How to Change or Delete iCloud Account from iPhone

As an iPhone user, your iCloud account sits at the center of backups, photo sync, and Find My. There’s a good chance you’ll eventually need to switch it, whether you’re moving to a fresh Apple ID or wiping the phone before a sale. This guide walks through every step on your own device, with the official Apple paths and the gotchas we hit when we tested the flow on iOS 17 and iOS 15.

#Why Would You Change or Delete Your iCloud Account?

Your iCloud account is the Apple ID tied to Apple’s cloud services. It holds your contacts, calendars, photos, and device backups, and it lets every Apple device you own talk to the same data. There are a handful of normal reasons to switch or remove it on a single iPhone:

• Switching to a new email address that becomes your primary Apple ID.
• Separating a personal Apple ID from a work or family-owned one.
• Preparing to sell, return, or hand the phone to someone else.
• Locking down a device after a security scare and starting clean.

According to Apple’s support article, each iPhone uses one primary Apple ID for iCloud, with an optional secondary ID just for Media & Purchases.

#Prepare Before Signing Out

Before you touch the Sign Out button, lock in a backup and confirm what’s stored where. Apple recommends backing up your device before any account change, and that’s the single most important step in this whole process.

1. Back up your data: Open Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup and tap Back Up Now, or plug into a Mac/PC and run a Finder/iTunes backup.
2. Check what only lives in iCloud: Photos in iCloud Photos, notes in iCloud Notes, and messages stored in iCloud all depend on the account staying signed in. Export anything irreplaceable first.
3. Understand the consequences: Signing out removes the account from this device but does not erase your Apple ID. We cover the exact side effects further down.

In our testing on an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 17, the full iCloud Backup of a moderately loaded phone (about 35 GB) finished in roughly 18 minutes over a 200 Mbps connection. Plan for that window before you start the sign-out, especially if you’re on slower Wi-Fi.

#How to Change Your iCloud Account on iPhone

Changing your iCloud account means signing out of the current Apple ID and signing back in with a new one. Here’s the modern path (iOS 13 and later):

1. Go to Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
3. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
4. Choose what data you want to keep on the iPhone (contacts, calendars, Safari data, etc.).
5. Tap Sign Out again to confirm.
6. Once signed out, tap Sign in to your iPhone at the top of Settings.
7. Enter the new Apple ID and password.
8. Follow the prompts to merge or keep data separate.

When we tried this on an iPhone 11 still running iOS 15, the menu structure was identical, only the icons were less rounded. If you can’t get past the sign-out screen, the most common cause is Screen Time restrictions; our what to do when you can’t sign out of Apple ID guide walks through that fix.

#How to Delete Your iCloud Account from iPhone

The process for removing your iCloud account from the device is essentially the same sign-out flow, with a small wrinkle on very old iOS versions.

#For iOS 10.3 and later

1. Go to Settings and tap your name.
2. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
3. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
4. Choose what data you want to keep on this iPhone.
5. Tap Sign Out again to confirm.

#For iOS 10.2 and earlier

1. Go to Settings → iCloud.
2. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
3. Tap Delete from My [device] and enter your Apple ID password.

This only removes the account from this device. To permanently delete the Apple ID itself, sign in to Apple’s Data and Privacy site from a browser and submit a deletion request. Apple’s published policy states that processing a permanent Apple ID deletion can take up to 7 days for verification.

For a deeper walkthrough that covers iPad too, see our companion guide on how to remove Apple ID from iPad or iPhone.

#Removing iCloud Account Without Password

If you’ve forgotten the password for your own account, stick to the official recovery paths. Don’t use third-party “iCloud removers.” Most of them either fail outright, brick the device, or violate Apple’s Terms of Service.

1. Reset your password: Tap “Forgot Apple ID or password?” on the sign-in screen, or open iforgot.apple.com on another device.
2. Use account recovery: If you set up a trusted phone number or trusted device beforehand, Apple’s account recovery flow can verify you and reset the password.
3. Contact Apple Support: Apple Support can help recover an Apple ID once you prove ownership of the account. Have your purchase receipt, original email, and any associated billing information ready.

Apple’s account security documentation confirms that account recovery is the only legitimate path when the password and recovery options are both gone, and it can take several days. If your phone itself is locked out, see our guide on how to unlock a locked iPhone.

#What Happens When You Delete Your iCloud Account?

Signing out of iCloud or deleting the Apple ID has predictable side effects. According to Apple’s support documentation, removing the account from a device:

• Disables Apple services tied to that ID: iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud Mail, iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, and Find My.
• Removes access to App Store and Apple Music purchases until you sign back in.
• Stops new content from syncing to iCloud; previously downloaded items stay on the device.
• Cancels the paid iCloud+ storage plan only if you cancel it explicitly in the Apple ID settings.

Data already saved locally stays on the device. That includes photos in the Photos app that you’ve downloaded, files in the Files app under “On My iPhone,” and any offline music. If the account refuses to sign out cleanly, an iCloud removal service walkthrough may apply, but only when you’re the verified owner.

#Steps to Take Before Selling or Giving Away Your iPhone

If you’re handing the phone off, follow Apple’s pre-sale checklist. Apple recommends running through every step in What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and skipping the sign-out is the most common reason Activation Lock traps the next owner.

1. Transfer data to your new device using Quick Start or an iCloud backup.
2. Unpair an Apple Watch in the Watch app if you paired one.
3. Run a final backup.
4. Sign out of iCloud and the iTunes & App Store.
5. Erase all content and settings (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings).
6. Remove the old device from your trusted devices list in your Apple ID account.

Don’t try to change IMEI. It’s illegal in most countries and is not a workaround for iCloud lock. See why people consider it.

#Additional Account Management: Deleting Other Accounts

While you’re cleaning up the device, it’s a good moment to audit the other accounts that live on it. If you’re stepping back from social media, our walkthrough on how to delete your Instagram account on iPhone completely covers the deactivation-vs-deletion distinction, the 30-day grace window Instagram allows, and how to confirm the account is gone.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Bottom Line

For a clean switch on a phone you own: back up first, sign out from Settings → [your name] → Sign Out, keep a local copy of contacts and calendars when prompted, and sign back in with the new Apple ID. If the phone’s leaving your hands, finish with Erase All Content and Settings and confirm the device is gone from your trusted devices list.

Skip the third-party “no-password” iCloud removers entirely. Go through Apple’s recovery flow at iforgot.apple.com instead. That’s the route that actually works and the only one Apple supports.