- Apple has made it possible to move purchases between two Apple IDs for the first time
- This is designed for a single user to consolidate purchases under one account
- The process requires both accounts to be logged in to the same iPhone or iPad
Apple has enabled the migration of purchases between two Apple ID accounts for the first time, allowing users to seamlessly move purchased apps, songs, movies, books, and other purchases from one account to another.
The new feature was revealed with little fanfare via an official Apple support article that lists the several conditions which must be met in order for the migration to be possible.
In order to consolidate purchases under one account, both accounts must be logged into the same iPhone or iPad – it doesn’t matter if you’re using an iPhone 16 or iPhone SE, as long as both accounts are signed in on the same device.
The primary account – that’s the account you’re moving purchases to – must be logged into iCloud, while the secondary account – the one you’re moving purchases from – must be logged into Media & Purchases settings.
Finally, the two accounts cannot belong to different Family Sharing groups. Once all these conditions are met, it becomes possible to consolidate purchases on the primary account.
How to migrate purchases between two Apple accounts
First, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap on your name, then tap on Media & Purchases. Tap view account and sign in with your secondary account if the prompt appears.
Then, tap Migrate Purchases, take a moment to review the information that appears on-screen, and follow the on-screen instructions.
When the process is complete, you’ll see a message appear that reads: “Purchases Have Been Migrated”.
Finally, sign out of the secondary account in the Media & Purchases menu, and sign in with your primary account.
As Apple’s support page notes, the purchase migration feature is intended for users with multiple accounts to consolidate their purchases under one Apple ID, rather than sharing purchases between multiple users.
Historically it’s been impossible to move purchases from one account to another – users have instead had to rely on workaround solutions like iCloud Family Sharing. As it happens, this is exactly what I’ve been doing with two of my own Apple accounts for the past few years, and while it has worked fine for me I would always have preferred to have everything under one virtual roof.
The new purchase migration feature is as-yet unavailable in the UK, European Union, or India, but for other regions the feature should be available now.
In any case, I’m happy to see a new example of the ecosystem cohesion that makes using the best iPhones and best iPads such a smooth experience. Will you be moving your purchases to one Apple ID account? Let us know in the comments below.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
