Moving digital purchases from one Apple account to another

If you are in possession of several Apple accounts, good news may be reported. Apple allows users to move digital purchases from one Apple account to another.

At least, for accounts outside the European Union, the United Kingdom or India. In a new support document Apple explains how the migrating of purchases works exactly. Handy if you have an Apple account that is only used to make purchases. We explain what you can expect.

Apple Purchase Migrate

Those who are in possession of several Apple accounts can now (in some countries) migrate the purchases of different accounts to a primary Apple account. This is the account that is used for iCloud, Facetime, etc. Your other accounts are mainly used for purchases in the App Store, this is especially the case when you had linked older e-mail addresses to your Apple account.

Merging availability purchases

This function is not available for users In the European Unionthe United Kingdom or India. When this option will be available in these countries and regions is still unclear.

Merge purchases

You can choose to migrate apps, music and other material that you bought at Apple on a secondary Apple account to a primary Apple account. The secondary Apple account can be an account that is only used for purchases. You must know the primary e-mail address or telephone number and password of both accounts, and neither of both accounts may be shared with someone else.

What to pay attention to

• At the time of migration, the Apple account that is logged in for use with iCloud and most functions on your iPhone or iPad is called the primary Apple account.
• At the time of migration, the Apple account that is only logged in to ‘media and purchases’, called the secondary Apple account.

Conditions Migration Apple Purchase

• Check whether you are logged in with two different accounts on your iPhone or iPad. Tap in settings in your name. Another Apple account is displayed under ‘Media and purchases’ if you are logged in to another account for purchases. If you don’t see any other Apple account here, tap ‘Media and Purchases’ and then on ‘Log out’. After you have been logged out, tap ‘Media and purchases’ and choose’ [je naam]? ‘ To log in to another Apple account.
• Check whether the secondary Apple account is not a member of another ‘Share with Family’ group and whether it is not used for sharing purchases. Read how you can leave ‘Share with Family’ and disable sharing of purchases.
• Enter two-factor authentication for both accounts.
• Make sure that both accounts are set on the same country and the same region for purchases.
• Make the remaining balance of your secondary Apple account.
• Wait for all rented parts and forward orders are completed on your secondary Apple account. You can cancel forward orders.
• Wait until 15 days from the last purchase for the secondary account.
• Make sure you have your registered payment method at hand. You must verify the payment method of the secondary Apple account to migrate purchases. Moreover, there must be no problems with the registered payment method for the secondary account.
• Attend your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS or iPados.

What happens when you migrate purchases

• Previous purchases of apps, music, films, TV programs and books migrate to your primary Apple account.
• All payment methods that are linked to your secondary Apple account are migrated to your primary Apple account. These replace all payment methods that you had registered with the primary Apple account.
• Subscriptions that you are currently subscribed to your secondary Apple account migrating to your primary Apple account.
• The music library data of the secondary Apple account, the personalization profile, the social profile and the Apple Music Replay in the Apple Music app migrate and replace the music library data, the personalization profile, the social profile and the Apple Music Replay of the primary Apple account. If you already have a music library on your primary Apple account, nothing changes.
• The podcast library data of the secondary Apple account in the Apple Podcasts app is migrated and replaced the podcast library data of the primary Apple account.

What cannot be migrated with your purchases

• iCloud data cannot be migrated from the secondary Apple account.
• Personalized recommendations in the App Store, Apple TV app, Apple Books and Apple Podcasts cannot be migrated from your secondary Apple account. Automatic personalization starts again on your primary Apple account.
• You cannot edit App Store reviews that have been made with your secondary Apple account.

Start Migration Apple purchases

1. Open the settings app on the iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your name and then tap ‘Media and purchases’.
3. Tap ‘Show account’ and possibly log in with your secondary account.
4. Scroll down and then tap ‘Migrate purchases’.
5. View the information about both accounts and then perform the tasks to complete the migration of purchases to the primary account.
6. When the process is completed, you see ‘purchases are migrated’. You will also receive a confirmation email at the e-mail addresses that are linked to the accounts.
7. Make sure you check your settings for ‘media and purchases’, log out at the secondary Apple account and then log in to the primary Apple account.

You can read more information about merging Apple Accounts on the Support page from Apple. In addition, you can also contact Apple Support if you have questions about the migration.