Apple appears to be gearing up for a major rebrand of the well-known Apple ID, with plans to rename it to "Apple Account." Sources familiar with Apple's work have told MacRumors that Apple is experimenting with the new Apple Account name, and it could be introduced as soon as this year.
An Apple ID is an account that allows Apple users to access services such as iCloud and the App Store. The option to create and log in to an Apple ID is available across all of Apple's platforms and has been accessible to users for over a decade. With an Apple ID, users can purchase apps and music, sync data wirelessly between devices using iCloud and make purchases on Apple's online store, among other things.
The rebrand from Apple ID to Apple Account is expected to occur later in 2024, likely alongside the release of iOS 18 (Codename Crystal) and macOS 15 (Codename Glow). System applications will receive modifications to reflect the change, as will Apple's website -- assuming the company chooses to implement the new branding.
Although instances of the term "Apple Account" can be found on Apple's website, and as part of larger phrases such as "Apple Account Balance," our sources have said that Apple intends to replace existing mentions of "Apple ID" with "Apple Account" as a means of rebranding the feature.
It is currently unclear why Apple is considering this change, and it's important to consider that Apple often has multiple marketing names ready before new services or products launch. With the operating system for the recently released Vision Pro headset, for instance, Apple used three different names in its internal testing –- realityOS, xrOS and visionOS. Consequently, there is a possibility that we may not see the Apple Account branding come to fruition, for one reason or another.
