No affiliate links or sponsorship. Steps come from Apple’s How to create a new Apple Account (published Sep 14, 2026) and related Apple Support pages, checked October 28, 2026. We didn’t create a test account on an iPhone for this article, and there are no screenshots.
Quick answer
Apple ID is now called Apple Account. On a new iPhone, tap Forgot password or don’t have an account? on the sign-in screen, then Create a Free Apple Account, and follow the prompts: birthday, name, email (or a free iCloud address), password, region and two-factor authentication. On an iPhone that’s already set up and not signed in, use App Store > My Account > Create New Apple Account. Payment can be set to None. More in our iPhone guides.
Which way should you create it?
| Your situation | Use this route | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up a new or erased iPhone | Create it on the setup screen | Free iCloud email option; no payment needed |
| iPhone already set up, not signed in to iCloud | App Store > My Account > Create New Apple Account | Payment can be None |
| iPhone signed in to someone else’s account | Sign out first, then use the App Store route | Back up first; sign-out can remove iCloud data from the phone |
| No iPhone handy, or on Android or Windows | Web: account.apple.com (or Apple Music / Apple TV app on Windows) | Phone number required on the web form |
| Account for a child | Settings > Family > Add Member > Create Child Account | Organizer must have Family Sharing |
Create an Apple Account while setting up your iPhone
This is the easiest route because it’s the only one that offers a free iCloud email address if you don’t have one.
- On the Apple Account sign-in screen during setup, tap Forgot password or don’t have an account?
- Tap Create a Free Apple Account.
- Select your birthday, enter your name and tap Continue.
- Enter the email address you want to sign in with, or tap Don’t have an email address? to get a free iCloud address.
- Follow the prompts to verify your email, create a strong password, set your country or region and turn on two-factor authentication. If you skip two-factor setup, Settings will remind you later.
Once your email is verified, the account works for iCloud, the App Store and other Apple services. You may be asked for a phone number or payment method later; Apple won’t charge you until you buy something.
Create an Apple Account from the App Store on an iPhone that’s already set up
Use this if the iPhone is past setup but not signed in to iCloud. If you’re signed in with another account, sign out first (see the questions below).
- Open the App Store and tap the My Account button.
- Tap Create New Apple Account. If it’s missing, you’re still signed in to iCloud.
- Enter an email address, create a strong password and set your country or region.
- Enter a payment method and billing address, or choose None, then tap Next.
- Confirm your phone number and tap Next.
- Open the verification email from Apple and verify your address.
No iPhone in front of you? Use the web, a Mac or a PC
- Web: go to account.apple.com, click Create Your Apple Account, enter your email, password, region, birthday and a phone number you can always access, then verify the email and phone.
- Mac: Apple menu > System Settings > Sign in > Don’t Have an Account?
- Windows PC: in the Apple Music or Apple TV app, click Sign In at the bottom of the sidebar, then Create New Apple Account.
Then sign in on the iPhone: Settings > Apple Account at the top, and choose Sign in Manually or Use Another Apple Device (Apple’s sign-in steps).
If Apple won’t let you create the account
| What you see | What it usually means | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| “Your account cannot be created at this time” | Outdated software, network problem, or limits on extra accounts | Update iOS, switch networks, check Apple System Status, or use account.apple.com |
| “The maximum number of free accounts have been activated” | This device has hit the yearly limit for setting up new accounts with iCloud | Set up iCloud on a different Apple device, or use an existing account |
| Email address or phone number “unavailable” | An Apple Account already uses it | Reset that account’s password, or use another address |
| No Create New Apple Account in the App Store | You’re still signed in to iCloud | Sign out in Settings > [your name] > Sign Out |
| Asked to confirm you’re an adult | State or regional law (Texas in the US) | Confirm with your own credit card or ID, or skip and confirm later |
| Verification email never arrives | Typo in the address or the mail went to spam | Check spam, then re-check the address on the account |
Apple Account questions people ask
Is an Apple ID the same as an Apple Account?
Yes. Apple renamed Apple ID to Apple Account, and its support page says you can still sign in with the same email address or phone number and password. Nothing about an existing account changes; only the label does. Older iOS versions may still show “Apple ID” in Settings, so if you’re following an older guide, read the two names as the same thing.
Can I create an Apple Account without a credit card?
Yes. In the App Store, Mac and Windows routes, Apple’s payment step includes a None option, and Apple says you won’t be charged until you make a purchase. During iPhone setup you may be asked for a payment method later, but it isn’t required to create the account. The exception is age confirmation, covered below, where a credit card is one way to prove you’re an adult.
Can I create an Apple Account without an email address?
