Create a second iCloud account by opening account.apple.com, selecting Create Your Apple Account, and registering with a different email address. Complete email and phone verification, then sign the new account into iCloud to start using it.
Apple Account is the current name for Apple ID. Creating another account, activating its iCloud services, and getting an @icloud.com email address are separate steps. Browser registration lets you create the account while keeping your current device account signed in.
The short version
- Create the account: Register at account.apple.com with a different email address and a reachable phone number.
- Activate iCloud: Sign in on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro for full iCloud features and 5 GB of free storage.
- Add a mailbox: Create an @icloud.com address separately if the new account does not already have one.
- Keep accounts separate: Adding the second mailbox to Mail keeps your existing device account in place.
| Method | What you get | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Browser registration | A separate Apple Account | Keeps your current device account signed in |
| Initial Apple device setup | A separate Apple Account | Available during iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro setup |
| iPhone or iPad Settings | A separate Apple Account | Requires signing out of the primary account first |
| Mac System Settings | A separate Apple Account | Requires a user session without a primary Apple Account |
| Separate Mac login | A separate session for the second primary account | The local user alone does not create an Apple Account |
| Browser iCloud sign-in | Web-only access with 1 GB | Includes selected web apps and restricted services |
| Apple device iCloud sign-in | Full iCloud features and 5 GB free | Establishes the device or session’s primary account |
| iPhone or iPad mailbox creation | An @icloud.com address | Sign into the second account first |
| Mac mailbox creation | An @icloud.com address | These steps apply to macOS 13.3 or later |
| Browser mailbox creation | An @icloud.com address for an eligible account | Web-only access has service restrictions |
| Add a mailbox on iPhone or iPad | Access to the existing second mailbox | Keeps the primary device account in place |
| Mac Internet Accounts or Mail | Access to an existing second account | Available services depend on the account and app |
| iCloud Mail alias | Another address on the existing account | Does not create separate credentials or storage |
Create the second account in a browser
Open Apple’s account website and select Create Your Apple Account. Enter a different email address, a password, your region, your birthday, and a phone number you can reach. Click Continue to proceed.
Complete both the email verification and phone verification steps. Marketing subscriptions are optional, so you do not need to select them to create the account. This route works on computers, iPhone, iPad, Android, and other devices with a current browser.
Keep your existing account and data separate
Before replacing the primary account on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, consider the data already on the device. Signing out can affect local data and other services. Apple says data retained on the device can merge into the next account when you sign in.
If you choose to switch accounts on those devices, open Settings, tap your name, then tap Sign Out. Choose Sign Out But Don't Erase, review the data-retention prompts, and authenticate. Tap Confirm and Sign Out to finish, then use the second account when signing back in.
A separate Mac login lets you keep the two primary iCloud accounts in different user sessions. As a Mac administrator, open the Apple menu > System Settings > Users & Groups > Add User. Choose Standard under New User, enter the local user’s name and password, and click Create User.
Log into that new Mac user session and open System Settings > Sign in. Sign in with the second Apple Account, or click Don’t Have an Account? to create it there. Creating the local Mac user alone does not create an Apple Account.
Activate iCloud for the new account
For browser access, open iCloud and sign in with the second Apple Account. Web-only access includes 1 GB of storage for supported notes and documents, along with selected web apps. It has fewer services and a smaller storage allowance than full iCloud access.
To get full iCloud features and 5 GB of free storage, sign the account into iCloud on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Vision Pro. On a signed-out iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Apple Account > Sign in Manually. On a signed-out Apple Vision Pro, open Settings > Apple Account. Enter the second account’s credentials and any requested verification code.
On a Mac user session without a primary Apple Account, open the Apple menu > System Settings > Sign in. Enter the new account’s credentials and any verification code. Signing in through these device settings makes the second account the primary Apple Account for that device or Mac user session.
Create an account directly on an Apple device
During initial setup on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, tap Forgot password or don’t have an account?, then tap Create a Free Apple Account. Enter your birthday and name, then tap Continue. Supply another email address, or tap Don’t have an email address? to continue without an existing address. Finish the password, region, verification, and two-factor setup steps.
