Apple Dropping AOL Sign-In for iTunes and App Store in March

Monday February 23, 2015 8:12 AM PST by Joe Rossignol
itunesiconApple has added a support document to its website stating that customers who use an AOL username to sign into the iTunes Store, App Store or iBooks Store will be unable to continue doing so starting March 31 (via 9to5Mac). Apple customers must convert their AOL username to an Apple ID account in order to maintain access to the storefronts following the deadline.
"Starting March 31, 2015, AOL will no longer allow customers to use their AOL Username (also known as an AOL Screen Name) to sign in to the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store. You must convert your AOL Username to an Apple ID in order to maintain access to the stores and to content you purchased previously."
Apple will no longer provide support for AOL usernames that are not converted following March 31. The transition does not affect any iTunes purchases made with the AOL username or any other AOL services that may be associated with the account. To begin the transition process, users must sign into iTunes with an AOL username and follow the on-screen instructions.

Tags: iTunes, AOL, Apple ID
55 comments


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Klae17
59 months ago
AOL? More like LOL
Rating: 15 Votes
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NikeSG
59 months ago
Honest question, any word on when users with separate iCloud and iTunes accounts will be able to merge them? So tired of being forced to manage separate accounts. It's just awkward, and yeah, maybe somewhat my mistake initially, but the fact is, I wasn't a Mac user and didn't have a "me" account when I first registered and started making purchases on iTunes.

I am one person, I should only need to maintain one account.

Can't wait for the cynical, biting replies.
Rating: 14 Votes
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myrtlebee
59 months ago
Ridiculous how people scoff at AOL email addresses. It's just juvenille and petty. I've had the same AOL primary personal email address for 15 years and it has been the most reliable service out of the 4 providers I use. If something works, what is the problem?
Rating: 8 Votes
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TWSS37
59 months ago
[Door slams shut]
Rating: 6 Votes
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Acidsplat
59 months ago

what was their history again? why did they have a partnership in the first place?


It goes back to the iChat days. It had AIM integration starting with version 2.1
Rating: 4 Votes
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longterm
59 months ago
Oh great, the next thing they'll tell us is that our CompuServe logins are going to quit working too...

At this rate, I guess i have to get rid of my 1400-baud modem and maybe take a drastic step and upgrade to OS X.
Rating: 4 Votes
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oneMadRssn
59 months ago

Honest question, any word on when users with separate iCloud and iTunes accounts will be able to merge them? So tired of being forced to manage separate accounts. It's just awkward, and yeah, maybe somewhat my mistake initially, but the fact is, I wasn't a Mac user and didn't have a "me" account when I first registered and started making purchases on iTunes.

I am one person, I should only need to maintain one account.

Can't wait for the cynical, biting replies.


This is a very valid request, but Apple accounts in general are a mess.

My peeve currently is being forced to make a new password every 3 months. There used to be a setting that made passwords to expire after a certain amount of time. They took the setting away, but left it set as it was when the setting did exist. So my password expires every 3 months, and I have no way to change this.
Rating: 4 Votes
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LizKat
59 months ago

I believed in AOL.


Yeah, so did Time Warner. Look what it did for them.
Rating: 3 Votes
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klo6
59 months ago

Ridiculous how people scoff at AOL email addresses. It's just juvenille and petty. I've had the same AOL primary personal email address for 15 years and it has been the most reliable service out of the 4 providers I use. If something works, what is the problem?


I agree!!! I've had the same AOL email since I was 14 in 1998 and I just can't part with it. It's been reliable and I know that all of my friends/family know it. I've also had the same cell # since 2000 for the same reason. It's a little more of a hassle since I now live in a different area code, but I still like knowing that anyone I know can get ahold of me even though I moved out of state. :)
Rating: 3 Votes
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AlecZ
59 months ago

Ridiculous how people scoff at AOL email addresses. It's just juvenille and petty. I've had the same AOL primary personal email address for 15 years and it has been the most reliable service out of the 4 providers I use. If something works, what is the problem?


It works better than Gmail because they use standard IMAP. Gmail, on the other hand, causes so many problems with mail clients. I had to spend 30 minutes fixing Gmail authentication problems for my friend last time I was at his house. He wasn't laughing at my AOL email account then.

It's also noticeably more reliable than iCloud email in my experience, as is AIM compared to iMessage. It always amazes me that AOL does a better job than Apple in those areas.

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Okay, so let's say someone's iTunes sign-in is:

johndoe@aol.com
PASSWORD

That person would have to change that @aol.com sign-in to something else, correct?

Not asking for me, but my parents still use the AOL browser and everything, so I need to get them set up with something else if this is the case.


I don't think so. They're probably referring to those awkward AOL/MobileMe integrated accounts from around 2003 that you used to be able to make. Well, if I'm wrong, I'll find out when my Apple ID that has an AOL email address stops working.
Rating: 3 Votes
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