That alphanumeric string of characters you’ve committed to memory, guarded with your life, and is the key to your entire Apple ecosystem? It’s getting a new name and identity, bringing one of the tech giant’s oldest brands into the modern era.
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, an authority on inside happenings at Apple, the company plans to retire the iconic “Apple ID” moniker later this year. In its place, your illuminati-esque sign-in credentials will henceforth be known as your “Apple Account.”
The move to simplify the branding around what has been confusingly referred to as an “ID” for over two decades is expected to roll out with Apple’s next major software releases. Come this fall’s likely release of iOS 18 for the iPhone, watchOS 11 for the Apple Watch, and updates across the company’s operating systems, you’ll start seeing the new “Apple Account” terminology proliferating.
Apple’s motivations behind the rebranding are unclear, but “Apple Account” does have a more straightforward and self-explanatory ring to it. After all, the Apple ID log-in is essentially the account that governs your relationship and purchasing activity across Apple’s hardware, software, and services. An “account” is something nearly everyone in the modern digital era understands intimately.
The change also continues an evolution already underway within Apple’s own corporate lexicon. As Gurman points out, the company now refers to funds added for purchases as an “Apple Account balance.” And there already exists an “Apple Account” management team within the company’s organizational structure.
While a mere name change, the retirement of “Apple ID” will mark the end of an era for a brand introduced in the early days of the internet age. The Apple ID was first created in the early 2000s as a way for Mac users to access services like iTools — a suite that evolved into iCloud for syncing emails, contacts, calendars, and more. Before long, it became a username for iTunes and the App Store as they launched.
Over 20 years later, that ID you created way back when is now the key to your entire digital life within the Apple ecosystem. It governs your iCloud data, App Store and iTunes purchases, iMessage and FaceTime accounts, FindMy location tracking, Apple Pay payments, HomeKit smart home management, and much more. With so much crucial functionality tied to what has been branded a lowly “ID” all these years, it’s high time for a promotion to “Account” status.
Developers and consumer audiences alike will get their first glimpse at the new account naming during Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. That’s when the company traditionally previews its upcoming operating system updates before unleashing them to the public in September alongside new iPhone and Apple Watch hardware.
So pour one out for the Apple ID, an unsung hero that has played an outsized role in organizing your digital life. Its next incarnation as your Apple Account will soon be born, delivering a new coat of branding befitting its broad importance. Just don’t forget the password.
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