An Apple ID is a key part of owning an Apple device, and it is used for access to iCloud, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, and more. It is also necessary for syncing content across devices, making purchases, using Find My to keep track of devices, and more.

Creating an ‌Apple ID‌ is free and easy, and it's the first step to getting an Apple device set up if you're new to the Apple ecosystem. This how to walks through creating an ‌Apple ID‌ on an iPhone or an iPad.

Create an Apple ID When Setting Up a New Device

When you're setting up a new device for the first time, you'll be prompted to sign in with an ‌Apple ID‌. If you don't have one, you can create an ‌Apple ID‌ right from this screen.

createappleidiphone

  1. At the ‌Apple ID‌ setup screen, tap "Forgot password or don't have an ‌Apple ID‌?"
  2. Tap on "Create a Free ‌Apple ID‌."
  3. Enter all of the required information in the forms that follow.

You will be asked to enter a first and last name, birth date, country, password, and you will be required to answer a series of security questions that can be used in case your ‌Apple ID‌ password is ever lost.

Note that the email address that you enter will be the login for your ‌Apple ID‌. If you don't have an email address, Apple also has a process for setting up an ‌iCloud‌ Email address before signing up for an ‌Apple ID‌.

Create an Apple ID Using the Settings App

If you don't want to create an ‌Apple ID‌ during the device setup process, you can do it later on the ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ through the Settings app.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap "Forgot password or don't have an ‌Apple ID‌?" createappleidiphone 1
  3. Tap "Create ‌Apple ID‌."
  4. Enter all of the required information in the forms that follow.

Create an Apple ID Using the App Store

There's also an option to create an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ ‌Apple ID‌ using the ‌App Store‌.

createappleidappstore

  1. Open the ‌App Store‌.
  2. Tap on the profile of a person at the top right.
  3. Tap "Create New ‌Apple ID‌."
  4. Enter all of the required information in the forms that follow.

Note that when you sign up for an ‌Apple ID‌ on the ‌App Store‌, you might be prompted to enter payment and billing information, but choosing "None" allows the request to be bypassed.

Using the same ‌Apple ID‌ for all your Apple devices and services is important, so make sure you're not creating a new ‌Apple ID‌ if you already have one. Apple will let you know if you already have an ‌Apple ID‌ associated with a given email address when you attempt to sign up again, and will walk you through the steps of a password reset.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...