I have two Apple IDs how do I delete one

Nicole Max writes in with a question that is all too common in one variant or another in response to an earlier Mac 911s about managing two Apple IDs:

I do indeed have two Apple ID accounts and it appears that my iPhone and iPad are listed as the two devices on one account (the one I use to sign into iTunes with). My laptop is listed as the device on the other account.

Here’s the problem for her:

I am afraid to delete the ID that my computer is linked to for fear that I will not be able to reconnect it/sign it into the apple ID account that has the iPhone and iPad. If I delete the apple ID with the computer listed as the device, will I be able to start fresh and add my computer to the Apple ID account with the other two devices?

There’s no problem in what you suggest: You can use any Apple ID to sign into any device for iTunes, iCloud, iMessage, and more. (Some older Apple ID accounts might give you trouble with iCloud and related services, but they have to be more than several years old.)

You can always sign out of an Apple ID on any iOS device or Mac, too, without rendering that hardware incapable of logging in with another account.

However, if you’ve made any purchases with an Apple ID, those purchases can’t be transferred or merged—they’re permanently connected with the account that bought them.

As Apple notes in one of its help documents:

We recommend that you use the same Apple ID for all Apple services on your device—including the iTunes & App Stores and iCloud. Using multiple Apple IDs might be confusing and cause issues with accessing purchased content or using some services. If you have multiple Apple IDs, you can’t merge them.

For historical reasons, because of how I originally set up an iTools account (thanks, Geoff Duncan, for snagging the short ID for me back in 2000) and later an iTunes account, I still maintain two separate presences. I use what is now an iCloud account for syncing, iMessage, and other data-based services, and my upgraded-from-iTools-through-.Mac-through-MobileMe-to-iCloud Apple ID for all my media purchases. It can be irritating to have enter different passwords repeatedly at different points in setting up a new device or when upgrading, but it has allowed me to keep all my purchases intact.

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• You can delete your Apple ID from Apple's Data & Privacy website.
• Deleting your Apple ID will also delete any content stored in your iCloud account and revoke your access to Apple services. 
• You may instead choose to deactivate your account and then reactivate it at any time to restore access to your Apple ID and Apple services. 

While an Apple ID is essential for using an iOS device, if you are leaving the Apple device ecosystem, you might want to delete your account to clean up your digital footprint. Whatever reason you might have to want to deactivate your account, though, Apple makes it easy to do this on its Data & Privacy website. 

How to delete an Apple ID account

If you anticipate having no need for your Apple ID ever again and want to permanently deactivate it, you can use Apple's Data & Privacy website. If you do this, here is what happens:

• You won't be able to sign into any Apple services that use your Apple ID. This includes the App Store, iCloud, iTunes, Apple Pay, FaceTime, and others. 
• Any content stored in your iCloud account is permanently deleted. This includes photos, videos, music, and documents, so download anything you want to keep and store it separately from your iCloud account. 
• You won't be able to receive messages via iMessage, FaceTime, or iCloud Mail. 
• If you have a paid iCloud storage plan, it'll be automatically canceled. But if you have any other subscriptions managed by your Apple ID, such as Apple Music or Apple TV+, you need to cancel those manually before you delete the account. 

When you are ready to delete your account, do this:

1. Open Apple's Data & Privacy website in a browser. If you're not already logged in, sign into the Apple ID account you want to delete. 

2. Scroll down and in the Delete your account section, click Request to delete your account.

3. Review what happens when you delete your account and make sure you've done everything in the Before deleting your account section. Then select a reason for deleting the account in the dropdown menu and click Continue.

4. Review the next page of warnings and click Continue. 

5. Click the checkbox to agree to the Deletion Terms & Conditions and then click Continue. 

6. Indicate how Apple should contact you with status updates for the account deletion and click Continue. 

7. Record the access code Apple provides and click Continue.

8. Complete the final steps to confirm your intention to delete your account and then, on the confirmation screen, click Sign out. 

Apple will then manually verify this is a valid request. You will get confirmation, usually within about a week, that your deletion is complete. 

How to deactivate an Apple ID account

If you want to step away from your Apple ID and prevent it from being used, but you're not necessarily ready to completely delete your data and access to Apple services, you can choose to deactivate your account instead. This is a temporary measure; your data is not deleted, and you can reactivate your account easily. Here's what happens if you deactivate your account:

• Apple will freeze your data and not process or handle it.
• You won't be able to access Apple services that require your Apple ID, including iCloud, the Apple Store, Apple Pay, iMessages, and more.
• You won't be able to send or receive messages via iMessage, FaceTime, or iCloud Mail.  

When you are ready to deactivate your account, do this:

1. Open Apple's Data & Privacy website in a browser. If you're not already logged in, sign into the Apple ID account you want to delete. 

2. Scroll down and in the Temporarily deactivate your account section, click Request to deactivate your account.

3. Follow the instructions on each page to confirm you want to deactivate your account and proceed with the deactivation process. 

4. On the confirmation screen, click Sign out. 

Deactivation generally takes about a week to be processed and approved by Apple, and you will get a notification when it is complete. Apple will also send you instructions on how to reactivate your account, should you want to. 

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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