How to Delete an Apple ID

Ensure you want to permanently delete the account. Deleting your Apple ID will result in losing access to all services and payments linked to this account. For instance, you won't be able to access iCloud Mail or iCloud Drive storage. Any purchases made on this account, including those from iTunes, App Store, or any other Apple online store, will be lost. You also won't be able to use iMessage.

• You don't need to completely delete the account if you wish to retain access to the account and payment information. You can modify the account details to remove all payment and personal information, placing the account in a "dormant" state without allowing others to access your data. See the next section for more details.
• If you switch from an iPhone to another phone model and stop receiving messages, check out the "Deactivate iMessage" section.

Remove associated email addresses. When permanently deleting your Apple ID, you can no longer create a new account using that email. Many people overlook the fact that you cannot use another email address if it is linked to the deleted account. Ensure you remove all additional email addresses from your Apple account before deletion, in case you wish to create a new account later.

• Visit appleid.apple.com and log in with your Apple ID.
• Select "Edit" next to the Account section.
• Click the "X" button beside the email address you want to remove. This allows you to use the email for a new account if needed.

Create a security PIN. This PIN is required when contacting Support to delete your account. You can generate the PIN by clicking "Generate PIN" under the "Security" section on appleid.apple.com.

Back up files or emails you wish to keep. You will lose access to iCloud Mail and iCloud Drive storage, so remember to back up important messages and files before deleting your account.

• You can back up iCloud emails by transferring all messages to an archive folder on your computer. Email backup is not possible on iOS devices.
• data from iCloud Drive. The easiest way to access these files is by using a Mac running Yosemite or later, where you can quickly search for files by clicking "iCloud" in Finder. For iOS devices, open documents in a compatible app and share a copy to your computer.
• Back up photos. All photos stored on iCloud will be lost upon account deletion. Make sure to save important photos to your computer beforehand.

Find the Apple ID Account Security phone number for your region. You can locate the direct contact number for your area here.

Contact the support number and explain why you want to delete your ID. You will need to verify your identity and provide the PIN. Deleting an Apple ID is not a standard procedure, so it may take some time. Apple discourages this as it means losing a customer. If the support representative cannot assist you, politely request to speak with a senior supervisor and explain your situation again.

• They will inform you that you will lose access to all purchased content. Confirm that you accept this.
• Email addresses linked to your account will no longer be usable for creating new Apple IDs.

Remove Apple ID from iTunes on your computer. Before securing your ID, you should unlink the account from iTunes.

• Click on the Store menu in iTunes and select "View My Apple ID."
• Click the "Deauthorize All" button. This removes the Apple ID from all devices you’ve logged into.
• Click the "Manage Devices" button and remove all devices. This step stops all automatic downloads.
• Disable auto-renewal for subscriptions like iTunes Radio.

Remove Apple ID from iOS devices. Delete the Apple ID from your iOS device before changing any information. This allows you to log in with a new Apple account.

• Open Settings and select "iTunes & App Store."
• Tap on the Apple ID at the top of the page and choose "Sign Out."

Log in to .appleid.apple.com with your Apple ID. If you don’t want to delete the account entirely, you can remove all personal information and leave the account inactive. This way, you can still access iCloud data and previously purchased items. Log in to the account management page using your Apple ID credentials.

Update personal information. Use the Edit button to change your name, address, and date of birth. You can input fake details as replacements. This effectively removes your personal information from the Apple ID.

Remove payment information. Locate the "Payment" section on the ID Management page and delete the payment details. You cannot remove payment information if there are unpaid orders or if you’ve recently changed your region.

Change the email address associated with your Apple ID. If you wish to use the same email to create a new ID, you need to update the email linked to your account. You can create a free email address on Yahoo!, Gmail, or any other service as a replacement. This allows you to use the old email for a new Apple ID if desired.

Log in to your account. Your Apple ID no longer contains personal or payment information, so you can safely leave the account inactive. You can still use it to access previously purchased items, but you won’t be able to make new purchases without entering valid details.

Visit the "Deregister iMessage" page. If you switch from an iPhone to an Android or another smartphone, you may stop receiving messages sent to your Apple ID. You can deregister on the selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage page.

Enter your phone number. Input your phone number accurately, and Apple will send you a verification code via text message.

Enter the verification code you received. Input the code to confirm ownership of the phone number, and your iMessage account will be deactivated. You will still receive SMS messages as usual.

• You cannot merge multiple Apple IDs. If you create a new account, you won’t be able to access information from the old ID without logging into the previous account.