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I'm going thru a phone swap, and I now realize that I have multiple ID's

I've tested all three, and they all have different login passwords. Not sure how I got here but I'd like to clean the mess up. Is there any way to delete / remove / erase unwanted ID's so they don't exist anymore? (Note: their existence creates total havoc with any type of ID edit...)

I see from Frequently asked questions about Apple ID that I can't merge the apple ID's, but can I simply delete the unwanted ID's?

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2 Answers 2

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There is no easy way to disable / delete the Apple ID from Apple's servers, but you can delete all the personal data (contacts, calendars, mail) and then change the contact information and security questions / password to ones that you will no longer use or ever enter into a device. I would write them down and file it in a safe just in case you change your mind down the road. If you want to re-use that email with Apple in the future, you may want to change the Apple ID to a disposable email and clear all other emails from that account if you ever want to use those "real" email addresses with your actual AppleID.

In short - you can and should delete the obsolete ID from all your devices. In the past, there's not been a way to delete an account without Apple support speaking with a service engineer to delete an account on the server side.

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  • Up vote for this clear answer. ie Disposable email :)
    – Ruskes
    Sep 23, 2014 at 19:44
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    I don't really like this answer (from our friends at Apple) but I begrudgingly accept it. One has to ask, how did this happen? Why does iCloud require an apple ID with an email in it in the first place? Wish there was a document somewhere that described "Apple ID Use - Mystery Logic and Mediocre Design". I'm obviously not a fan. Oh, wait, is this a new NSA requirement?
    – zipzit
    Sep 24, 2014 at 16:25
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    @zipzit Think of malicious destruction/impersonation. If Apple were to delete your account forever, what recourse would you have if someone else requested the deletion? Basically, the penalty for one event in a thousand might be causing Apple to make policy that they don't delete accounts since actually handling it is expensive.
    – bmike ♦
    Oct 26, 2015 at 16:51
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You can , you have to call apple support and tell them why, you also have to be sure your find my devices is off. Apple has to do it for you.

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