This article explains how to permanently delete your iCloud account, which is part of your Apple ID. It also covers how to deactivate devices on your account, a much less drastic and permanent measure.

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions on how to delete your iCloud email account, let's first take a look at what exactly happens when the account is deleted:

If there's a chance you'll need to access your account in the future, consider temporarily deactivating your account instead of deleting it entirely. If you still want to go ahead and permanently delete your iCloud email account, here's what to do:

Since deleting your Apple iCloud email is permanent, you’ll want to make sure to download all of your files from your iPhone, iPad, Apple computer, and from iCloud. In addition to photos and videos, you may also want to back up emails, calendar events, contacts, and iTunes and iBooks purchases.