The rumored rebrand of Apple ID to “Apple Account” should happen this fall and be reflected in major software updates like iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, etc.
Apple should start changing its longstanding Apple ID brand to “Apple Account” later this year, likely in time for iOS 18’s launch in the fall.
MacRumors first reported that Apple might rebrand Apple ID as “Apple Account,” with a possible announcement following sometime in 2024. And now, Mark Gurman has corroborated the news in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, writing that the change will start happening late this year.
He didn’t say whether the rebrand will be reflected in iOS 18, macOS 15 and other upcoming updates. iOS 18 will release publicly ahead of new iPhones in September. Alternatively, Apple could start rolling out the new “Apple Account” brand in a future update to iOS 18 in late 2024 or early 2025.
“Apple Account” is coming later this year
Gurman said the effort will first reach the official Apple ID website and other relevant sections of Apple’s website before being reflected in the company’s next major software releases, such as iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, etc.
Eventually, the new brand should trickle down everywhere and replace the Apple ID name. Apple actually experimented with this branding a while ago. In 2022, it renamed the Apple ID balance in the Wallet app as the “Apple Account” balance.
The reason for this change?
According to the author, Apple has an “Apple Account” team within the company dedicated to this effort. We don’t know why Apple is making this change. That being said, however, “Apple Account” certainly has a self-explanatory ring to it.
When you hear “Apple Account,” you immediately know its purpose. Apple ID, on the other hand, isn’t as straightforward. Is it some sort of ID in the Apple ecosystem? Is it an Apple ID payment card of sorts? Who knows—it could be anything. There is no such ambiguity with “Apple Account”” though.
Other companies also use “Account” branding, so we have Google Account and Microsoft Account, not Google ID and Microsoft ID.
What is Apple ID?
Apple ID is your master account for the Apple ecosystem and accompanying services such as iMessage, iCloud, Apple Music and the App Store. It’s also required to make purchases across Apple’s stores including apps, music, movies, and more.
While it’s possible to use an Apple device without signing in to an Apple ID, the experience is lacking because you cannot access any services in the Apple ecosystem or sync data between devices using iCloud.
Nothing worse could happen to an Apple user than getting their Apple ID account hacked or locked out. To help strengthen your security, Apple ID supports two-factor authentication and passkeys as additional layers of security.