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How do you change the Apple ID email address when you have multiple devices, one is across country

caq

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My iPad was my first Apple product and it was very confusing. When I bought it I had to create an Apple ID and password on the fly at the Apple store and did know,what it was exactly used for. I did not have gmail accounts back then, I had the email addresses associated with my internet provider. Consequently, I used that. So all my pads and phones purchased since, have that ID with that address. I will be dropping that internet service soon and will only be using my gmail email addresses that I now have. I have one for business/store correspondence and one for family and friends.

I have an iPad and iPhone, my husband has my old iPhone and my mini that I replaced with my air. We also purchased an iPad years ago for my aged mother to use. That also has my ID. We have since moved out-of-state, actually across the country, so I set up the iPad my mother uses so that nobody can add apps or update its ios (it is an old iPad and nothing needs to be done as she has her games and email set up so no need to update any ios). I do not need a phone call because someone did something and messed it up. Happened before already. It is associated with my ID so I don't want my sibs or nieces and nephews trying to "help" or play tricks. One niece messed it up already before we moved. None of my sibs know anything about apple, so the passcode keeps them out.

Anyway, I read that in order to change the ID you need to have all devices with that ID and do them all at once or something like that.

I really hate all this Apple ID stuff, iCloud, etc. I am confused by it all. I just want to change that ID email address and it looks like Apple has made that difficult. Why doesn't it automatically change the ID email address on all the devices associated with it? They obviously know they are associated with it since you have to change them all manually. They know if I don't change my the iPad we are letting my mother use, from what I have read. It is just too confusing.

I just don't want to mess things up and everyone loose the ability to use the apps on their devices. If I change the ID email address, the Apps that are on the iPad my mother is using will no longer be available to her, right? I am seriously considering getting out of the Apple game because it is too confusing. I know how to use my apps, but this ID and cloud stuff and all requirements are too confusing. I guess I am just too used to the ol' PC. Plus, I am an excellent typist on a keyboard but after all these years, I still cannot type on an iPad or iPhone. You have no idea how long this took me due to typos. LOL

How do you change the Apple ID email address when you have multiple devices, and one is across country so they are all still able to use the apps AND be found with the "Find my iPhone/iPad"? I have not found one article explaining this clearly.
 

J. A.

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If you change the current ID to a new one, as described in scifan57's link, the apps won't be lost, they belong to the new ID now, afaik. Using them will work as if they were purchased with that ID.

It would be different if you removed the old Apple ID and set up the new one without changing the old ID:
The apps would still be on your mother's iPad, because they were not removed from the device, but they would also still be connected to the old Apple ID. This means they'll ask for the password of the old ID when they have to be updated, and all she has to do, is enter it. If she deletes one of these apps, and still is signed in to the old ID, she'll be able to install them again, in that case.
If you sign out of the old ID on her iPad, and sign in with the new one, without changing the old ID to the new one, an app that was has been purchased with the old ID and gets deleted from the device isn't easily recovered. She would have to sign in again with the old ID, install the app, and then sign out, and sign in again with the new ID.

I hope that doesn't sound too confusing.
 
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caq

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Thank you for both for your explanations.
 

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