diff --git a/packages/api-graphql/__tests__/GraphQLAPI.test.ts b/packages/api-graphql/__tests__/GraphQLAPI.test.ts
index 1dcec2bfc23..43779fee5d6 100644
--- a/packages/api-graphql/__tests__/GraphQLAPI.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api-graphql/__tests__/GraphQLAPI.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import { graphql, cancel, isCancelError } from '../src/internals/v6';
 import { Amplify } from 'aws-amplify';
 import { Amplify as AmplifyCore } from '@aws-amplify/core';
 import * as typedQueries from './fixtures/with-types/queries';
+import * as typedSubscriptions from './fixtures/with-types/subscriptions';
 import { expectGet } from './utils/expects';
+import { InternalGraphQLAPIClass } from '../src/internals/InternalGraphQLAPI';
 
 import {
 	__amplify,
@@ -668,6 +670,75 @@ describe('API test', () => {
 			);
 		});
 
+		test('multi-auth default case api-key, using identityPool as auth mode', async () => {
+			Amplify.configure({
+				API: {
+					GraphQL: {
+						defaultAuthMode: 'apiKey',
+						apiKey: 'FAKE-KEY',
+						endpoint: 'https://localhost/graphql',
+						region: 'local-host-h4x',
+					},
+				},
+			});
+
+			const threadToGet = {
+				id: 'some-id',
+				topic: 'something reasonably interesting',
+			};
+
+			const graphqlVariables = { id: 'some-id' };
+
+			const graphqlResponse = {
+				data: {
+					getThread: {
+						__typename: 'Thread',
+						...serverManagedFields,
+						...threadToGet,
+					},
+				},
+			};
+
+			const spy = jest
+				.spyOn((raw.GraphQLAPI as any)._api, 'post')
+				.mockReturnValue({
+					body: {
+						json: () => graphqlResponse,
+					},
+				});
+
+			const result: GraphQLResult<GetThreadQuery> = await client.graphql({
+				query: typedQueries.getThread,
+				variables: graphqlVariables,
+				authMode: 'identityPool',
+			});
+
+			const thread: GetThreadQuery['getThread'] = result.data?.getThread;
+			const errors = result.errors;
+
+			expect(errors).toBe(undefined);
+			expect(thread).toEqual(graphqlResponse.data.getThread);
+
+			expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+				expect.objectContaining({
+					Auth: expect.any(Object),
+					configure: expect.any(Function),
+					getConfig: expect.any(Function),
+				}),
+				{
+					abortController: expect.any(AbortController),
+					url: new URL('https://localhost/graphql'),
+					options: expect.objectContaining({
+						headers: expect.not.objectContaining({ 'X-Api-Key': 'FAKE-KEY' }),
+						signingServiceInfo: expect.objectContaining({
+							region: 'local-host-h4x',
+							service: 'appsync',
+						}),
+					}),
+				},
+			);
+		});
+
 		test('multi-auth default case api-key, using AWS_LAMBDA as auth mode', async () => {
 			Amplify.configure({
 				API: {
@@ -1395,5 +1466,96 @@ describe('API test', () => {
 				}),
 			);
 		});
+
+		test('identityPool alias with query', async () => {
+			Amplify.configure({
+				API: {
+					GraphQL: {
+						defaultAuthMode: 'apiKey',
+						apiKey: 'FAKE-KEY',
+						endpoint: 'https://localhost/graphql',
+						region: 'local-host-h4x',
+					},
+				},
+			});
+
+			const graphqlVariables = { id: 'some-id' };
+
+			const graphqlResponse = {
+				data: {
+					getThread: {},
+				},
+			};
+
+			const spy = jest.spyOn(
+				InternalGraphQLAPIClass.prototype as any,
+				'_headerBasedAuth',
+			);
+
+			const spy2 = jest
+				.spyOn((raw.GraphQLAPI as any)._api, 'post')
+				.mockReturnValue({
+					body: {
+						json: () => graphqlResponse,
+					},
+				});
+
+			await client.graphql({
+				query: typedQueries.getThread,
+				variables: graphqlVariables,
+				authMode: 'identityPool',
+			});
+
+			expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+				expect.objectContaining({
+					Auth: expect.any(Object),
+					configure: expect.any(Function),
+					getConfig: expect.any(Function),
+				}),
+				'iam',
+				{},
+			);
+		});
+
+		test('identityPool alias with subscription', async () => {
+			Amplify.configure({
+				API: {
+					GraphQL: {
+						defaultAuthMode: 'apiKey',
+						apiKey: 'FAKE-KEY',
+						endpoint: 'https://localhost/graphql',
+						region: 'local-host-h4x',
+					},
+				},
+			});
+
+			const graphqlResponse = {
+				data: {
+					getThread: {},
+				},
+			};
+
+			const spy = jest.spyOn(AWSAppSyncRealTimeProvider.prototype, 'subscribe');
+
+			const _spy2 = jest
+				.spyOn((raw.GraphQLAPI as any)._api, 'post')
+				.mockReturnValue({
+					body: {
+						json: () => graphqlResponse,
+					},
+				});
+
+			await client.graphql({
+				query: typedSubscriptions.onCreateThread,
+				authMode: 'identityPool',
+			});
+
+			expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+				expect.objectContaining({
+					authenticationType: 'iam',
+				}),
+				expect.objectContaining({}),
+			);
+		});
 	});
 });
diff --git a/packages/api-graphql/src/Providers/AWSAppSyncRealTimeProvider/index.ts b/packages/api-graphql/src/Providers/AWSAppSyncRealTimeProvider/index.ts
index 3abde3f469d..37cafbf719e 100644
--- a/packages/api-graphql/src/Providers/AWSAppSyncRealTimeProvider/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api-graphql/src/Providers/AWSAppSyncRealTimeProvider/index.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ const dispatchApiEvent = (payload: HubPayload) => {
 	Hub.dispatch('api', payload, 'PubSub', AMPLIFY_SYMBOL);
 };
 
