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johndgray
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

Changing Apple ID country from US to Canada and migrating Photos

Does anyone have any recommendations for changing countries. I have decades of Photos (taken with an iPhone) movies, apps and data tied to my account which is US based.


My email address remains the same, and to create a new account I need a new email address which I do not want.

I have decades of geo-tagged photos taken with my iPhone and over 100 movies.


I have Macbooks and Apple Watch also, all tied to the "old country" and of course apps associated with this.


How do I get this data exported and/or moved - or change my account location from US to Canada? Photos are the main concern TBD, movies second.


Thanks

Posted on Sep 29, 2026 6:37 PM

1 reply

Smilin-Brian
User level: Level 10 (97,882 points)

Sep 29, 2026 11:00 PM in response to johndgray

Welcome and thank you for reaching out. 🤗


Apps and purchases that are already downloaded will remain on your device and continue to work after you change your Apple Account country or region.


However, you may lose access to re-downloading or updating them if they are not available in the new region's store.


Before you can update your location, you must complete a few account requirements:

  • Spend any balance remaining on your Apple Account. If you’re not sure whether or not you have a balance, check your Apple Account balance.
  • Cancel any subscriptions that block a country or region change and wait until the end of the subscription period. 
  • Wait for any memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals or Season Passes to complete and wait for any pending store credit refunds to process. You can cancel a pre-order.
  • You may be required to enter a valid payment method for your new country or region. See what payment methods you can use.
  • Redownload your apps, music, movies, TV shows and books on any devices that you might use to play or read them in the future. Some types of content might not be available in your new country or region. Learn what types of content and services are available in your new country or region.
  • After you update your Apple Account billing address and payment method, you can upgrade your iCloud+ plan using the pricing in your new country or region.
  • If you need to empty your balance, Contact Apple Support to request a reset of your account balance to zero.


For full details, learn how to → Change Regions for step-by-step instructions.


Good luck! 👋🏼😉

Smiliñ 😎 Brian | Community Volunteer

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256367535