iOS 18.1 Includes Option to Set 'Primary' Email Address and Change iCloud Email - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 18.1 Includes Option to Set 'Primary' Email Address and Change iCloud Email

In iOS 18.1, there is a new option to set a "Primary" email address in the Settings app, which means it is easier to change the main email address associated with your Apple Account. The Primary email address is the one that is visible to other people when collaborating on and sharing documents, sending calendar invites, and more.

ios 18 1 make primary
Apple did not previously make it easy to change an Apple Account (or Apple ID) email address, despite the fact that it is sometimes visible to other people. To change an Apple Account email before, you had to delete the email you were using, choose another, and go through a verification process.

You can now change the email address and continue to use the prior email for login purposes right alongside the new primary. This setting also comes with an option to change an iCloud.com or me.com email address, so if you have an address you're not fond of, it can finally be swapped to something else.

Prior to iOS 18.1, Apple did not allow users to delete, change, or turn off a primary iCloud Mail address. You could set an alias and use that instead, but the primary email would still sometimes be visible to others. For those who have an embarrassing ‌iCloud‌ email address, there's now an option to change it entirely rather than relying on an alias.

(Thanks, Converseallstar95!)

Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
iPhone 17 One Year Later Thumb 1

Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?

Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by
For the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27 Feature 1

30 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27

Friday August 14, 2026 6:24 am PDT by
Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list...

Top Rated Comments

kevpnw Avatar
24 months ago
One step closing to merging accounts?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
soapropos Avatar
24 months ago
being able to change iCloud address is huge. I think I panic picked mine back when they iCloud first came out and have hated it ever since
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kagharaht Avatar
24 months ago
i wonder if Apple will get rid of @mac.com address. Mine is perfect since I got on that soon as it was available. Beta testing itools and MobileMe days was fun back then.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
211 Avatar
24 months ago
I created my Apple Account way back when only a username was needed, not even an email address, with AOL. Later, I had to create another Apple Account as Apple no longer recognizes non-email addresses for iCloud, etc. So all my iTunes purchases are in my username-only Apple Account and everything else is in my email Apple Account. It’s such a mess.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cjsuk Avatar
24 months ago
Ok now this is actually good.

Hopefully it’ll work with my custom domain and I can lose the @icloud.com completely. That is by far my favourite feature of iCloud and it really would tie everything up neatly.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aaronp613 Avatar
24 months ago

How can we see this option if we're on iOS 18.1? I've been searching Settings for "Email & Phone Numbers" and don't see anything.
Go to "Sign-In & Security" under your name in settings
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)