Apple unveiled a feature to transfer purchases between accounts

By: Russell Thompson | 12.02.2025, 13:37
Apple unveiled a feature to transfer purchases between accounts

Apple has announced a new feature that allows users to transfer purchased apps, music, and other content from one Apple ID account to another. This feature is for those who use multiple accounts and want to consolidate their purchases for convenience.

Who can use the purchase transfer feature?

Users who have a secondary Apple ID account used solely for purchases can now transfer their purchases to their primary account. To do this, you need to know the primary email addresses or phone numbers and passwords for both accounts. It is important to note that both accounts should not be shared with other people.

Preparing to migrate purchases

Before starting the transfer process, Apple recommends:

  • Verify that your iPhone or iPad is logged in to two different accounts
  • Verify that the secondary account is not part of another Family Access group and is not being used for Shared Shopping.
  • Enable two-factor authentication for both accounts
  • Set the same country or region settings for both accounts
  • Spend the remaining balance on the secondary account
  • Wait for all rentals or pre-orders to complete on the secondary account
  • Ensure that at least 15 days have passed since the last purchase on the secondary account.
  • Have the payment method associated with the secondary account on hand for confirmation
  • Update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS

The process to transfer purchases

To transfer purchases:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
  2. Tap your name, then select "Media & Purchases"
  3. Select "View Account" and sign in if necessary
  4. Scroll down and tap "Transfer Purchases".
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the transfer process
  6. Once the transfer is complete, make sure you are logged out of the secondary account on all devices and logged into the primary account to which purchases were transferred

Limitations and Exceptions

The Purchase Transfer feature is not available for users in the European Union, United Kingdom , and India. In addition, there are certain restrictions where migration is not possible, such as if the account is a child account or has participated in the migration process before.

Source: Apple