Starting with iOS 18, Apple ID Is Now Apple Account
Apple has moved away from the term Apple ID to refer to your online account with Apple, instead opting for the more-descriptive Apple Account. You can see this language most prominently in Settings > Your Name.
What is an Apple Account?
Your Apple Account is the account that you use to access Apple services. You can access your Apple Account across all of your Apple devices when you sign in with your email address or phone number, so your information is wherever you need it, whenever you need it.
Why do you need an Apple Account?
On all your Apple devices, you can sign in to your Apple Account to store and access your personal data in iCloud, like your saved passwords in the Passwords app, your photos in the Photos app, and your activity in the Fitness app.
You can send unlimited messages to other Apple users using iMessage and use FaceTime for video calls with everyone, including Android users. Your Apple Account also lets you sign in to compatible apps and websites using Sign In with Apple.
You can purchase apps and games in the App Store, books in Apple Books, and music in the iTunes Store. You can also stream Apple Music, watch Apple TV , play Apple Arcade games, and if you ever lose a device, Find My can help you locate it. It’s all your Apple services under one account.
What about sharing with others?
But what if you want to share your purchases and services with the people you care about? No problem. Thanks to Family Sharing, everyone can have their own Apple Account and share eligible subscriptions, purchases, and more.
Your Family Sharing group can even share iCloud Plus storage and features like Hide My Email and iCloud Private Relay. And when you use Find My with Family Sharing, if someone in your group loses their device, you can help them locate it, even if it’s offline. Since everyone in your Family Sharing group has their own Apple account, you can share what you want to share while still keeping your account secure and private.
Keeping your Apple Account secure
Your Apple Account is really important, so keeping it secure is really important, too. Use a strong password. Don’t reuse it anywhere else. And don’t share it with anyone. With two-factor authentication, your information is encrypted, and your data is secure. No one else can sign in but you.
And that’s the Apple Account: one user, one password, one account for everything Apple.
To learn more about your Apple devices, click or tap another article to keep reading.