Apple ID is a mess!

[SarahB]

Hi! Newbie here! Apologies, as I think this issue is going to be lengthy, but here goes...

So today I got my first iPhone, an iPhone 11. Been using Samsung for years and fancied a change, plus my entire family have iPhones. I'm almost wishing I'd stuck with Samsung as setting the iPhone up has been a massive headache, and I'm hoping someone can help!

I set it up today, using an old Apple ID I used on an old iPod. All fine. Everything is working, including cloud. On my phone, I can see my Apple ID as my Yahoo email, and I can also see my iCloud email. All good. I decide I want to change my Apple ID as I don't use my Yahoo email much anymore. I add my Gmail on to my phone, and delete the Yahoo email. Mistake. Although my Yahoo email is no longer visible in settings>Name>Name, Phone Numbers, Email, I can still see it under settings>name.

I then have problems signing in online, but I manage to sign in with my Yahoo email (even though I'd deleted it from my phone). I then try to change my Apple ID from my Yahoo to Gmail, it won't allow it. Saying it's in use, or something. (Yes, by me!) I then try signing in with the Gmail. Not allowed. By this point am chatting online with Apple Support. He asks me to reset my password, which the site allows me to do with my Gmail. I try to sign in again. Still can't. He asks me to connect to iTunes, not much happens. I unplug my phone, and now, only my Yahoo email address is visible on here, the Gmail and iCloud have disappeared.

Ok cool, perhaps now I can change my email online? Nope. Everything is now massively messed up, I now can't get into Cloud either. I try to add both my iCloud and Gmail email address back on to my phone, which I am unable to do. The Apple Support guy just doesn't know what to do and refers me to call a phone number, which he says I can do at that point. I call the number. They're closed. I'm now really frustrated and I don't know how to fix this. I can call the number tomorrow but I'm hoping someone here can help with this weird situation!

Apologies for the lengthy explanation!

 

[J. A.]

Welcome to iPhone Forums!

Since you can’t use your Gmail address as Apple ID, you might have used it with the old ID, as additional email address or rescue email address. That’s why you’re getting the information that it’s in use.
If so, it can be deleted online, when you sign in to your Apple ID:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201356

You’re saying you could see your Apple ID as well as your iCloud ID. Does that mean you’re using different email addresses for both services?
Are you trying to add your iCloud and Gmail addresses for the Mail app, or did you do all of this to change your Apple ID/iCloud ID?

 

[SarahB]

Thank you for the welcome!

I am unable to delete the Gmail address online as it is not visible there at all, not even as a rescue email address. And I was using the same email for both Apple ID and iCloud. I did all of that to change my ID, as the email addresses were already set up in Mail.

I can't set up a new Apple ID, as Apple thinks my Gmail email is still in use. I can't even sign out of my phone as it asks for a password and it thinks the password is wrong, when it definitely isn't! The whole thing is driving me mad!

 

[J. A.]

So someone else might be using your Gmail address. You’ve told us that your family has iPhones. Is one of them using it as rescue address for their Apple ID?

Try signing in with your Apple ID on this site:
Apple ID
If it’s possible, that’s the password you need for signing out of the Apple ID on your iPhone. If that’s not possible, you’ll have to reset your Apple ID’s password.

To reset your password, use one of these options:
If you forgot your Apple ID password
Then try signing out of your Apple ID again.

If you’re not the one and you don’t find the one using your Gmail address: why not set up an iCloud ID? It would be a new email address, and it’s free.

 

[SarahB]

Nope, no one uses that email address other than me.

I've also just noticed that my iCloud is different on my phone to the one on desktop. I sign in on the desktop with my Yahoo address successfully, but it tells me there is no data stored there, and that I only have 1GB of storage. On my phone I have 5GB of storage and it looks as if stuff is stored there. Same Yahoo email.

I then noticed that my email for iTunes and App Store on my phone is the Gmail one. I sign out, to sign in with my Yahoo address. Not able to do it! I try to sign back in with my Gmail. Can't do that either, apparently the password is incorrect for both?! It definitely isn't!

Something seems very wrong here, it's like my user profile is split? I'm going to call Apple Support this morning when they open.

Thanks for your help so far, I know this is a bit of an odd one!

 

[J. A.]

You’re welcome.
I hope you can solve this problem and start enjoying your device.

 

[Pinkpoison]

It would have been nice to know how that turned out.