Why can't I change Apple ID email? The Apple ID account servicing page makes provision for changing the email address associated with an account. Not just the &quot;contactable at&quot; address, but changing the primary address, using the option &quot;Change Apple ID&quot;.
I want to do this for my five-year-old son's Apple ID - change it from the existing hisname@icloud.com to a Google Account hisname@gmail.com.
I have already added hisname@gmail.com against &quot;Contactable At&quot;.
When I begin to change the primary address, I see the following pop-up, as expected (since I am the parent of the account-holder)...

The only problem is, that consent notice is never sent. Rather, the input form just updates to display the following error in red, including the bold HTML tags...

&lt;b&gt;Could not send request to Robert.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Your Apple ID change request could not be sent at this time.

As a test, I have attempted to change the Apple ID address to test@mydomain.com (I can use any wildcard prefix at my domain). That time, the consent verification WAS successfully sent.
So, why won't Apple accept hisname@gmail.com?
From comments (&amp; this took me years to figure out initially;)
You can't change an Apple ID address to one that is already in use as a 'Contactable at' or 'Recovery' address.
Once removed from there, then it will allow you.