Changing primary email on Apple ID

[8ntw8tn]

DW and I have discovered an issue that has defied our attempts to correct. I hope someone here can offer a solution.

DW started an Apple ID account a few years ago when she got her first iPad mini. She used our email address as the "Primary" and her iCloud address as the secondary, or "Verified".

When we got our iPhones last year I started an Apple ID account as well, using my iCloud address as the "Primary" without a secondary.

What we have discovered is that when she puts something in the "Notes" app it shows up in the "Notes" app on my phone as well. If I delete the entry on my phone it is deleted on hers as well. (You can imagine the friction this could cause.) Any new entries on my "Notes" app do not show up on hers.

We have searched for a way to delete her Primary address and replace it with another, preferably her iCloud address, but just can't seem to find a way to do it. Any attempts to do a direct replacement have resulted in a message that tells us we can't use the iCloud account as a Primary address. We know that's not true because that's exactly what I have done. We've tried doing this both with and without deleting the iCloud account as a Verified address. :h

We've done a search trying to find a solution, but any suggestions have failed. Hopefully someone on this forum has some experience and expertise that can resolve this issue. Thanks.

[bcsdguy]

8ntw8tn wrote:
Yep, she figured that out too. She left one note on the joint account: looks like a "Honey-do" list to me. 😉

Isn't that always the way it ends? 🙂

[8ntw8tn]

Yep, she figured that out too. She left one note on the joint account: looks like a "Honey-do" list to me. 😉

[Seattle_Steve]

Glad it worked for you.

One more thing, in case you left both accounts on her phone like I suggested. On her iPhone go to Settings:Notes, and make sure the default is set to iCloud. That determines what account is used when she sets up a new note.

If either of you want to add a note to your joint account, choose accounts in the upper left of Notes app, choose your joint email, then add a note. Don't forget to switch it back to all accounts after you added the joint note.

[8ntw8tn]

Seattle Steve wrote:
Changing primary will not really help. Your notes are stored in your mail account. If you originally setup her Notes to be associated with your joint email account, they will show up on both of your devices.

First, associate (add) Notes with her iCloud mail. Since you can have Notes with more than one email account, all her Notes will still be there. Then copy the current Notes from the old email to the iCloud email Notes. (Easier on a Mac since you can drag and drop. I've never tried it on an IOS device. Might work on icloud.com, but I've never had a reason to try it.) Once they are copied over, you can un-associate Notes with your joint email account. Or you can just leave it associated for the times you want a joint note, maybe grocery or Walmart list. You should be able to easily see which set of Notes you are adding a note to.

Thank you very much. It helps when the problem is properly identified. My initial mistake was in thinking the issue was with her iCloud account when it was really just how the Notes app was set up when we got the phones.

We followed your prescribed steps and now have resolved the issue. Thanks again for all the replies.

[Seattle_Steve]

On second thought, there is something even easier you can do.

Launch Notes on your iPhone. Click on Accounts in the upper left corner. It probably has All Accounts selected. Simply select your iCloud account instead of all accounts. Her Notes will disappear from your iPhone, and you will just have your icloud Notes.

Of course, doing it this way doesn't really give her privacy, since you can always chose all accounts again at any time. Using my first instructions would really be the right way.

[Seattle_Steve]

Changing primary will not really help. Your notes are stored in your mail account. If you originally setup her Notes to be associated with your joint email account, they will show up on both of your devices.

First, associate (add) Notes with her iCloud mail. Since you can have Notes with more than one email account, all her Notes will still be there. Then copy the current Notes from the old email to the iCloud email Notes. (Easier on a Mac since you can drag and drop. I've never tried it on an IOS device. Might work on icloud.com, but I've never had a reason to try it.) Once they are copied over, you can un-associate Notes with your joint email account. Or you can just leave it associated for the times you want a joint note, maybe grocery or Walmart list. You should be able to easily see which set of Notes you are adding a note to.

[2oldman]

I don't suppose googling 'icloud primary' has helped...?

[Dakota98]

djgarcia wrote:

Dakota98 wrote:

djgarcia wrote:

Fizz wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Call Apple Care Tech Service 1-800-275-2273. The tech will walk you right through the whole issue.

Tsk, tsk tsk.
That's not how we do things here.
We never go to the source but rather drag it out, on and on and on......

If experiencing long periods of frustration and not getting the issue resolved is your cup of tea-----then your way is absolutely the correct way:):):):)

In order to play in the sandbox, you must play by the sandbox rules.

To do what you are suggesting makes total sense & is completely against the rules, so you are now awarded one demerit :B

Dakota-
This is more fun than fixing the guys computer issue! I have the Good Sam Demerit policy which negates any demerits":):)

Yes, and we have now hijacked his posting & both of us need stand in the corner for a bit.

Hope he got his answer, before all this !!!! :B

[MarkTwain]

Dakota98 wrote:

djgarcia wrote:

Fizz wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Call Apple Care Tech Service 1-800-275-2273. The tech will walk you right through the whole issue.

Tsk, tsk tsk.
That's not how we do things here.
We never go to the source but rather drag it out, on and on and on......

If experiencing long periods of frustration and not getting the issue resolved is your cup of tea-----then your way is absolutely the correct way:):):):)

In order to play in the sandbox, you must play by the sandbox rules.

To do what you are suggesting makes total sense & is completely against the rules, so you are now awarded one demerit :B

Dakota-
This is more fun than fixing the guys computer issue! I have the Good Sam Demerit policy which negates any demerits":):)

[Dakota98]

djgarcia wrote:

Fizz wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Call Apple Care Tech Service 1-800-275-2273. The tech will walk you right through the whole issue.

Tsk, tsk tsk.
That's not how we do things here.
We never go to the source but rather drag it out, on and on and on......

If experiencing long periods of frustration and not getting the issue resolved is your cup of tea-----then your way is absolutely the correct way:):):):)

In order to play in the sandbox, you must play by the sandbox rules.

To do what you are suggesting makes total sense & is completely against the rules, so you are now awarded one demerit. :B

[8ntw8tn]

Toddupton wrote:
Then select the shared primary email account and turn notes of there as well.

Doing this give the warning prompt "All IMAP notes will be removed from your phone." Does this mean the original notes will be physically deleted permanently from her phone, and mine as well? She wants to retain the notes but remove the sharing capability. I think she's about ready to take the short cut and call Apple. Thanks for the replies.

[MarkTwain]

Fizz wrote:

djgarcia wrote:
Call Apple Care Tech Service 1-800-275-2273. The tech will walk you right through the whole issue.

Tsk, tsk tsk.
That's not how we do things here.
We never go to the source but rather drag it out, on and on and on......

If experiencing long periods of frustration and not getting the issue resolved is your cup of tea-----then your way is absolutely the correct way:):):):)

[Fizz]

djgarcia wrote:
Call Apple Care Tech Service 1-800-275-2273. The tech will walk you right through the whole issue.

Tsk, tsk tsk.
That's not how we do things here.
We never go to the source but rather drag it out, on and on and on......

[MarkTwain]

Call Apple Care Tech Service 1-800-275-2273. The tech will walk you right through the whole issue.