Apple Account will replace Apple ID this fall — what you need to know

Next month, we will see Apple’s biggest software update in recent memory, including a surprising change to Apple ID. 

This fall will see the release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia all of which come with a wealth of new features. However, one lesser-known change will see Apple ID renamed “Apple Account.” This change will apply across Apple products and services. However, it should be noted that this change will not affect how your Apple Account works, and you likely won’t need to do anything when the change occurs. 

Apple’s newsroom states, “With the releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, Apple ID is renamed to Apple Account for a consistent sign-in experience across Apple services and devices, and relies on a user’s existing credentials.” alongside several of the other new features coming in the fall. These changes were originally shown during Apple’s WWDC presentation earlier this year. 

Alongside this announcement, Apple detailed several features coming for Apple hardware in the fall. This includes changes to iCloud mail, such as new ways for users to manage their inboxes and better categorization. Emails will now be organized, and sorted, into several different sections. Personal and time-sensitive emails will be sorted into the Primary inbox. Confirmations and receipts will be sorted into transactions. News and social notifications will now be under Updates while marketing emails and coupons will be found in the Promotions category.

Meanwhile, iCloud settings have been redesigned to make it easier to navigate and allow users to take action on any personalized recommendations to enable key iCloud features. This will allow users to get the most out of iCloud+ and quickly view the status of the last iCloud backup. For reference, iCloud+ is the premium subscription version of the basic iCloud and includes several features not found on the basic version, including Private Relay and Hide My Email.

The Apple Newsroom post also details several other features coming this fall, including the updated Apple Maps, which introduces more ways to explore the world — including hiking and custom walking routes. Another major new feature is the inclusion of InSight on Apple TV. This new feature is similar to the X-Ray feature seen on Prime Video and will allow people to easily check background details in a movie while the film is playing. 

Apple users are in for some major changes, most of which will heavily impact how they use their devices. However, changing the Apple ID is just a slight shift compared to everything else on the way. This includes Apple’s version of AI called Apple Intelligence, which will be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, new iPhone 16 series, as well as M1 MacBooks and newer and M1 iPads and newer.  

For more information on everything Apple announced, you can check out our breakdown of the Apple WWDC 2024 event to see everything coming. 

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