Apple, AOL ending iTunes login partnership, users must migrate to Apple ID by March 31
The long-standing partnership that allowed AOL members to login to iTunes with their AOL credentials will come to an end at the end of next month, meaning those consumers still taking advantage of that ability will need to migrate to an Apple ID or lose access to iTunes, the App Store, and the iBookstore.
Apple detailed the migration procedure in a recent support document, saying that those who refuse to make the change before March 31 will lose access to any content purchased from the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBookstore under their AOL username. Unlinking the accounts will not affect any AOL services.
To convert their AOL login into an Apple ID, user simply need to sign in to iTunes on a Mac or PC using their AOL username. An on-screen guide will walk through the process.
Once migrated, the new Apple ID will maintain access to content purchased under the AOL username. In addition, users will be able to access other Apple services, including iCloud.
The wording of Apple's announcement makes it appear that it is AOL who have chosen to end the partnership, which first began in 2003.
Apple detailed the migration procedure in a recent support document, saying that those who refuse to make the change before March 31 will lose access to any content purchased from the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBookstore under their AOL username. Unlinking the accounts will not affect any AOL services.
To convert their AOL login into an Apple ID, user simply need to sign in to iTunes on a Mac or PC using their AOL username. An on-screen guide will walk through the process.
Once migrated, the new Apple ID will maintain access to content purchased under the AOL username. In addition, users will be able to access other Apple services, including iCloud.
The wording of Apple's announcement makes it appear that it is AOL who have chosen to end the partnership, which first began in 2003.
Comments
So how long before AIM in Messages is killed off?
And when that happens, you can bet Apple won’t have given us an option for audio and videoconferencing in replacement.
On this site, probably not too many, but I happen to know many that do. Not coincidentally, these are the same people that will be perfectly fine with a 16GB iPhone or iPad for many years to come.
Good. This is un-needed cruft. This partnership has zero benefit to Apple.
And how many people were actually logging in to iTunes using an AOL account? All 2 of you raise your hands...
Actually, about all the senior citizens I know are using AOHell. Many of them don't seem to know they can access it through a web browser and use that horrible client too.
AOL? Oh my, that is so 1990's. I really didn't think they were still alive.
That dialup sound is still music to my ears.
Seriously, I think it's a tad embarrassing that Apple has continued with this for so long. Someone must have simply forgotten about it, is what I am guessing
If they can do this doesn't that mean they could just as easily allow users to consolidate and/or migrate other iTunes accounts into a single iCloud account?
That's still one pet peeve I have with Apple. I hate having two AppleID addresses when they didn't carry across my MobileMe account.
If they can do this doesn't that mean they could just as easily allow users to consolidate and/or migrate other iTunes accounts into a single iCloud account?
That's still one pet peeve I have with Apple. I hate having two AppleID addresses when they didn't carry across my MobileMe account.
Same issue here. I have an original "non-email" AppleID username from when AppleID's were first established who-knows-when, and another email (@mac.com) AppleID username from when MobileMe started. I use one for iOS and MacOS apps, iTunes and iBooks, and the other for AppleTV and iCloud. In the past Apple has said the accounts could not be merged, but now this AOL login situation creates a precedent that proves it is possible. I can understand Apple not wanting to consolidate account because it creates the potential for abuse, but Apple could set restrictions (e.g., proving that the holder of different AppleID's is one and the same person). The other option would be for Apple to allow us to have two or more AppleID's simultaneously logged into iOS, iTunes, AppleTV, the App store, etc.
You mean AOL?
I'm thinking (guessing) that this (allowing the merging of Apple ID's) is something Apple has been working on. Especially with the recently Family Sharing capabilities.
I'd guess it's only a matter of (short) time because there are lots of people (myself included) who either just stumbled into two Apple ID's (started with a non @mac / @me / @icloud, address and then separately registered an @{apple} address) or lots of people who just didn't know better and mistakenly ended up with multiple ID's.
Time will tell.
Actually, about all the senior citizens I know are using AOHell. Many of them don't seem to know they can access it through a web browser and use that horrible client too.
But are they actually logging in to iTunes using AOL? I have an AOL messenger login or whatever their chat is called. But I've never used it to log in to iTunes. I suspect that most people who use AOL and have aol email addresses still set up an Apple ID as instructed when buying a Mac or iOS device... (Just a guess, no hard data).
This is not about people using AOL, it is about people actually signing in to iTunes with AOL.
Didn't they send out emails telling you to migrate your MobileMe account? Hell, I was able to migrate from .mac to MobileMe all the way forward to iCloud.com.
Too bad you (still!) can't merge an existing iTunes account with a @mac/@me/@icloud account. Almost seems like that would be tailor-made for just such an occasion...
Didn't they send out emails telling you to migrate your MobileMe account? Hell, I was able to migrate from .mac to MobileMe all the way forward to iCloud.com.
I had all my iTunes activity (purchases, movies, etc..) tied to my MobileMe account. I could not transfer those purchases to the new, mandatory AppleID account I had to get. I do recall an online-chat with Apple about this problem when the MobileMe shutdown was about to occur, and their answer was "Sorry, you can't transfer your purchases."