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Message says "This email address is not available. Choose a different address."

Hello - when trying to change the email address associated with my Apple ID I get a message that says "This email address is not available. Choose a different address." Please advise. Thank you!

iPhone XR, iOS 15

Posted on Dec 20, 2021 9:29 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 20, 2021 9:33 AM

"If you see a message 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 ID. If a family member is using that email address, remove it from their account then try to use it." From: https://support.apple.com/HT202667


Apart from the above statement I have yet to find a formal Apple position statement online about re-using email addresses. Many user reports on this forum (of course they could all be just making up things but I don't have specific reason not to believe hundreds of independent topics over many years) suggest that contrary to what the statement implies as to ease of address re-use, if you have recently used an email address with Apple for another purpose such as a notification email address it cannot be re-used; at least not immediately and possibly never. I guess you can "try to use it" but many users have claimed this does not work.


About your Apple ID email addresses (was "Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses") --> https://support.apple.com/HT201356


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 20, 2021 9:33 AM in response to jzeidm

"If you see a message 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 ID. If a family member is using that email address, remove it from their account then try to use it." From: https://support.apple.com/HT202667


Apart from the above statement I have yet to find a formal Apple position statement online about re-using email addresses. Many user reports on this forum (of course they could all be just making up things but I don't have specific reason not to believe hundreds of independent topics over many years) suggest that contrary to what the statement implies as to ease of address re-use, if you have recently used an email address with Apple for another purpose such as a notification email address it cannot be re-used; at least not immediately and possibly never. I guess you can "try to use it" but many users have claimed this does not work.


About your Apple ID email addresses (was "Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses") --> https://support.apple.com/HT201356


Message says "This email address is not available. Choose a different address."

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