Mix an d Match
Resolve bugbears caused by multiple Apple IDs
Earlier, we disc uss ed how your Apple ID can be used for multiple services, such as the iTunes and App Stores. In fact, you can end up using different Apple IDs with different services – for instance, you may have one for iTunes Store purchases and another for your iCloud account.
Although ideally you should have one Apple ID, multiple IDs aren’t necessarily an issue provided you’re able to remember the details to sign in to all of them (refer to the previous section if you can’t). However, there are times when you may want to consolidate data from multiple Apple IDs.
Children going away to college, for instance, might want to set up their own Apple ID but still be able to access your family’s past purchases from the iTunes Store. Similarly, you might experience the annoyance of apps repeatedly requesting the password for an old Apple ID in order to update.
If you suspect you might have more than one Apple ID, first sign in at appleid.apple.com using the Apple ID you want to use day to day. Note down your primary email address and any other email addresses or contact numbers linked to your ID. Tunes and apps Open the Mac App Store’s Store menu and check next to View My Account that you’re signed in with the correct Apple ID. If not, choose Sign Out and then sign in to the correct one.
If you previously installed apps using a different Apple ID, you’ll need to enter the password for that ID in order to update them. For free apps, simply open the Applications folder and move the program to the Trash. You can then simply redownload the app using your preferred Apple ID.
For paid apps, there’s no way to transfer your past purchases from one Apple ID to another. However, you can delete the app if you no longer use it, so you won’t be troubled by requests for your old Apple ID’s password as updates to that app become available.
If your computer is demanding a password for a different Apple ID to obtain updates to macOS
itself, that’s because the operating system was obtained from the Mac App Store using that ID. You’ll need to redownload the system again from the App Store using your new ID and reinstall to fix this. Follow the steps at bit.ly/masreinstall.
To make sure iTunes is using the correct Apple ID, open the app’s Account menu. You can use an item in this menu to sign out if you want, but any DRMprotected content, such as films and TV shows, purchased using the ID that you sign out of won’t be playable. You also won’t be able to redownload any past purchases. DRM-free music previously bought and downloaded from the iTunes Store will still be playable if you sign in with a new ID. However, if your old ID was linked to an Apple Music subscription and your new one isn’t, you won’t be able to stream music that you downloaded from that service using your old account.
When you sign in to iTunes with a new Apple ID, Apple associates the device you’re using with that account. You can’t then associate that device with another one for 90 days. You’ll find more info about associated devices at bit.ly/assocdevs.
See the following section about Family Sharing as a potential workaround for this, and for linking previously purchased content from any old Apple IDs you’ve had with your new one.
A silver lining
Using iCloud is a great way to keep data such as calendars and contacts in sync across your devices. One of the most common reasons that data doesn’t sync correctly is because devices are signed in to iCloud using different Apple IDs.
Open System Preferences’ iCloud pane on any Macs you use and check the email address above Account Details to make sure it shows the correct Apple ID. You can do the same on any iOS device by tapping your name at the top of Settings in iOS 10.3 or later, or in Settings > iCloud on older versions.
If the Apple ID isn’t correct, click Sign Out. You’ll be asked if you want to keep the associated iCloud account’s data on your Mac. Allow this in order to retain data such as your contacts, notes, and reminders. Once signed out, you can then sign in with your new Apple ID and sync the same data to its associated iCloud account. This may lead to some duplication of data, depending on how long you’ve been using the two Apple IDs.
If you’re not sure what you’re doing or suspect you may have another Apple ID you don’t know about, contact Apple at getsupport.apple.com to arrange a callback.