woman at home using laptop and smart phone
It's easy to update your iCloud email address through your Apple ID.
Kathrin Ziegler/Getty Images
  • You can change your iCloud email address by changing the email address associated with your Apple ID account. 
  • The email address that is associated with your iCloud account is always the same as the one that is associated with your Apple ID.
  • If you have an @icloud.com address as your Apple ID, you can’t change it, but you can add a second email to the account.
  • Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to change your email address. Maybe you used your work email for a long time, but have since left the job and need to change it. Maybe you’ve been using the same embarrassing email handle since middle school.

Regardless of the reason, changing your primary email on all your different accounts can come with a lot of headaches.

At the very least, there are some sites and services that make it very easy to change your email, and Apple’s iCloud service is one of them. 

Your iCloud email is linked to your Apple ID account on all your devices. So if you want to change your iCloud email, you have to change the email associated with your Apple ID. If your Apple ID email is an @icloud.com address, then you cannot change it — however, you can add up to three secondary email addresses to your account. 

How to change your primary iCloud email through your Apple ID

1. Go to the Apple ID website and sign in.

2. Click the small "Edit" button next to the "Account" section on the website. 

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Next to the "Account" section, click "Edit."
Melanie Weir/Business Insider

3. At the very top of the account menu, click the hyperlink labelled "Change Apple ID…"

4. Enter the email address that you want to use, then click "Continue."

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Click the "Change Apple ID" link, enter the email you want to use, and click "Continue."
Melanie Weir/Business Insider

5. If you changed your Apple ID to a non-Apple address, check that email for a verification code, then enter the code. 

6. Once it's verified, just go to the iCloud website and sign in with your new email address.

How to change your secondary iCloud email through your Apple ID

1. Go to the Apple ID website and sign in.

2. Click the small "Edit" button next to the "Account" section on the website. 

3. Scroll down to where it says "Reachable at," and click the hyperlink for "Add more."

4. Click the box for email and type in the address you want to use. When you are done, click "Continue."

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In the "Reachable at" section, click "Add more," check the box for email, and type your new one.
Melanie Weir/Business Insider

5. Go to that email's inbox and look for the verification email. Enter the code on the website, and your email address will be added to your account.

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