sparkymarcopolo

Q: managing multiple devices

Hope somebody can help with this. I have multiple devices in the family that I want to have control over because some are my Children's. At the moment each device is setup for iCloud which I only really require for the 'find my iphone'.

 

Having setup restrictions and disabled picture so far.

 

We use iTunes on the one iMac only and decide what music/apps are required for each device and if the children want an app I have to enter my credentials.

 

Everything seems to work (as far as I can see) apart from my contacts appearing on other units when they go to message, I understand this is because each is configured with my details with iMessage uses.

 

I'd like to know how to stop this happening or some solution please. I need a way of managing these multiple devices under one account with an element of privacy.

 

Thanks

iPhone 5, iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Feb 3, 2014 1:44 PM

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Q: managing multiple devices

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  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 5, 2014 2:06 PM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 5, 2014 2:06 PM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    Only in Settings > iTunes & App Stores > Apple ID: > your purchasing Apple ID here to share iBooks, Music, TV Shows, Apps...etc.

    All other Apple services like iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud (for contacts, calendars, reminders, ...etc) everyone should use their own Apple ID except yourself.

     

    Read this, it's valid for IOS 5,6 and 7:

    iOS 5 & iCloud Tips: Sharing an Apple ID With Your Family ...

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 5, 2014 11:50 PM in response to ckuan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 5, 2014 11:50 PM in response to ckuan

    ckuan,

     

    That's what I have set, we all use my account for iTunes/Appstore.

     

    iCloud as of yesterday is set for each of our own account details, apart from me.

     

    iMessage enabled, the only setting I can find that determine account for this is under send and receive which is defined as 'you can be reached' set to our own mobile number

     

    Facetime is as iMessage, also set to our own mobile.

     

    NB - I'm wondering whether the issue is because they were all originally set under one account for everything and each unit has somehow retained/shared message recipients details.

     

    Btw, each unit running IOS 7.0.4

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 6, 2014 12:10 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 12:10 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    Ok, I've sort found the answer, somehow using one account has sync'd the message contacts 'not the device contacts' between all units. Although I've now set all to unique icloud, it has retained this list and can only be deleted by pressing the 'i' next to synced names and 'delete from recent'. I see a long job in the interim if I cannot delete 'all recent'

     

    It's poor functionality on Apple's part, private is private and suggests a flaw in their IOS code if all units are account unique.

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 6, 2014 12:17 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 12:17 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    The IOS/iCloud works as designed.

    Well, the issues you have came from not organizing them right from the start.

    Now you have to manually delete the stuffs you don't need on each devices.

    But after that you should be good to go.

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 6, 2014 12:25 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 12:25 AM in response to ckuan

    Maybe by design but lacks cohesion. E.g. if I remove the tickbox for sharing photo's they are removed from all other devices, not the same for recent contacts, regardless if I'm using a single account across units

     

    It's nothing to do with organising them correctly from the start. If all devices are setup to share, fine but to have some settings that work this way and others that do not is poor functionality.

     

    My conversations, photos, contacts are mine and mine alone but once sharing is disabled, the units should reflect that thoughout, not here and there.

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 6, 2014 12:33 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 12:33 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    Sorry, I don't quite follow your thoughts. Photos / Contacts for example doesn't know who's the owner and that only you can have it. You expect one click of the button it will then sort out the mess for you. We are not there yet. Follow the link I have provided for you to get the handle of IOS.

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 6, 2014 12:44 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 12:44 AM in response to ckuan

    I meant even when we all shared one account I could disable photo sharing between units. My daughters reported they were seeing my photos. One slide of the option in iCloud 'Photos' to 'off' sorted this.

     

    As far as iMessaging goes, I have it set to the mobile under send/receive and do not have a account setup in that option so this is never an issue. My understing of setting an account name in iMessage is if you want to to have messages received by other units under that account. Not defing this and only having the number in send/receives ensures messages only go between the units defined by number

     

    Thanks for the link but I do understand a lot about the IOS, but this keeping of others recents is just poor and I'm not the only one who has this opinion.

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 6, 2014 1:11 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 1:11 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    Everyone of you should have your own iCloud account using your own same Apple ID, you can then share photos using share stream if needed. No need to switch in iCloud > Photos OFF.

    Also in Settings > iCloud, all of you should have all the options ON.

    Doing this, each of you will get 5GB of iCloud storage free.