+// resolved/actual AuthMode values. identityPool gets resolves to IAM upstream in InternalGraphQLAPI._graphqlSubscribe
+type ResolvedGraphQLAuthModes = Exclude<GraphQLAuthMode, 'identityPool'>;
 export interface ObserverQuery {
 	observer: PubSubContentObserver;
 	query: string;
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@ interface ParsedMessagePayload {
 
 export interface AWSAppSyncRealTimeProviderOptions {
 	appSyncGraphqlEndpoint?: string;
-	authenticationType?: GraphQLAuthMode;
+	authenticationType?: ResolvedGraphQLAuthModes;
 	query?: string;
 	variables?: Record<string, DocumentType>;
 	apiKey?: string;
@@ -935,7 +937,7 @@ export class AWSAppSyncRealTimeProvider {
 		Record<string, unknown> | undefined
 	> {
 		const headerHandler: {
-			[key in GraphQLAuthMode]: (
+			[key in ResolvedGraphQLAuthModes]: (
 				arg0: AWSAppSyncRealTimeAuthInput,
 			) => Promise<Record<string, unknown>> | Record<string, unknown>;
 		} = {
diff --git a/packages/api-graphql/src/internals/InternalGraphQLAPI.ts b/packages/api-graphql/src/internals/InternalGraphQLAPI.ts
index 75dfb2e0f4e..15b89670314 100644
--- a/packages/api-graphql/src/internals/InternalGraphQLAPI.ts
+++ b/packages/api-graphql/src/internals/InternalGraphQLAPI.ts
@@ -259,7 +259,10 @@ export class InternalGraphQLAPIClass {
 			defaultAuthMode,
 		} = resolveConfig(amplify);
 
-		const authMode = explicitAuthMode || defaultAuthMode || 'iam';
+		const initialAuthMode = explicitAuthMode || defaultAuthMode || 'iam';
+		// identityPool is an alias for iam. TODO: remove 'iam' in v7
+		const authMode =
+			initialAuthMode === 'identityPool' ? 'iam' : initialAuthMode;
 
 		/**
 		 * Retrieve library options from Amplify configuration.
@@ -425,13 +428,19 @@ export class InternalGraphQLAPIClass {
 
 	private _graphqlSubscribe(
 		amplify: AmplifyClassV6,
-		{ query, variables, authMode }: GraphQLOptions,
+		{ query, variables, authMode: explicitAuthMode }: GraphQLOptions,
 		additionalHeaders: CustomHeaders = {},
 		customUserAgentDetails?: CustomUserAgentDetails,
 		authToken?: string,
 	): Observable<any> {
 		const config = resolveConfig(amplify);
 
+		const initialAuthMode =
+			explicitAuthMode || config?.defaultAuthMode || 'iam';
+		// identityPool is an alias for iam. TODO: remove 'iam' in v7
+		const authMode =
+			initialAuthMode === 'identityPool' ? 'iam' : initialAuthMode;
+
 		/**
 		 * Retrieve library options from Amplify configuration.
 		 * `libraryConfigHeaders` are from the Amplify configuration options,
@@ -449,7 +458,7 @@ export class InternalGraphQLAPIClass {
 					variables,
 					appSyncGraphqlEndpoint: config?.endpoint,
 					region: config?.region,
-					authenticationType: authMode || config?.defaultAuthMode,
+					authenticationType: authMode,
 					apiKey: config?.apiKey,
 					additionalHeaders,
 					authToken,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/singleton/API/types.ts b/packages/core/src/singleton/API/types.ts
index 418b2f65a0e..20dd5bd3dfc 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/singleton/API/types.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/singleton/API/types.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ export type GraphQLAuthMode =
 	| 'apiKey'
 	| 'oidc'
 	| 'userPool'
+	// @deprecated; use 'identityPool'
 	| 'iam'
+	| 'identityPool'
 	| 'lambda'
 	| 'none';