Apple ID now has a different name, but remains as before
No longer identification, but access: Apple has now officially renamed its ID to "Account". This has not yet arrived everywhere.
Apple account: New name for the Apple ID.
(Image: Apple)
Rebranding without any real need: Apple has now, as was already foreseeable in the spring, turned the "Apple ID" that has been practiced for years into an "Apple Account" (official spelling with spaces and without a hyphen). Apple apparently wants to make it (clearer) what the central access to the Group's services is all about. However, there are currently still various places – even on Apple's website – where the old name still appears.
With iOS 18 and macOS 15
The central switch to the Apple account took place with the release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 11 this week. On older systems, the term "Apple ID" is still used if the term is not reloaded on the server side. Apple has also redirected its administration website, previously accessible via appleid.apple.com, to account.apple.com.
A lengthy FAQ also states that there is no difference between Apple ID (interestingly spelled here with a hyphen) and Apple Account. The renaming was done to ensure a "consistent sign-in experience for all Apple services and devices" that is "based on the existing credentials of a:user:in".
Account now everywhere – almost
The company also emphasizes that you only need one Apple account, but that there is still no way to merge multiple accounts. You should also not share your Apple account with other users and rely on strong passwords and two-factor authentication. An Apple account also (still) costs nothing. The term Apple ID should also gradually disappear from Apple's website in the coming weeks and months. Confusingly, it is still mentioned on the official support page for access and in a widely read document on its administration.
The term "Apple ID" has been around for over 20 years. "ID" stands for "identification". The rebranding does not change the stored e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and passwords. You just have to make sure that you enter the details in the correct place. On the other hand, Apple has refrained from internationalizing the term "account" (in German: Zugang): – The word is used worldwide.
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