Yes, if you create it during iPhone setup. When Apple asks for your email address, tap Don’t have an email address? and Apple will give you a free iCloud email address, which becomes the address you sign in with. The App Store, Mac, Windows and web routes all ask for an existing email address, so use the setup route if you don’t have one yet.
Can I use a Gmail or other non-Apple email address?
Yes. Apple’s steps simply ask you to provide an email address, which becomes the primary address you sign in with. Gmail, Outlook or a work address all fit, as long as you can open the verification email Apple sends. If Apple says the address is unavailable, an Apple Account already uses it; reset that account’s password instead of creating a new one.
Do I need a phone number to create an Apple Account?
Plan on it. The App Store, Mac and web routes ask you to confirm a phone number, and the web form asks for one “that you can always access.” Apple uses it to verify your identity and recover the account, and two-factor authentication sends codes to trusted phone numbers or devices.
How do I create a second Apple Account on the same iPhone?
Sign out first: Settings > [your name] > Sign Out, then choose Sign Out But Don’t Erase or Erase this iPhone. Signing out removes your iCloud data from the phone unless you keep a copy, so back up first. Then open the App Store, tap My Account and choose Create New Apple Account. Apple limits how many new accounts one device can set up with iCloud each year.
Why does it say “your account cannot be created at this time”?
Apple’s help page points to a few causes: the email or phone number already belongs to an Apple Account, the device’s software is out of date, or a connection problem. Update iOS, try cellular data or different Wi-Fi, check Apple’s System Status page, or try again later. You can also create the account on the web at account.apple.com and sign in on the iPhone afterward.
What does “maximum number of free accounts have been activated” mean?
It means this iPhone has already set up the maximum number of new accounts with iCloud allowed in one year, according to Apple. You can’t clear it on that device. Set up iCloud for the new account on another iPhone, iPad or Mac instead, or sign in with an Apple Account that’s already set up with iCloud. The message can also appear for accounts created on the web.
How do I create an Apple Account for a child?
Use Family Sharing rather than the steps above. On the organizer’s iPhone, go to Settings > Family, tap Add Member, then Create Child Account, and enter the child’s name and correct birthday. In the US that applies to children under 13, or under 18 in Texas. See our Family Sharing setup guide if you haven’t created a family group yet.
Will Apple ask me to confirm I’m an adult?
Only in some places. Where the law requires it, Apple asks adults in Australia, Brazil, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and Texas to confirm they’re 18 or older. In Texas you can use your own credit card or scan a passport, driver’s license or government ID; debit and gift cards don’t work. You can skip it and confirm later in Settings > [your name] > Personal Information > Age Confirmation.
Can I create an Apple Account on an Android phone or without an iPhone?
Yes. Go to account.apple.com in a browser and click Create Your Apple Account, then add your email, password, birthday and a phone number. Apple itself suggests the web if you’re on Android or a Windows PC. On Windows you can also use the Apple Music or Apple TV app. You’ll then sign in with that account on any iPhone later.
How do I check if I already have an Apple Account?
On an iPhone you’re signed in to, go to Settings, tap your name, then Sign-In & Security to see the email addresses and phone numbers on the account. You can also check whether the App Store, FaceTime or Messages is signed in, or ask a Family Sharing member to check. Apple’s lookup page covers the rest.
How this article was made. We drafted this article with the help of AI tools, working from the official pages listed in Sources. Prices, plan limits and steps were checked against those pages on October 28, 2026. Fawad Malik is the credited author; the BravoTech team prepared it under our editorial standards. We did not test these products hands-on for this article. Spot an error? Email [email protected].
Sources
Official Apple sources used in this guide
- How to create a new Apple Account — Apple Support HT108647, published Sep 14, 2026 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- If you can’t create an Apple Account — Apple Support HT120636, published Sep 14, 2026 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- If you see “The maximum number of free accounts have been activated” — Apple Support HT101661 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Create an Apple Account for your child — Apple Support HT102617 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Region-specific rules for managing an Apple Account — Apple Support HT125666 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Confirm that you’re an adult — Apple Support HT125662 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- If you forgot your Apple Account primary email address or phone number — Apple Support HT102627 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Sign out of your Apple Account and iCloud on your devices — Apple Support HT104958 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Sign in to your Apple Account — Apple Support HT111001 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
- Two-factor authentication for Apple Account — Apple Support HT102660 (checked Oct 28, 2026)
Changelog
- November 2, 2026: Published.
- October 28, 2026: Rebuilt from scratch with the Apple Account name, current setup and App Store wording, Texas age-confirmation rules and Apple’s error messages, all re-checked against Apple Support.
Related reads
