• You can create an Apple ID on your iPhone or Mac through the App Store or by using a browser on a PC or other devices.
  • An Apple ID is necessary to download anything from the App Store. 
  • You don't need to provide payment information to create an Apple ID.
  • Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Apple IDs are the company's way of using a single profile so you can access your account across all of Apple's devices. They're also necessary if you want to use the App Store on any Apple device, regardless of whether you're buying something or downloading a free app. So if you are simply looking to download a communication app on your iPhone, like Microsoft Teams or Gmail, or want to stream music or podcasts from your iPhone, you need an Apple ID. 

Here's how to create an Apple ID on an iPhone, Mac, Windows PC, and other devices.

How to create an Apple ID on an iPhone

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.

2. Tap on the circular silhouette (or your profile image) in the top-right corner of the screen.

iphone app screen main page
Tap the circle icon with your profile image.
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3. Tap Create New Apple ID.

create new apple id
Tap Create New Apple ID,
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4. Enter an email address and password that you want to pair with your new Apple ID. In the Verify field, type the password again. Then tap Next.

create apple id page
Enter an email address and password.
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5. Select your country of origin and agree to the terms and conditions by tapping the switch.

6. Tap Next in the top-right corner of the page.

7. Fill out the other pieces of personal information that it requests.

8. Enter your credit card and billing information.

payment info on apple id page
Enter your credit card information or tap None.
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9. Using the supplied prompts, confirm your phone number and email address.

10. Click Continue and your Apple ID has been created.

apple id completed
Click Continue to finish the process.
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How to create an Apple ID on a Mac

1. Open the App Store on your Mac.

2. Click the Sign In button in the bottom left of the window.

mac sign in app page
Click Sign In.
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3. Click Create Apple ID.

app store mac
Click Create Apple ID.
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4. Fill in the email, password, and country fields, and agree to the terms and conditions. Select Continue.

create apple id fill in email information
Fill in each form.
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5. Enter your credit card and billing information. You can select None for your credit card to avoid giving that information, but you won't be able to make any paid purchases using your Apple ID without payment information. A billing address is mandatory to download any apps.

create apple id - mac payment information
Fill in your payment information or select None.
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6. Click Continue and confirm your phone number. You can do this by having Apple text or call you with a short numeric code that you enter in the text box on the screen. This is to verify that they have the right number for you.

create apple id mac app store
Enter your phone number to verify it.
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7. Click Next.

8. Complete the same process as you did for confirming your phone, only this time with your email address. After your email has been verified, you can now sign in with your new Apple ID.

9. Sign in with your new Apple ID in the pop-up that appears. If it does not appear, click the Sign In button in the bottom left of the window and log in.

How to create an Apple ID on a Windows PC

In Windows, there are multiple ways to create an Apple ID. It can be done through the iTunes app or through a web browser, which is an approach that is possible on most devices. This section will cover the iTunes way, please see the next section for the browser method.

1. Open iTunes.

2. Click Account from the top menu bar.

windows itunes account bar
Click Account.
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3. In the dropdown menu that appears, select Sign In….

windows itunes sign in button
Click Sign In...
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4. Click Create New Apple ID.

windows itunes create apple id
Click Create New Apple ID.
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5. In the form that appears, fill out the email address and password fields, select your country, and agree to the terms and conditions. Click Continue.

6. Enter your name and security questions.

7. Enter your credit card and billing address information.,You can select None if you do not wish to make purchases with your new Apple ID, but a billing address is mandatory if you wish to download any apps on Apple devices.

8. Confirm your email address by following the on-screen prompts.

9. Click Create Apple ID.

How to create an Apple ID on another device

1. Go to the Apple ID support page in a web browser.

2. Click Create Your Apple ID.

apple ID web browser page
Click Create Your Apple ID.
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3. Fill out the requested information.

apple id web page form
Fill out each form.
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4. Solve the captcha.

apple id solve the captcha
Enter the captcha characters, then click Continue.
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5. Click Continue and follow the on-screen steps to verify both your phone number and email address. Once this is complete, you can log into your Apple ID.

Video: How to create an Apple ID
Kyle Wilson
Kyle Wilson is an IT specialist and Wikipedia administrator who writes about digital culture and tech. He is a contributor to Insider whose work has also appeared in The Verge, VICE, and more. Feel free to reach out to him on Twitter, where he can be found most of the time, @KWilsonMG.