Unsupported Apple ID: iCloud requires an Apple ID that is an email address (including @me.com addresses)
I have had an Apple ID that predated iTunes. It wasn’t in the form of an email address, it was just “funpaul”.
Now that I have an iPhone 4S and am developing apps for iOS I thought I should start using iCloud. But I was getting this error
Unsupported Apple ID:
iCloud requires an Apple ID that is an email address (including @me.com addresses).
Unfortunately the Learn More button is worse than useless
After searching for way too long searching for the solution, I discovered that I had to change my Apple ID into an email address style Apple ID, but I’d been buying stuff from the AppStore and iTunes with just the original ID for years. My kids knew it and have spent hundreds of dollars using it over the years.
How to change the name you use for your Apple ID:
- log in to My Apple ID by selecting Manage your account
- Check that your primary email address listed is still current (i.e. it still works)
- click the Edit button next to your old-fashioned Apple ID
- Click the Submit under Make your Apple ID and primary email address one and the same
- Viola you’ve updated your Apple ID.
Warning this is a one way trip, you lose your ability to log in with your old Apple ID on iTunes, App Store and other Apple properties. But that’s the cost of progress, it is unlikely that old non-email format ID’s will remain useful as the Apple ecosystem grows.
Hope it helps, say thanks in the comments below.
3 responses to Enable iCloud for old Unsupported Apple ID
I’ve been looking all over for a solution to this, thanks a lot!
These steps don’t work for me. I can’t get Apple ID to make the change from my old id to my email as required by iCloud
If your Apple ID is staying as an old-fashioned username (no @ symbol) that is a problem you have to fix with Apple. Try calling them.
Are you sure you’ve logged in correctly?
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