Answers...

to commonly asked questions.

Does an Apple ID have to be an email?

Quick question. We just got our daughter a phone and I can’t remember what you said to do about an apple id. I feel like you said that it should not be an email address. Is that right?
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No. Any Apple ID you create must be based on an email address. I suggest you make it an email address you plan to use for the rest of your life. People who make Apple IDs based on RR or ATT email addresses end up abandoning those addresses later and think they have to change their Apple ID's which is not the case, but leads to problems down the road.

When creating an Apple ID for your child you can either use an already existing one or create a free email address xxxxx@icloud.com. The confusion comes in when trying to understand the difference between an iCloud ID vs. and iTunes Store ID. I personally prefer children under 18 (still in the household) to share the parents iTunes ID but have their own iCloud ID. One is for purchases and the other is for syncing contacts, calendars, text messages, pictures, and GPS information. Each family should have their own iCloud ID.
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