If you wake up one morning and decide you don’t need your iCloud account anymore, it’s entirely possible to get rid of it. It’s a bit of a radical option because you lose everything associated with the account, such as your photos and paid apps. But if account deactivation is not an option, permanent deletion is the next step. Here’s how to delete your iCloud account.
Read more: How to create an iCloud account or sign in to an iCloud account
RAPID RESPONSE
To delete your iCloud account, sign in to the Data & Privacy section of your iCloud account. on the Manage your data page, scroll down and select Delete your account† Alternatively, you can also opt for the less permanent Temporarily deactivate your account option if you think there is a chance that you will return to the account later.
How to delete your iCloud account
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Permanently deleting an iCloud account should definitely be the last option. If you do this, you will permanently lose access to the following:
- App Store purchases, including Apple Books and any paid active subscriptions.
- Your photos, videos, and documents stored in iCloud.
- Messages sent to your account via iMessage, FaceTime, or iCloud Mail.
- The username of your iCloud email address.
If you lose all these things, it means that before closing your account, you need to back up all the things you want to keep. However, apps and books are not transferable, so you lose them. It might be better to deactivate the account instead, which will just put everything on hold. We’ll discuss deactivation later in the article.
Backing up other forms of data
You can back up your photos, videos, and documents by backing them up to another cloud storage solution, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Another option is to email them to yourself, but that would be impractical for hundreds or thousands of images or videos.
Emails from iCloud Mail can be forwarded to another email address or downloaded to a desktop email client.
The final removal steps
Once you’ve got everything out of the account and are ready to close the account, go to the Data & Privacy section of your iCloud account and sign in.
Scroll down on the next screen. Here you can temporarily deactivate your account if permanent deletion makes you nervous. Or, if you’re really determined to go all out, select Delete your account†
You will be warned about the consequences of removal and asked to provide a reason. But you don’t have to give a reason if you don’t want to. Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
Read more: Access your iCloud photos on any device
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you will lose your Apple ID because it identifies your iCloud account.
No, deleting your iCloud account does not relieve you of any financial obligations to Apple. Those have yet to be made.
If you cancel your iCloud account, all pending AppleCare maintenance requests will be closed immediately. So, wait until you get your repaired phone back before closing your iCloud account.
No, Apple says the email address will be blocked forever to prevent anyone else from using it, including you if you sign up for iCloud again.
If you delete your iCloud account, you will lose everything connected to that account. This includes photos, iCloud email, subscriptions, paid App Store apps, and more.