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Do I have to use an email address as my Apple ID?

Does my Apple ID have to be an email address or can I use any combination of nicknames or whatever?

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 16

Posted on Nov 12, 2022 2:07 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 12, 2022 2:44 PM

Nanette5819 wrote:

Does my Apple ID have to be an email address or can I use any combination of nicknames or whatever?


An Apple ID is an email address of yours or one created at Apple, or can be a cellular telephone number in a few places.


There are some limits on the feature available to an Apple ID that is a cellular telephone number, too.


If you have the nicknames Xyzzy and Plugh want XyzzyPlugh[@]iCloud.com (and it’s available and not already in use), you can get that.


If you want an Apple ID that is XyzzyPlugh solely and with no domain, no, you can’t get that. Apple stopped allowing those Apple IDs back around 2006 or so, and most of those (like mine) have been subsequently migrated to an email address.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 12, 2022 2:44 PM in response to Nanette5819

Nanette5819 wrote:

Does my Apple ID have to be an email address or can I use any combination of nicknames or whatever?


An Apple ID is an email address of yours or one created at Apple, or can be a cellular telephone number in a few places.


There are some limits on the feature available to an Apple ID that is a cellular telephone number, too.


If you have the nicknames Xyzzy and Plugh want XyzzyPlugh[@]iCloud.com (and it’s available and not already in use), you can get that.


If you want an Apple ID that is XyzzyPlugh solely and with no domain, no, you can’t get that. Apple stopped allowing those Apple IDs back around 2006 or so, and most of those (like mine) have been subsequently migrated to an email address.

Do I have to use an email address as my Apple ID?

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