[ken jsav]

Things are quite a mess. I bought an iPhone 6 from AT&T but it's only for my wife to use. I don't understand exactly but it is logged in under an obsolete Apple ID of hers from an ancient device, old iPad. I know the password of that obsolete ID and I know the answers to the security questions. Yet I can't for the life of me get the phone to drop the bad ID and use her correct current ID, which is associated with her much newer iPad. As I've intimated, I know all the appropriate passwords and security answers for the two IDs.

Understand that her newer iPad is correctly associated to a good ID. That obsolete ID doesn't even refer to a live reachable email address! The wife claims that the phone, when initiated or set up automatically gleaned stuff from an older iPad of hers.

So I have been trying trying without success to change the Apple ID on her iPhone 6 to what it ought be. I go to Settings and order the phone to DELETE her existing ID/email. It then tells me that it will not delete the old UNTIL a new ID is specified. So I go to specify the correct Apple ID/email and password and it pops up with the message something like, "Uh that email address is in use by a different user so it is not available to use here".
So I am stuck, arggh!

As a last resort I could take the phone back to ATT and ask them to save her contacts list to her SIMS card and then reset the phone to factory clear-all and try anew. But maybe someone on this forum knows how I can accomplish the desired purpose without waiting in Saturday lines at the ATT Store. If so then I would be ever so grateful.

Many thanks!

[Just_Me_D]

I'm clearly missing something. If the goal is to simply change the Apple ID on her old iPhone 6, can you not just sign out of that account and then sign back in with the new Apple ID?

[Tartarus]

I'm clearly missing something. If the goal is to simply change the Apple ID on her old iPhone 6, can you not just sign out of that account and then sign back in with the new Apple ID?

Exactly this^^


Apparently you’re trying to ‘create’ a Apple ID instead of logging in with a existing one.

[kataran]

Welcome to iMore

It seems to us that your over thinking the problem

[ken jsav]

Jeez I hope you guys are right that I am overthinking the problem, that I can simply log out of one Apple ID and into another. I am going to look for that ability today but so far I have been in Settings and failed to see anything that allows me to literally LOG OFF my Apple ID. Instead I see where I can "Delete" my Apple ID and as I stated in OP it will permit me to do that ONLY if I FIRST specify the second Apple ID that I will replace it with, and as I stated, when I specify the correct ID (email) that I want I get that horrid message claiming that another user already has that ID and so it cannot be activated -- I'll get you the precise wording shortly. Now be clear, as there is only ONE iPhone. I mentioned in OP an old iPad that my wife feels the obsolete Apple ID came from (through the cloud?) when it first initiated. THANK YOU FOLKS!!!

[phlamethrowre]

Have you tried a reset? Just wipe it clean and start over.

[ken jsav]

Have you tried a reset? Just wipe it clean and start over.

That should be satisfactory. If it were Android I would know how. How does one reset an iPhone plz? I mentioned I would take this to ATT Store so they could do that for me and they will know how to do it and still preserve my wife's precious contacts data. But if I feel it's necessary to do myself, how to do a master reset?

[ken jsav]

Okay, that precise message if I try to change Apple ID by deleting old one and specifying the correct one then when I go to specify the new one I get: "Email Used by Another Apple ID This email address is not available. Choose a different address."

[Just_Me_D]

Jeez I hope you guys are right that I am overthinking the problem, that I can simply log out of one Apple ID and into another. I am going to look for that ability today but so far I have been in Settings and failed to see anything that allows me to literally LOG OFF my Apple ID. Instead I see where I can "Delete" my Apple ID and as I stated in OP it will permit me to do that ONLY if I FIRST specify the second Apple ID that I will replace it with, and as I stated, when I specify the correct ID (email) that I want I get that horrid message claiming that another user already has that ID and so it cannot be activated -- I'll get you the precise wording shortly. Now be clear, as there is only ONE iPhone. I mentioned in OP an old iPad that my wife feels the obsolete Apple ID came from (through the cloud?) when it first initiated. THANK YOU FOLKS!!!

Go to Settings and then, at the very top, select your name. Afterwards, scroll down to the bottom to select “Sign Out”.

[ken jsav]

Wow! Finally! Thank you! You've helped me out of the jam! I was moments away from heading out to the ATT Store. Thank you so so much!!!

[Just_Me_D]

Wow! Finally! Thank you! You've helped me out of the jam! I was moments away from heading out to the ATT Store. Thank you so so much!!!

On behalf of everyone who responded, you’re very welcome, sir....

[ken jsav]

Yes, success -- I can't thank you folks enough. I realize in retrospect that sure, it was an extremely simple predicament, my not realizing where to find the "Sign Out". Ha ha! Well I admit that I am getting along in years and sometimes technology just has a way of eluding me even though fairly simple. I can't thank you all enough for being here to assist!

[Just_Me_D]

Yes, success -- I can't thank you folks enough. I realize in retrospect that sure, it was an extremely simple predicament, my not realizing where to find the "Sign Out". Ha ha! Well I admit that I am getting along in years and sometimes technology just has a way of eluding me even though fairly simple. I can't thank you all enough for being here to assist!

Believe me. There are a good deal of us “getting along in years”....Double nickel for me....(laughing)....Some say 2 quarters and a nickel...

[Lee_Bo]

Yes, success -- I can't thank you folks enough.

Actually, yes you can. Jump into the forums with both feet. :-)

Also, head over here and introduce yourself:
https://forums.imore.com/new-forums-...yourself-here/