Fixed! iCloud and iMessage Accounts do not Match

Do you get the error message saying “iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match”? You may need this guide to get rid of the issue. You will also be given an easy way to transfer messages across iOS devices.

Demi

By Demi / Updated on April 22, 2024

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iMessage and iCloud accounts don't match

I clearly signed into my iCloud account and I turned iMessage on and off using my phone to log back in and it still gives me the error message, saying “iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match”. Does anyone know how to fix/navigate through this? Thanks in advance!

- Question from Apple Community

Are you getting the error popup, saying “iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match”? Such error message will appear when you are using different Apple IDs on your iPhone, which prevents you from utilizing the iMessages function.

icloud and imessage accounts do not match

Take it easy. You don’t need to worry about the issue. This guide is going to tell you the cause to the issue as well as how to fix iCloud and iMessage accounts are different.

Why iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match?

As mentioned in the very beginning, the most basic requirement to sync iMessage to iCloud using the same Apple ID. In other words, if you are using two different accounts on your iPhone - one for iCloud and one for iMessages, your messages will not sync across all your devices.

Therefore, the only solution is to use the same account for both iCloud and iMessage. You can get detailed steps in the next part.

If you’d like to transfer messages from one Apple ID to another, a transfer tool mentioned in the third part can give you a hand.

How to fix iCloud and iMessage accounts are different

As the error message shows to you, if iCloud and iMessage accounts are different, you cannot access iMessage. Fixing this difference should solve the issue. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1. Verify the Apple ID by opening the Settings on your iPhone > Tap [your name] > The Apple ID is shown below your name.

verify Apple ID

Step 2. Back to the main menu of the iPhone Settings > Scroll down and click Messages > Tap Send & Receive to view the account.

message send receive

Step 3. From here, you can see the Apple ID at the bottom of this page. If it is different from the one you verified in Step 1, you need to sign out from the current Apple ID and sign in with the same one accordingly.

send receive messages account

Step 4. To change your Apple ID, tap your Apple ID > From the popup menu, tap on Sign Out option.

Step 5. Tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage to sign in with the same Apple ID that is being used in your main iCloud account.

Waif for a while to let it finish. Then, you can go and no longer get the error message “iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match” while using iMessage.

How to sync iMessage to iCloud
After using the Apple ID for iMessage and iCloud, it’s time to sync messages to iCloud. Here’s how you can do it.

Make sure your iPhone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network > Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Scroll down to locate and switch on Messages.

messages sync

An easy way to transfer messages across different Apple IDs

Want to use a new Apple ID and sync messages to the new Apple ID? You can rely on FoneTool, an easy-to-use iOS data backup & transfer tool, which allows you to backup & transfer messages, contacts, photos, etc. among iOS devices and Windows PC.

FoneTool

▶ Preview and select messages. Unlike iCloud sync, you are allowed to select messages/conversations to transfer.

Simple transfer & backup task. Within a few clicks, you can transfer messages and keep messages safe.

Wide compatibility. FoneTool supports not only iPhone like iPhone 14/13/12/11, but also iPad and iPod.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

For better illustration, let’s take transferring messages from iPhone A with Apple ID A to iPhone B signed with Apple ID B as an example.

Step 1. Plug in iPhone A > Launch FoneTool and click Phone Backup > Mouse over to Selective Backup and click Get Started.

selective backup

Step 2Choose Messages > Select the messages you want to transfer and click OK to confirm.

select messages

Step 3. Choose a place to save your messages > Click Start Backup.

backup messages

Step 4. Unplug iPhone A and connect iPhone B to computer > Go to the Backup History screen > Locate and choose the backup files > Click the Messages icon to confirm the messages that will be transferred to iPhone > Finally click Start Restore.

restore to device

Conclusion

iCloud and iMessage accounts do not match because you’re using different Apple IDs for iCloud and iMessages. You can simply follow instructions in this guide to get out of the issue. If this guide helps you, please share it with others.