When I’ve tried to use GameCenter and FaceTime for the first time on iPad, the same error bugged me over and over. I couldn’t log using my AppleID for some reason. The system kept giving me the error messages:
“Unable to verify address. Verification link has sent to the email address.” on FaceTime;
But the email never arrived, no matter how many times I’ve tried to log in using that AppleID.
After looking for the solution for about 2 days I figured what the problem was (yup, it wasn’t so easy to figure it out) and how to solve it.
The Problem
I had 2 AppleID accounts using the same e-mail address. But how? Well, one of the account username was something like myname@email.com and the other one was myname. Yes, the *username* login was the email itself. I don’t know how the AppleID’s system let it happen, but it did. I think it happened on iTunes when setting up an account to buy apps from there a long time ago. The ID example they give in the register window is an email address (which I think it weird for setting an username). This is why I must have used my email as my username.
iTunes Store registration window.
But up to this point, I wasn’t really sure this was the problem until I’ve tried to log in onto https://appleid.apple.com/ with myname@email.com‘s account and it worked. The information there was slightly different from the information found on myname‘s account. Also, the primary email used for myname‘s account was… myname@email.com! Bazzinga!
Something else helped me figure it out. I accessed https://appleid.apple.com/ and selected the option “Find Out” in the field “Not sure if you have an AppleID?”. Then I filled my first name, last name and email address. In the next screen I choose “Answer security questions” as the autentication method (otherwise it would send me the link to reset my password by email and it wouldn’t help me figure things out). Then, after filling more info, I could choose which account I wanted to recover access and 2 account appeared! Yes, that was what I was looking for!
The Solution
The account myname@email.com was being used only for purchases on iTunes Store and god knows where I was using the account myname! So, I went on https://appleid.apple.com and choose Manage your account. Filled my username with myname@email.com and once inside, I changed the account ID to myname+something@email.com and verified it. The catch here is: the next time you log on AppleID’s site (from the link inside the email Apple has sent), fill the username with the already new login name: myname+something@email.com because it won’t recognize the former email (myname@email.com) anymore as your login.
Then access the other account on AppleID site and verify the email you want in there.
Well, this is the solution that has worked for me. Now I have one account I use for purchases on iTunes Store and another one to FaceTime and play on GameCenter. Hope it has helped, since I’ve found nowhere else on forums with this kind of problem identified (let alone the solution).
