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Ever since apple has decided to make iTunes account access your email address instead of a username I have noticed the apps that were bought under the old username do not recognize this and there doesn't seem to be a simple way to fix this. For example when an app has an update it asks me to enter my old username/pw combo, however if I make a new purchase and then it has an update the new email/pw info is displayed. This more of an inconvenience than anything, but the other day I was trying to make and in-app purchase and the new email/pw dialog displayed for an app I purchased with the username/pw and the transaction would not go through saying I needed to purchase the app first. Is there an easy way to fix this?

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I didn't know that you had to use an email address instead of a username. When did that change? – g . Jan 17 '11 at 9:26
With the last update the TOS changed. It was strange. – DJ01 Jan 17 '11 at 17:20

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote

Have you tried removing the app from iTunes and and the iOS device and then downloading them again? iTunes should see that you had already bought it and just downloads it.

This way I changed some apps when I got the iOS device from my girlfriend, which were bought with her account.

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I second this answer, the apps have been signed with your account's old username. Downloading them again fresh will sign them with the new username. – Tim Mar 27 '11 at 23:47
You will probably lose your data for those applications, however. But if you do some searching there are some guides out there on how to back up application data. I vaguely remember seeing one that didn't require a Jailbreak either. – Tim Mar 27 '11 at 23:50
up vote 0 down vote

Was your old username linked to your current email address?

Supposing the two aren't linked, there isn't an easy way around this, although you might try contacting Apple support to see if they can transfer those purchases to your account. I've had luck doing this before when an album I purchased was link to the wrong account.

Good luck.

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It was linked to the same email address. The apps don't seem to recognize this. – DJ01 Jan 17 '11 at 17:21
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In that case your best bet is emailing support@apple.com and seeing if they can't link the purchases to your email address. It's kind of a silly system they have set up for it though. – Ciaocibai Jan 17 '11 at 21:39

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