Before addressing the steps for deleting or changing an iCloud account from Mac or iOS device, let us know about the scenarios where you may need to delete or change your iCloud account from your device.
- If you are using the same Apple ID for your iCloud account as a family member, your Calendars, Contacts, and other content can get merged. Also, you may receive each other’s FaceTime calls and iMessages. You can avoid such confusion by using a separate iCloud account.
- If the email address linked to your Apple ID for your iCloud account is no longer an active or valid email address, you may want to change the email address for your Apple ID.
Now, in order to change or delete an iCloud account from your iOS device, go to the Settings app and scroll down to locate iCloud option. Now, to delete your iCloud account, you just need to tap “Delete Account” option. If you wish to do this on your Mac system, go to System Preference option and select iCloud. Then tap on the Sign Out button.
When you tap Delete Account button on your iOS device or Sign Out button on your Mac, you will get a dialog box on your screen prompting a message which reads “If you delete your account, all documents and Photo Stream photos stored on iCloud will be deleted from this iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch”.
For Documents
If you wish to check what all documents you have in your iCloud account, select Cancel button and go to Documents and Data option. You can take backup of your data and documents from there and then follow the account deletion steps.
For Photo Stream Photos
You must be aware that the Photo Stream is different from the photos that get stored in your Camera Roll or Library. In Photo Stream, any photo you capture gets shared to your other devices by iCloud. They are stored there for 30 days. While some users keep both Photo Stream and Shared Photo activated, others may just have either of the features enabled. In such a case, it is best to ensure that photos of Photo Stream are actually saved in Camera Roll. To check, go to the Photos app on your iOS device and locate the “Albums” and “Shared” option. In Albums, you will find Camera Roll, Albums created by you and Photo Stream pictures. In Shared, you will find photos of Photos Stream which you shared with others and also that others shared with you. As Photo Stream photos are not stored permanently on your device, make sure that Photo Stream photos are there in the Camera Roll. To store Photo Stream photos on your device under Camera Roll, tap on the Share button. From there you can either select 5 pictures at a time to email or save copies on to your Camera Roll. After that, you can proceed with the deletion process.
Once you would have confirmed that you are all set to remove your iCloud Photo Streams, you will be prompted about your Calendars, Contacts, Reminders, and Safari Data. Here the solution may vary depending on the situation.
1.) The information available in the account belongs to your family and not you
In such situation, simply select Delete option. This will remove the contacts, calendars, reminders, and Safari data stored on your iOS device. You can then begin with a new personal iCloud account.
NOTE: Removing account from your device will not delete the data forever. All the information related to contacts, calendar, etc. will still be stored in that iCloud account which you can access anytime by simply logging into it again.
2.) Availability of yours and your family’s personal information
If you chose to keep all contacts, calendars, reminders, and Safari data on your iOS device, you can then create your own iCloud account. Also, when doing so, you will be able to combine all of the data to iCloud. Deleting contacts and calendars is usually a monotonous task when performing on an iOS device. And in case you are deleting contacts and calendars from iCloud.com or Mac applications, you just need to select the items you wish to delete and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Moreover, if you are using Find my Device with your iOS device, you will have a feature enabled on your device, known as Activation Lock. Activation Lock is a feature which required your Apple ID and Password in order to remove iCloud account.
Once the current iCloud account gets removed from your device, you can then create a new iCloud account by tapping on the “Get a Free Apple ID” option. After signing up for a new account, you can easily use iMessage and FaceTime without any confusion. In case you see your old Apple ID listed for iMessage or FaceTime, simply tap on the Sign Out button and sign in with your new Apple ID.
So, this is how you can easily delete or change an iCloud Account on your Mac or iOS device.
