How to Have Multiple iCloud Accounts on One iPhone/iPad

iCloud is an essential cloud-based service offered by Apple that allows users to store and sync their data across Apple devices seamlessly. While each iPhone or iPad is typically associated with a single iCloud account, there are situations where users may want to have multiple iCloud accounts on the same device.

This article explores the possibility of having two iCloud accounts on one iPhone/iPad, provides step-by-step instructions to set up multiple accounts, and includes a bonus section on how to transfer data between different iCloud accounts.

Can you have 2 iCloud accounts on your iPhone?

By default, iOS devices are designed to work with a single iCloud account. This means that while you can add multiple email accounts for various purposes, only one iCloud account can be associated with the device at a time. However, there are scenarios where users may need to manage data from different iCloud accounts simultaneously, such as personal and work accounts or sharing a device with family members.

How to have multiple iCloud accounts on one iPhone

While iOS does not provide a straightforward method to add multiple iCloud accounts simultaneously, there are two workarounds to achieve this.

Way 1. Use iCloud account and Email account separately

If you want to access data from multiple iCloud accounts without merging them, you can set up separate email accounts for each iCloud account on your device. This allows you to manage email, contacts, and calendars from different iCloud accounts without affecting the core iCloud services like backups and photos.

Step 1. Open "Settings" on your iPhone/iPad > Scroll down and tap on "Mail".

Step 2. Select "Accounts" and choose "Add Account". Follow the on-screen instructions to add your additional iCloud email accounts.

Step 3. After adding another iCloud account to your iPhone, you can go to Settings > Mail > Default Account to select the email account you wish to use as the default for new emails.

Way 2. Use iCloud and private browsing

With this method, you can log in to one iCloud account and use a private browsing session to access the second account's data. Private browsing keeps the browsing history, cookies, and cache separate from your main iCloud account.

Step 1. Launch the Safari app on your iPhone/iPad > Tap on the tab icon in the bottom right corner > Select “Private” to open a private browsing session.

Step 2. In the private browsing session, navigate to iCloud.com > Log in using the credentials of your second iCloud account.

Here, you can access the data from your second iCloud account without affecting your primary iCloud settings.

Bonus: How to transfer data between different iCloud accounts

Setting up and using two or multiple iCloud accounts on one iPhone may indeed solve your needs, but the problem is that there's also a chance that your data is stored in different iCloud accounts, which will cause you a lot of trouble, especially if you need to switch to a new iPhone. Then, here comes a question: How to transfer iCloud data to new iCloud account?

Here I’d like to recommend FoneTool, a professional iOS data transfer & backup tool, to assist you to transfer data from one Apple ID to another fully or selectively.

For better illustration, the followings will show you how to selectively transfer data from one iCloud account to another. Make sure you have all iCloud backups saved on your iPhone, and let’s get started.

Step 1. Click the icon below to download FoneTool to your computer > Connect your computer and your iPhone signed with iCloud ID A using a USB cable.

Step 2. Launch FoneTool, choose Phone Backup > Get to Selective Backup and click Get Started. 

Tip: 

To transfer all data from one Apple ID to another, you can choose Full Backup to create full iPhone backup and restore to the other iCloud account.

Step 3. Check each icon to preview and choose the files you’d like to backup > Click Start Backup to backup wanted iPhone files to computer.

Step 3. Sign out iCloud account A and sign in with iCloud account B on your iPhone > Go to Backup History > Click the three-dot icon and choose Restore to finish the task.

FoneTool also offers you an iCloud Sync service, enabling you to sync photos, contacts, notes, videos, and files in iCloud Drive from one iCloud account to another. Feel free to download the tool and explorer these powerful functions.

Conclusion

Although iOS devices are intended to work with a single iCloud account, you can leverage various methods to manage data from multiple iCloud accounts on one iPhone or iPad. By using different Apple IDs for specific iCloud services or implementing private browsing, you can access data from different iCloud accounts without interference. If this guide is helpful, please share it with others.

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