If you are asked to transfer your Apple Account or keep it as a personal account

Starting February 10, 2026, personal Apple Accounts cannot use a primary @rowan.edu email address, in line with Rowan University's data protection efforts.

Why you may be asked to update your Apple Account

If you setup your Apple Account (Apple ID) using a Rowan University email address (for example, yourname@rowan.edu), you will receive a notification from Apple asking whether you would like to transfer your Apple Account to a managed work account or keep it as a personal account.

An example of an email from an Apple no-reply email address to an Apple Account using Rowan University's email domain with a subject line and message instructing the user to update their Apple Account, providing the options to either transfer the account to a Rowan University account or change the email address by a certain date. An iPhone screen displaying instructions to update an Apple Account by a certain date, including on-screen options to either transfer to a Rowan University account or to keep as a personal account.

At Rowan University, most users should keep their Apple Account as a personal account. Those users that are already using their Apple Account for work purposes only may choose to Transfer to a work account.

How can I confirm whether my Apple Account was created using a Rowan email address?

Open Settings on your Apple device(s)
Select the username at the top
Determine if an "@rowan.edu" email address is in use for the Apple Account login.
If an "@rowan.edu" email address is in use for the Apple Account login, Apple will prompt the user to update their Apple Account.
If your Apple Account does not use a Rowan-domain email address, no action is required.

Why you should keep your Apple Account as a personal account

Keeping your Apple Account as a personal account ensures that:

You retain full access to your data, including photos, iCloud Drive files, iCloud Keychain items, and purchased apps.
Your data remains private — Rowan University does not have access to your Apple Account, iCloud data, or purchases.
You continue to use Apple services such as iCloud, Apple Music, Family Sharing, and App Store purchases without interruption.

What do you need to do keep your Apple Account as personal?

To keep your Apple Account as a personal account, you must change the email address associated with your Apple Account to a non-Rowan email (e.g., iCloud, Gmail, etc.) by the date listed in the notification from Apple.
Note: You cannot use an email address that is tied to an existing Apple Account.

Step‑by‑step instructions

Go to https://account.apple.com/ and sign in with your current Apple Account
After signing in you will see a screen alerting you to update your account with two options. Select Keep as a personal account.
You will now need to choose a new email address that will be tied to this personal Apple Account since you will no longer be able to use your Rowan email address. Enter an email address and then you will need to verify the account with a code sent to the given email. You can also choose "Create an iCloud email at iCloud.com" if you do not have an available email address to use or your personal email is already tied to an Apple Account.
After verifying your email your Apple Account has now been updated and converted into a personal account.
Sign out and back in on all your Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc.) using the updated Apple Account.

NOTE: If you have Stolen Device Protection or Activation Lock enabled, you may need to disable it temporarily before changing your Apple Account email address.

What do you need to do transfer your Apple Account to a work account?

To transfer your Apple Account to a Rowan managed account, please follow the steps below.

Step‑by‑step instructions

Go to https://account.apple.com/ and sign in with your current Apple Account
After signing in you will see a screen alerting you to update your account with two options. Select Transfer to a work account.
A screen will pop up giving you information about how this will affect subscriptions and purchases tied to your account.
You will now need to confirm the transfer to a work account.
After confirming the transfer, you will now need to sign out of any devices that are signed into this Apple Account.
You will now see a confirmation message indicating that your account has been transferred to a Rowan managed Apple Account.
Sign out and back in on all your Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, etc.) using the updated Apple Account.

NOTE: In the future you will be unable to purchase apps or services from Apple using a managed Apple Account. If you would like to purchase an app or service from the Apple App Store please fill out a Get Technology request.

Error mentioning a notification email:

"Your new primary email address cannot be the same as your notification email..."

This means the user has set the new email as the "Account Recovery" email for that Apple Account and they will need to go to https://account.apple.com/account/manage

Once logged in they will see a 'Notification Email' section (see below) that should have the new email address saved.

When they remove the email the entire 'Notification Email' section should be replaced with an 'Account Recover' section.

They should now be able to continue moving forward with switching the Apple ID from their Rowan email.

Apple Account Notification Email Settings.jpg

If you are prompted to sign-out of devices:

Some users may still be signed into their Apple account on a device(s) they no longer have access to. To resolve this issue, you must remove the device(s) from your account manually.

Browse to: https://account.apple.com in a web browser.
Note: If you’ve forgotten your existing Apple Account password and can’t reset it, the best course of action is to wait until after March 12, 2026. After this date, your Apple Account will automatically be converted into a temporary Apple Account. You’ll receive an email containing the details of your temporary account.
You may be prompted with the screen below. Select Not Now button.
Click on Devices from the sidebar
Click the name of the device you wish to remove
Click the Remove button from the confirmation dialog.
Repeat the steps above to remove any additional device(s) if necessary.

Important reminders

If any of your devices (personal or managed by Rowan) are signed in with your Rowan email address, please ensure that Stolen Device Protection is disabled before transferring your Apple Account. Users may receive a message indicating that changes cannot be made in a web browser if this service is activated. For instructions on how to deactivate this setting, please visit the following website: https://support.apple.com/en-us/120340
Once you make your selection, it's final. If you pick "Use as Managed" and lose access to personal purchases, you'll need to get in touch with Apple Support or buy apps and services again using a separate personal Apple Account.
Transferring your Apple Account to a Managed Apple Account gives Rowan University (via Apple School Manager) certain standard administrative rights, just like any organization using Managed Apple Accounts. These permissions are designed for secure and streamlined management of university resources. Specifically, Rowan IRT can:
- Reset your Managed Apple Account password
- Change basic account details, such as your display name or role
- Assign university-licensed apps, books, and other content directly to your account
Rowan does not have access to your private information, photos, texts, location data, payment options, App Store history, or anything stored in a personal iCloud account. Their administrative powers are strictly limited to the Managed Apple Account and university-provided devices or services.

Need Help?

If you have any questions about why you received the email, please contact the Technology Support Center at 856-256-4400, or support@rowan.edu. If you have any questions on completing the transfer or issues with the transfer, please contact Apple Support https://support.apple.com/.

Summary

Rowan University IRT recommends that faculty, staff, and students keep their Apple Account as a personal account. To do this, update your Apple Account email address to a personal (non-Rowan) email address and verify the change. This ensures you retain full control over your Apple services, data, and purchases.

For Apple's official instructions, visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102159.