If you’ve ever struggled with purchases scattered across multiple Apple IDs, you’ll be pleased to know Apple has recently made it possible to transfer everything to a single account.
You might have an distinct iCloud account for email, a separate Apple ID for an old business, or a legacy iTunes account that was used for app and music purchases years ago. Whatever the reason, it’s possible to migrate a secondary Apple account into your primary account, consolidating everything into a single library for good.
However, this feature isn’t available in the EU, UK, or India, and there are strict eligibility requirements.
Eligibility
To qualify for purchase migration, both accounts must be signed into the same iPhone or iPad. You can check this by opening Settings and tapping your name at the top. If a different Apple ID is listed under Media & Purchases, then you already have two accounts in use. If not, you’ll need to add the secondary account by tapping Media & Purchases > Sign Out, then signing in again with the Apple ID that holds the purchases you want to migrate.
The two accounts must be set to the same country or region, and the secondary account must not be part of another Family Sharing group or have active Purchase Sharing enabled. Any remaining Apple ID balance must be spent before migration, and you’ll need to verify the payment method linked to the secondary account. Additionally, Apple requires that no purchases have been made on the secondary account in the last 15 days, and any pending pre-orders or rentals must be completed before starting the process. Phew – got all that?
Migration
Once everything is ready, the migration can be started from Settings by tapping your name, selecting Media & Purchases, then View Account and Migrate Purchases. After reviewing both accounts and confirming your payment method, Apple will begin the process. When it’s complete, a confirmation email will be sent to both accounts, and the secondary Apple ID will no longer be usable for media purchases. At this point, it’s important to sign out of the secondary Apple ID on all other devices, including Apple TV, HomePod, and any devices using Apple Music or the Apple TV app.
Considerations
Migrating purchases is a long-overdue feature for anyone juggling multiple Apple IDs, but there are a few limitations. If both accounts have their own Apple Music or iTunes libraries, migration isn’t allowed. Apple One subscribers who use a third Apple ID for iCloud storage also won’t be able to merge accounts. And while migration can be undone, doing so will lock you out of retrying for a full year.