- Apple has allowed to move the purchases between two Apple ID for the first time
- This is designed for a single user to consolidate purchases in an account
- The process requires both accounts to register on the same iPhone or iPad
Apple has allowed purchasing migration between two Apple ID accounts for the first time, allowing users to perfectly move applications, songs, movies, books and other purchases from one account to another.
The new feature was revealed with little fanfare through an official Apple support article that lists the various conditions that must be met so that migration is possible.
To consolidate purchases in one account, both accounts must register on the same iPhone or iPad: it doesn’t matter if you are using an iPhone 16 or iPhone SE, as long as both accounts are recorded on the same device.
The main account, to which the purchases is moving, must be registered in ICloud, while the secondary account, which is moving purchases, must be recorded in the configuration of media and purchases.
Finally, the two accounts cannot belong to different family exchange groups. Once all these conditions are met, it is possible to consolidate purchases in the primary account.
How to migrate shopping between two Apple accounts
First, open the configuration application on your iPhone or iPad. Touch your name, then touch media and purchases. Touch to see and log in with your secondary account if the message appears.
Then, touch the migrated purchases, take a moment to check the information that appears on the screen and follow the screen instructions.
When the process is complete, you will see a message that says: “Purchases have been migrated.”
Finally, close the secondary account account in the media and purchases menu, and log in with your main account.
As Apple’s support page points out, the purchasing migration function is intended for users with multiple accounts to consolidate their purchases under an Apple ID, instead of sharing purchases among multiple users.
Historically, it has been impossible to transfer purchases from one account to another: users have had to trust alternative solutions such as the exchange of the Icloud family. It turns out that this is exactly what I have been doing with two of my own Apple accounts in recent years, and although it has worked well for me, I would always have preferred to have everything under a virtual roof.
The new purchasing migration function is not available in the United Kingdom, the European Union or India, but for other regions the characteristic should now be available.
In any case, I am pleased to see a new example of ecosystem cohesion that makes the use of the best iPhones and the best iPads such a soft experience. Will you look at your Apple ID account? Let us know in the comments below.
