The Apple ID • Do's & Don'ts
Let's get it right folks!
The Apple ID is one of the most mystical & mythical creatures on planet Earth. No one really knows what it is, how it works, or even why it exists - yet billions of people on the planet engage with the beast on a daily (minute-by-minute) basis - entrusting their very lives and the lives of their children to the damn thing…
Mystery and complexity is its aurora. Fear is the blanket it wraps around its users. Wailing and the gnashing of teeth surround its every move. And yet, like the mark of the beast, we carry it on our person 24/7/365. We can’t escape it!
Ask a random passerby what his or her Apple ID and password are and they will turn as pale as a baby’s behind, drop to the ground in a crumpled hump, convulse while expelling foamy saliva, and weakly hold out their iPhone as if it is a wounded bird needing rescue and rehabilitation. I’ve seen it happen - too many times to count.
Today, we fix that with some simple rules around the Apple ID. Following these may help alleviate any pain, frustration, or confusion. Feel free to reply with questions, tips, thoughts, or even your painful memories.
The Goods
You only need one Apple ID, and only ONE Apple ID. If you have two Apple IDs for some reason, you only need one. No, you will not be able to “merge" them in any way, shape, or form. It will be a messy divorce. Kiss one goodbye and never, ever speak to it again. Ever. Go “pillar of salt” on that biatch - do not look back.
Do not share your Apple ID with other people, even your own flesh & blood. One person, one Apple ID. Period. Yes, your kids, regardless of age, need their own Apple ID - use Family Sharing to set them up. The Family Share program is free and allows you to control usage and access. Mom gets an Apple ID, Dad gets an Apple ID, young Colt gets his own Apple ID, and precious little AnnaMargeretDelayney gets her Apple ID. Keep it separated.
There is no such thing as a “Business Apple ID.” Let me repeat that. There is no such thing as a “Business Apple ID.” The Apple ID is a consumer product for personal use. This is why Apple asks for a first name, last name, and date of birth when you set up an Apple ID. Buy me a coffee and I will tell you an hour’s worth of horror stories of businesses trying to use a “Business Apple ID.” If you own a business using Apple products, do it the right way and use Apple Business Manager along with Apple Business Essentials or a similar Device Management platform. Do not go create an Apple ID (or multiple Apple IDs for multiple devices) for your business. I do business consulting, just shoot me an email…
Do not sign into business-owned devices with your personal Apple ID. If your company ever asks you for your Apple ID info, tell them to pound sand. If your company asks you to use your Apple ID to download Apps you will need for your job, that is a giant N.O. And do not go create a new Apple ID using your business email address. See rule #1, and then remember rule #1.
Know your password. It’s almost 2025 people, let’s tighten up. Know your password. You also must know your two-factor authentication path (2FA) and your recovery email as well. Lastly, print off your recovery key and keep it in a safe place (safe, safety deposit box) in case of a dire emergency.
The Apple ID, in its simplest form, is just a “username”. If you set up an Apple ID using your AOL email address, but it’s been a decade or more since you’ve heard the “You’ve Got Mail” guy, that’s fine. Your Apple ID can still be your AOL email (and you cannot change it anyway), just set up your current email as your recovery email address. All good.
Every year, celebrate your birthday or anniversary or the Lunar New Year by changing your password. And don’t keep using “IloveJesus” because so do thieves.
You should be signed in to your device, iCloud, App Store, and all Apps and programs (like Apple Music or Apple TV+) with your Apple ID. If you want to share purchases, Apps, and content amongst your family, use Family Sharing. Apple One is also a good deal - plenty of iCloud storage and all the content you could ever (never) need.
If you are creating an Apple ID for the very first time, I recommend you do so while setting up a new device and use icloud.com as your “domain.” You can also use that for an email address going forward - Apple’s email is great, very secure. Otherwise, you can create a new Apple ID here.
iCloud might be a different topic altogether, but it is the sacred spirit of the Apple ID - its heartbeat, its energy source. Maybe we can cover iCloud soon... Short version - understand how you back up your data, what data is being backed up, how you can access your data if and when you need it, how to keep it secure, and where all of your data lives. And no, despite what Kamala insists, it’s not in a little cloud that floats above your head. Remember, there are only 2 types of hard drives - those that have failed and those that will. Back up your data. I repeat, back up your data.
Thoughts, questions, ideas, tips, horror stories? Let ‘em rip in the comments. Cheers, and thanks for reading!