that enables me to type shortcuts (or as they call them, 'snippets') that then get expanded into longer text. For example, when I type:
TextExpander knows and automatically expands it to:
So with TextExpander, I can save myself a lot of keystrokes in the course of a day. But in order for it to work, TextExpander needs to keep an eye on what I'm typing. So-called keylogging apps violate Apple's sandboxing guidelines because they require systemwide access, so Smile had to go outside the Mac App Store in order to sell it.
Customers who want the app can download it from their web site, and Smile no longer has to fork over 30 percent of their gross sales to Apple. But it does reduce the potential market for the product, because many more Mac users — especially those new to the platform — are more likely to buy something from the Mac App Store than elsewhere.
TextExpander is hardly the only app I use which has been affected this way. Another app that I rely on, Bare Bones Software's text editor, BBEdit, is available for sale in the Mac App Store. But that version doesn't support authenticated saves, because by their nature, authenticated saves allow you to change files you don't own). What's more, command line tools aren't included. In both cases, you can work around these limitations by going to the Bare Bones web site and downloading additional scripts and packages, but it's an inelegant hoop to have to jump through simply to obtain full capability.
There are lots of examples of apps that simply can't be sold in the Mac App Store altogether because of Apple's sandboxing requirements. Many apps that use plug-ins, apps that rejigger aspects of the operating system (some audio recording apps and screencasting tools) and others won't pass muster with Apple, and have no choice but to live outside the Mac App Store environment.
Like I said at the outset, sandboxing makes good sense for Apple from a security standpoint. That's one reason why Apple's Gatekeeper software, built into OS X, is restrictive — by default, it's set to only allow apps to be installed that originate from Apple or from 'identified developers.'
You can Control-click those installers to open them individually, or you can reset the Mac's security settings to allow apps to be downloaded from anywhere instead. But it's another barrier against the installation of software that might give a casual user pause when they try to download an interesting app from a perfectly legitimate developer.
Create Id
It's hard to argue with the success of the Mac App Store. Since it launched in 2011 it's created a vibrant marketplace for Mac software developers to sell their goods. Its use of Apple ID credentials means that millions of customers can use it right away, even if they've never purchased Mac app software before.
But access to the Mac App Store, at least for the developer, comes at a price: working within Apple's restrictive requirements. And for some eminently useful software tools, that's simply not possible. Those developers will have to remain on the outside looking in, at least for now.
Forgot Apple Id Password
Is Mac app sandboxing a big deal for you? Have you had to go outside the Mac App Store to get the tools you need to do your work? Sound off in the comments, I want to know.