Apple IDs to Be Renamed ‘Apple Accounts’ This Fall

In a blog post detailing new features coming to Apple services later this fall, Apple announced its plan to rename Apple IDs to Apple accounts. The company explained that the rebranding is part of a simplification effort, and there’s no denying that “Apple account” will probably sound more natural and obvious to the average Joe.

“With the releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, Apple ID is renamed to Apple Account for a consistent sign-in experience across Apple services and devices, and relies on a user’s existing credentials,” Apple said today.

Apple IDs are currently required to access Apple services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, and iCloud, as well as other services that require an Apple device such as the App Store, iMessage, and FaceTime. As of today, you can create an Apple ID for free with any email address. However, if you want to use iCloud Mail, you’ll need to set up an @icloud.com email address that you’ll also be able to use to sign in to Apple services in addition to your existing Apple ID.

Apple’s WWDC keynote yesterday was packed with new platform updates, and the company spent a lot of time on Apple Intelligence, its collection of AI features coming to recent iPhones, iPads, and Macs later this year. You can find a summary of the biggest changes in my previous article.