This guide shows you how to delete an Apple ID or iCloud account.
But first, you need to know the consequences of what will stop working and what you need to do before removing your Apple ID so that your devices are no longer needed!
Why delete your Apple ID
Here are some reasons why you no longer want to save your Apple ID and delete it:
- You have a second Apple ID and you want to stop using the first one.
- You have switched to non-Apple platforms, such as Android or Windows PCs, and no longer use or plan to use Apple devices.
- You have privacy issues with Apple.
What you need to know before removing Apple ID
The process of deleting your Apple ID is ongoing and has the following consequences:
- Once your Apple ID is removed, all details and related data will disappear!
- After that, you won’t be able to sign in to your Apple ID on any iPhone, iPad, Mac, iCloud, or anywhere else.
- Not all of your Apple devices sync or update your data.
- You can no longer back up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud.
- You cannot use Find My to find a device if it is lost.
- Photos saved in iCloud Photos are deleted.
- Documents and files in iCloud Drive are deleted.
- Notes saved in iCloud will be deleted and unavailable.
- You no longer have access to passwords stored in the iCloud Keychain.
- Contacts, calendar events, and reminders stored in iCloud will be deleted.
- If you are a Family Sharing organizer, your family group will be disbanded. All members of the family will lose access to their shared subscriptions, DRM content, and downloaded items, such as Apple Music songs, Apple TV content, Apple Arcade games, books, and more.
- If you are the organizer of the Family Sharing group and you have a child in that group, the child’s Apple ID will also be deleted when you (the organizer) delete your Apple ID. Learn how to delete a child’s account from iCloud Family Sharing.
- No Apple ID means no iCloud Drive. As a result, apps like WhatsApp won’t be able to back you up (unless you’re signed in with another Apple ID on your iPhone).
- All emails sent or received via your iCloud email address (ending in @icloud) are deleted and you no longer have access to them.
- You will not receive emails or iMessages that someone sends you in an iCloud email.
- You cannot use this Apple ID for iMessage or FaceTime.
- Once you’ve removed your Apple ID, you can’t use it in the App Store, iTunes Store, Books Store, Apple Pay, and more.
- You will lose access to any paid programs you have purchased with this Apple ID.
- You will lose access to all movies, TV shows, music, ringtones, books, and other digital items purchased with this Apple ID (unless you download free DRM tools locally, such as purchased music).
- Your current subscriptions will be automatically canceled when your current billing cycles end.
- You cannot play rented items, such as movies or TV shows.
- You cannot use or refund an unused credit balance in the App Store or iTunes Store. Therefore, before deleting, spend them on what you can save even after deleting your Apple ID, such as songs without DRM, or use your Apple ID balance in the Apple Store. You can also contact Apple Support before removing your Apple ID and requesting a refund of the pending amount.
- If you expect Apple Store appointments and requests for AppleCare support, they will be automatically canceled.
- Once you remove your Apple ID, you and Apple Support will not be able to reactivate it. Therefore, if you have even a slight uncertainty about whether you want to use this Apple ID in the future, you should temporarily deactivate your Apple ID, not delete it permanently.
If you are 100% sure, here’s how to proceed.
What to do before deleting an Apple ID
Before you request to remove your Apple ID, follow these tips:
Move or back up your data to another location: If you have important data in iCloud, such as photos, notes, important emails, application data, etc., move it to another location. Download them, take a screenshot, copy and paste somewhere, or do what seems right to keep a copy of your most important data. If an app backs up data in iCloud, check its settings or contact the app developer to find out if it allows you to back up existing data to other services, such as your own cloud storage or Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.
Upload your purchases: If you purchased songs from the iTunes Store, they don’t have DRM protection. You can download them from Music or iTunes. Then select the path and drag it to the desktop. You can also right-click a song in Music and select Show in Finder. Songs downloaded from Apple Music are protected and there is nothing you can do about them. However, you can transfer your playlists from Apple Music to Spotify or other music services before deleting your Apple ID.
Write down everything you think is necessary.
If you have accounts for Apple pending, you need to clear it. You cannot delete your Apple ID unless you pay your debt to Apple.
Sign out of your Apple ID on all devices: This is the most important step before removing your Apple ID. If you don’t, you won’t be able to turn off Find My or sign out of iCloud later. This means that you cannot turn off activation blocking on your devices. As a result, it cannot be activated after the device is restored, sold to someone, forcibly removed to correct an error, and so on. In other words, your devices can become expensive paperweight – useless! So, sign out of your Apple ID on all your devices, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Windows PC, etc. before proceeding.
How do I delete my Apple ID and iCloud account?
Here’s how to permanently delete your Apple ID:
1) Go to privacy.apple.com and log in using the Apple ID you want to delete.
2) Scroll to the end and below Delete account Click on Request to delete account.
3) Regarding the topic, the next page has a long list of reasons not to delete your Apple account. These include denying access to shopping and viewing photos, videos, documents, etc. from iCloud. Go through it.
4) Before requesting the deletion of an account, Apple asks the reason for its decision. After selecting the reason, click “Continue”.
5) On the next page, you have another chance not to delete your Apple account forever. The last time you confirm your deletion decision, your account will be deleted.
When you submit a request to remove your Apple ID, Apple will send you a code and confirm that the actual account owner (s) made the request. Keep this code in a safe place. The verification process can take up to 7 days. Once your request is reviewed and approved, your Apple ID and data will be permanently deleted. Now you can never get it back, like Apple.
Important: During the 7-day security period, you can: Contact Apple Support, provide them with the code you received, and ask them to cancel the removal if you change your mind.
You can create a new Apple ID to continue to gain the best experience with Apple devices.
Check out: How to create an Apple ID without a credit card ”
