4 Fixes to “This is Not Your Primary iCloud Account”

The issue: This is not your primary iCloud account

Have you ever encountered a similar situation before? As we all know, backing up data with iCloud is one of the most commonly used methods by Apple users. But it often happens that when logging into iCloud you see the message "This is not your primary iCloud account". If you're at a loss and don't know where to find your primary iCloud account, fortunately, you've come to the right place.          

In this detailed guide, we will list 4 workable solutions to show you how to fix this problem. In addition to this, we also provide a better iCloud alternative to save you from these glitches.

How to fix “This is not your primary iCloud account”?

Before you get started on the problem, you need to figure out this question “what is my primary iCloud account?”. Usually, only one iCloud account is used for an iOS device. But sometimes, for work or other reasons, you may have two accounts on one iPhone. 

However, it allows you to have only one primary iCloud account on your iOS device. And only your primary account can use iCloud's Notes, Bookmarks, Photos, iCloud Drive, and Find My iPhone features.

There are many reasons why the "This is not your primary iCloud account" message may appear after you sign in to iCloud. Fortunately, no matter what causes this, you can follow the solutions listed below to learn how to fix it.

Fix 1. Confirm Apple ID for iCloud

By default, when you get this prompt saying that this is not your primary iCloud account and you use multiple iCloud accounts on one iPhone, the first thing you should do is verify that your Apple ID is the one that was previously used as your primary iCloud account.

You may ask “how do I find my primary iCloud account?”. Usually, you can find it by going to Settings and clicking on your name, because all iCloud accounts are Apple IDs.

Fix 2. Sign out & in iCloud account

If you are indeed using only one iCloud account on your iOS device, it is also possible that there is an error with the iCloud service. You can try logging out of your account and then logging in to the same iCloud account again. The steps are shown below.

Step1. Go to Settings > tap [your name] > iCloud > scroll down and find Sign Out > enter your password to confirm.                      

Step 2. After that, go to Settings again to log in back.

Fix 3. Change this primary iCloud account

As we mentioned above, if you use more than one iCloud account, it is crucial to find the iCloud primary account in order to resolve the issue on iCloud “this is not your primary account”. Then you can change this primary iCloud account. But how do you change your primary iCloud account? Don’t worry, please read the following section to get the answer.

How to change primary iCloud account on iPhone?

On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Accounts > iCloud, and you will be able to view and manage the account. Then click Primary under the iCloud account you want.             

✎ Note: Please turn off using iCloud for Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Reminders in advance.

How to change primary iCloud account on Mac?

Log in as the administrator > Go to System Preferences > Select Users & Groups > Enter your administrator password. Select the account you want to make the primary account and click Make Primary.            

Fix 4. Get help from Apple iCloud specialists

If the above methods don't work, you'll have to seek help from Apple professionals. After all, they know more about Apple products. Describe the problem you are having by calling, chatting or visiting an Apple Store in such detail that they can help you better.

Best iCloud alternative to backup iOS data with no storage limit

As you can see, using iCloud is limited by many reasons, such as the 5GB of free storage space, network connection, slow transfer speeds, etc. Obviously, iCloud is not the best choice for backing up your device. Here we offer a professional iOS data backup tool called FoneTool as the iCloud alternative.

It allows users to easily backup all their data with a few simple clicks as iCloud does. And it doesn't delete any existing data on the device during the transfer. Let you use it without worries. The main advantages of FoneTool are as follows.

✔ Unlimited backup storage space. It allows you to backup iPhone data to a local folder on the computer or external drive, which means the backup storage space is unlimited.
✔ Preview and select backup data. It enables you to create a full backup on iPhone like iCloud. You can also view and select the data you want to backup.
✔ Super fast transfer speed. You can finish the backup task at a super fast speed to save time. It just takes 2 seconds to finish transferring 100 photos.
✔ Wide compatibility. It supports all kinds of iOS devices like iPhone (from iPhone 4 to the latest iPhone 14), as well as iPad and iPod. It also works well with the latest iOS 16/15.

Download and install FoneTool on your Windows PC. Connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable and then launch it. Follow the instructions to know how to backup iPhone without iCloud.

Step 1. Click Phone Backup > Selective Backup > Click Get Started.

Step 2. Click the add icon to preview and select the files you want to backup and click OK.

Step 3. Choose a storage path to save the backup and click Start Backup.

FAQs about iCloud account

After solving this problem, we also sorted out some questions that users may ask about iCloud accounts, and hope this article will be a better helper.

# 1. Can I have two iCloud accounts on my Mac?

Yes, you can have multiple iCloud accounts on Mac. You can open System Preferences and click iCloud. Click the account you want to use, then enter your password.

# 2. How to add iCloud account on your iPhone?

Here are the specific steps on how to create a new iCloud account:

Step 1. Go to Settings > General and click Accounts.

Step 2. Click Add Account to create a new account, then enter the name and password for the new iCloud account. 

Step 3. Click Next and select the data you want to add to iCloud backup, then click Save.        

#3. How do I delete my primary iCloud account?

First, you need to go to Settings and click iCloud, then scroll down to find the Delete Account option and click Delete. Since Apple ID is your iCloud account by default, you can also delete your Apple ID directly. But this method will not completely delete all data associated with the account.   

✎ Note: To avoid losing data, please create a backup of your Apple ID before deleting it. Also, make sure you're signed out of all Apple devices. Subscriptions from the old account need to be moved to another available Apple ID account. You can start with this step on “how do I remove one iCloud account from my iPhone”.

To sum up

That’s all for the solutions to fix the “this is not your primary iCloud account” issue. At the same time, this post shares the method of how to find primary iCloud account on your iOS devices, and believe you already know how to change your primary iCloud account.

If you are looking for a better iCloud alternative for iPhone/iPad, you can try the free data backup software - FoneTool. Take the assistance of this user-friendly tool, you can easily backup any iOS data to your computer or external drive without space limitations. Go for it by yourself to get more information.