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 6, 2014 2:32 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 2:32 AM in response to ckuan

    We do now, that said it doesn't negate the issue of sync'd recent messages. That said, for people that are below the age of the requirement, Apple does not help with this. E.g. an Xbox live account can be setup and controls by a parents account details, Apple doesn't offer that facility.

     

    As for iCloud settings, these should be configured based upon how you use, we disable backup and prefer to do this as part of the unit connected to iTunes.

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 6, 2014 5:24 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 5:24 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    You do not have to use iCloud backup, it just a convenient feature.

    With messages, iMessages, again each of you should have their own Apple ID in

    Settings > Messages > Send & Receive >

         YOU CAN BE REACHED BY IMESSAGE AT > your phone number & your e-mail address, nothing else.

         START NEW CONVERSTIONS FROM > your phone number (ticked)

     

    You can also set Restrictions in Settings > General > Restrictions > turn off the options you want restricted.

    Restricting In-App Purchases:

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6088

     

    If you want instead of using your purchasing Apple ID in Settings > iTunes & App Store, you can use iTunes Gift cards

    iTunes Store Allowance

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2105

     

    ITunes accounts for students:

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5114

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 6, 2014 5:47 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 5:47 AM in response to ckuan

    Pretty much useless for most devices when you think the default size of a unit is 8GB and I know I can purchase more.

     

    I've already done all that, but you're missing the point. In our case, it's about the iMessage cache being shared amougst all units, Period!! - very poor indeed

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 6, 2014 6:00 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 6:00 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    I've already done all that, but you're missing the point. In our case, it's about the iMessage cache being shared amougst all units, Period!! - very poor indeed

    No, You are missing the point, our messages and iMessages are not shared in our household, we have 2 iPod touches, 2 iPads, 5 iPhones and we do not have your issue. You must have made a mistake in configuring.

     

    Pretty much useless for most devices when you think the default size of a unit is 8GB and I know I can purchase more.

    No the cheapest is 8 GB and it is not the default, again do a research before you buy a device. You cannot add later. 

     

    Anyway, I stop now. Ranting is not why I am here.

  • by sparkymarcopolo,

    sparkymarcopolo sparkymarcopolo Feb 6, 2014 8:03 AM in response to ckuan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 8:03 AM in response to ckuan

    I wouldn't say incorrect, simply that the functionailty when splitting the units into unique accounts cannot cater for it. The imessage cache is referred to on here at some length and was raised back in 2012, just an observation that is cause for concern. As mentioned you configured yours with unique accounts from the outset which I can understand but for those who setup under one account for their own reasons doesn't mean they setup their incorrectly.

     

    Irrelevent of research, I was merely referring to why have 5gb free when the minimal size of apple units is 8gb. It's like handing cady with one have and taking away with the other. That said, 5gb is better than nothing.

     

    I thought we were having a debate, not ranting, unless of course you're only able to see the issues from your own persepctive or a narrow viewpoint.

  • by ckuan,

    ckuan ckuan Feb 6, 2014 8:43 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo
    Level 7 (34,301 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 8:43 AM in response to sparkymarcopolo

    sparkymarcopolo wrote:

     

    I wouldn't say incorrect, simply that the functionailty when splitting the units into unique accounts cannot cater for it. The imessage cache is referred to on here at some length and was raised back in 2012, just an observation that is cause for concern. As mentioned you configured yours with unique accounts from the outset which I can understand but for those who setup under one account for their own reasons doesn't mean they setup their incorrectly.

    Setting it up under one account is where the problems started. Same with lots of other things in life, you need to plan with the understood implication. As of now, there's no one button push to clear the mess you found yourself in.

     

    Incorrect here means things got mixed up. Correct means there is a barrier between all the devices and things won't get mixed up or shared without permission.

     

    Irrelevent of research, I was merely referring to why have 5gb free when the minimal size of apple units is 8gb. It's like handing cady with one have and taking away with the other. That said, 5gb is better than nothing.

    I don't understand your logic here.

    The 8GB device is your choice and the cheapest of the model. Here you plan what you want the device for and buy the size you need since it cannot be extended in the future. All my new devices are 64GB since I do a lot with them, watching HD movies as an example.

    Apple is giving you 5GB free for every device you owned which before it's a paid subscription. If you need more you can still subscribe for a larger GB for a yearly fee.

     

    I thought we were having a debate, not ranting, unless of course you're only able to see the issues from your own persepctive or a narrow viewpoint.

    I am here to help not to debate. BTW, this is a user to user technical forum, talks on Apple policy and speculations are not allow here which both of us had signed in the Terms of Use.

    Hope you got it all sorted, good luck.

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