“The other day, I read yet another story about a lingering Apple problem, the inability to merge that dreaded Apple ID with another in your household or business. Certainly the problems are obvious: Licensed content purchased under one Apple ID doesn’t work when you login with another,” Gene Steinberg writes for The Tech Night Owl. “This is particularly true of movie downloads, since the Hollywood entertainment moguls insist that you cannot be trusted.”
“The Apple ID problem is understandable. You set up a new Mac, iPhone or iPad, and you just cannot remember your login info. So you create a new account,” Steinberg writes. “After a few years, you have several. Or perhaps another family member sets up their own account, and soon it gets complicated.”
“I cannot tell you how many times I’ve helped a friend or client in just this situation. The setup assistant requests the Apple ID, and I get a questioning look. Is it written down somewhere? What Apple ID do you use on your other Apple gadget? In the end, they might find one of many, or just start from scratch with a new Apple ID, although I strongly recommend against it,” Steinberg writes. “True, they could contact Apple and try to recover an older Apple ID, but that’s hit or miss.”
“Apple’s solution is no solution. You cannot merge the accounts and simplify your life,” Steinberg writes. “For me, I still have an Apple ID representing an email address I haven’t used in over a decade. I keep the domain and the address active for one reason: Apple.”
Read more in the full article here.