With this update, Apple has simplified the process. Users can now change the primary email address associated with their Apple Account (formerly known as Apple ID). After changing it, you can use either the new address or the old one for logging in. This eliminates the previous hassle of deleting your old email and re-verifying your identity to choose a new one.
Option to change your primary email address for your Apple account, found in iOS 18.1. | Image credit — MacRumors
Even if you used an alias, your primary email address was still visible to others in certain situations. For instance, when sending requests to share or collaborate on documents or when sending invitations through the Calendar app, your primary email would be displayed. This could be a privacy concern for some users.
This change is particularly useful for those who initially selected an @icloud.com, @mac.com, or @me.com address that they no longer want to use. Perhaps they picked a less serious address and now prefer a more professional one. Or maybe their circumstances have changed, and they need a different primary email. Whatever the reason, iOS 18.1 provides the flexibility to update your primary email address easily. In addition to changing your primary email, the update also allows users to turn off a primary iCloud email address. Previously, the only option was to delete it entirely.
I see this as a positive move by Apple. It gives users more control over their online identity and how they interact with Apple services. The ability to change a primary email address is a basic feature that should have been available from the start, and it’s good to see Apple finally implementing it.
