Delete or Change Your iCloud Account on iPhone or iPad without Losing Data

James Davis

Mar 07, 2022 • Filed to: Manage Device Data • Proven solutions

There are those of us who juggle multiple iCloud accounts. While this is not recommended, you may need it for whatever reason. Using multiple iCloud accounts will at some point lead to a scenario where you need to delete at least one of those iCloud accounts. While Apple makes this process easy, it is still important to understand why you are doing this to avoid the many problems you may encounter somewhere down the road.

So is it possible to delete iCloud account without losing your data? This article will show you that it is completely possible.

Part 1: Why need to delete iCloud account
Part 2: How to delete iCloud account on iPad and iPhone
Part 3: What will happen when remove iCloud account

Part 1: Why need to delete iCloud account

Before we get to how to safely delete iCloud account on iPad and iPhone, we felt it necessary to discuss the various reasons why you would want to do it in the first place. Here are a few good reasons

If you are using the same Apple ID with some of your family members (this is not uncommon) all your contacts, calendars, and other content will be merged. You may then find yourself in a situation where you are getting the other persons iMessages and FaceTime calls. This is a situation you don’t want to be in if you a private person.

It may also be that the email you are using for your Apple ID is no longer valid or active. In this case changing your email address may work or you may decide to simply delete the iCloud account.

Part 2: How to delete iCloud account on iPad and iPhone

Whatever your reason for wanting to delete iCloud account on iPhone an iPad, these simple steps will help you do that safely and easily.

Step 1: On your iPad/iPhone, tap on Settings and then iCloud

change icloud account-start to delete iCloud account on iPad and iPhone

Step 2: Scroll all the way down until you see “Sign out” and tap on it.

change icloud account-sign out to delete icloud account

Step 3: You will be required to confirm that this is what you want to do. Tap on “Sign out” again to confirm.

change icloud account-sign out to confirm

Step 4: Next, you will see the “Delete Account” alert. If you want to keep all your Safari data including bookmarks, saved pages and data or if you want to keep your contacts on the iPhone, tap on “Keep on iPhone/iPad.” If you don’t want to keep all of your data tap on “Delete from My iPhone/iPad”

change icloud account-delete icloud account

Step 5: Next, you need to enter your iCloud password so as to turn off “Find my iPad/iPhone”

change icloud account-find my ipad iphone

Step 6: In a few moments, you will see the following screen. After which your iCloud account will be removed from your iPhone/iPad. On your iCloud settings page you will now see a login form.

change icloud account-remove icloud account

Part 3: What will happen when remove iCloud account

To be on the safe side, we thought it is important for you to understand exactly what will happen when you delete your iCloud account. This way you know what to expect.

All iCloud related services will be shutdown. You will not be able to use iCloud Photo library/ streams, iCloud drive or documents.

Contacts, mail, Calendars will also no longer sync with your iCloud account

The data you have on your device will however remain on the device unless you chose “Delete from iPhone/iPad” in step 4 above. Also all the data that was already synced to iCloud will be available whenever you add another iCloud account to your device.

Now you know how to delete iCloud account without losing data. All you have to is choose "Keep on my iPhone/ iPad when you get to step 4 in Part 2 above. We hope the post above has been helpful in case you ever need to get rid of an iCloud account.