On an iPhone running iOS 27 or an iPad running iPadOS 27 that is already set up and signed out, open Settings > Apple Account > Sign in Manually. Choose the account-creation option and complete registration. If you want to keep the current primary account signed in, use browser registration instead.
On a Mac user session without a primary account, open System Settings > Sign in, then click Don’t Have an Account?. Complete registration with another email address or obtain a free iCloud email address through the registration flow.
Create the second iCloud email address
If the second Apple Account does not already have an @icloud.com mailbox, create one after setting up its iCloud access. On an iPhone or iPad signed into the second account, open Settings, tap your name, then open iCloud > iCloud Mail. The service may be labeled Mail; enable it and complete address creation. If address creation is not offered, that account already has a primary iCloud email address.
On a Mac running macOS 13.3 or later, make sure the second account is signed in, then open the Apple menu > System Settings. Select your name, then open iCloud > Mail or iCloud Mail. Turn on Sync this Mac and complete address creation.
For an eligible account, you can also open iCloud Mail, sign into the second account, and select Create Email Address. Complete the address-creation prompts. An inbox instead of that control means the account already has a primary mailbox. Web-only iCloud has restricted services, so browser registration alone does not guarantee Mail access.
Add the second mailbox alongside your current account
Once the second mailbox exists, you can add it to Mail without replacing your device’s primary account. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Add Account. Enter the second iCloud email address, choose iCloud when asked for the provider, and supply its credentials.
Tap Next if shown, then tap Save if shown. This connects the existing mailbox while keeping your current device account in place. It does not establish a second primary account for all iCloud services.
On a Mac, open System Settings > Internet Accounts > Add Account, then enter the second account’s email address and credentials. Enable the offered services you need. You can also begin through Mail > Add Account inside the Mail app, select the provider, and complete sign-in.
Use an alias if you only need another email address
An iCloud Mail alias gives you another email address attached to your existing account. It does not give you separate account credentials or separate iCloud storage. Apple explicitly prohibits using an iCloud Mail alias to create a separate Apple Account.
To create an alias, sign into your existing account at iCloud Mail and select the Settings button, then Settings > Add Alias. Fill in Alias Address, Label, and Full Name, then select Create.
Fix iCloud setup limits and account restrictions
If a device reports that too many free accounts have been activated, sign the new Apple Account into iCloud on another iPhone, iPad, or Mac and complete setup there. Apple applies a per-device, per-year iCloud setup limit. Creating the account in a browser does not necessarily bypass that activation limit.
For a grayed-out account on a current iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. If All Restrictions is enabled, find Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes to Settings > Accounts, then select Allow. A parent or guardian must authorize changes on a child’s restricted device.
If a Screen Time passcode is blocking sign-out, open Settings > Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Change Screen Time Passcode. Select Turn Off Screen Time Passcode and authenticate. You can then return to the account sign-out process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you create a second Apple Account for a child?
Yes, and a child below the regional independent-account age needs the child-account registration route. Set up Family Sharing first, then open Settings > Family > Add Member on the organizer’s iPhone or iPad. Tap Create Child Account, tap Continue, and enter the child’s real name and birthday before completing registration.
Can you use a phone number instead of an email address?
If you live in China mainland and use a +86 number, or in India and use a +91 number, you can register with a mobile number instead of an email address. Complete the onscreen verification during registration. This creates an account identified by that number rather than adding another iCloud account inside an existing one.
Can you create the second account through the App Store?
Yes, while signed out of iCloud on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision Pro, open App Store, tap My Account, then tap Create New Apple Account. Enter another email address, a password, and your region, then supply billing details or choose None. Tap Next, verify your phone number, tap Next, and verify your email address.
Should you use Apple Music on Android to create an iCloud account?
Use browser registration when you only want an iCloud account. In Apple Music on Android, open Home if the welcome screen is absent, tap the trial offer, then tap Create New Apple Account and complete registration. Continuing through plan selection and tapping Subscribe starts a music subscription.
Can you use the second account with iCloud for Windows?
Yes, after setting up that account’s iCloud service on an Apple device first. Then sign into iCloud for Windows with the second account. The latest iCloud for Windows requires Windows 11 or later, and Outlook integration requires Outlook 2021 or later.