NLangridge

Q: How can I sync media to my iPhone that's on another Mac (using Home Sharing)?

I've set up Home Sharing, so I can store media on both my MBP and Mac Mini as I've started running out of space (in particular moving some of the music to the Mac Mini, which has more space). However, when I sync my iPhone with my MBP, I want to sync some of that media that's sitting on the Mac Mini but I can't see how to do that. I don't want to plug the iPhone into the Mini, as it's easier to do that with MBP, plus I will always have content on both devices I want to sync.

 

Is there a way to sync media from the Mac Mini (that I can see via Home Sharing) onto my iPhone?

 

Thanks.

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Aug 21, 2016 3:14 PM

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Q: How can I sync media to my iPhone that's on another Mac (using Home Sharing)?

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  • by jameson.h,

    jameson.h jameson.h Aug 22, 2016 11:51 AM in response to NLangridge
    Community Specialists
    Aug 22, 2016 11:51 AM in response to NLangridge

    Hi NLangridge,

     

    I understand that you have Home Sharing set up on your Mac Mini and MacBook Pro, but you would like to sync your information from both devices to your iPhone. I know that it's important to have the content of your choosing on your iPhone, so I'm happy to provide some clarification on this.

     

    When using Home Sharing, the media is available only for streaming to other devices. This means that it won't be available locally to sync to your iPhone. You can read more about that here:

    Use Home Sharing to share iTunes content with other devices - Apple Support

    Now you can use Home Sharing.

    • Stream music, movies, TV shows, apps, and other iTunes content from one authorized computer to another. The computers need to be on and awake, and iTunes needs to be open.
    • To see all of your shared libraries, click  Music in the upper-left corner of iTunes.

     

    What may be a good alternative for you, from that article, would be to also use Home Sharing on your iPhone:

    Use Home Sharing on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

    1. Go to Settings > Music, or Settings > Videos.
    2. Scroll down to Home Sharing.
    3. Tap Sign in and enter your Apple ID and password. Use the same Apple ID for every computer or device on your Home Sharing network.

    Now you can use Home Sharing on your iOS device.

    • To enjoy shared videos, open the Videos app, tap Shared, and choose a Library.
    • To enjoy shared music on your iPhone or iPod touch through Home Sharing, open the Music app and tap My Music > Library. For iPad, just tap My Music. On the screen that appears, tap the category near the middle of the screen. Then tap Home Sharing and choose a shared Library to connect to.

     

    Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities, cheers!

  • by NLangridge,

    NLangridge NLangridge Aug 22, 2016 1:02 PM in response to jameson.h
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 22, 2016 1:02 PM in response to jameson.h

    Hi,

     

    Thanks very much for your reply. However, it seems although for me to sync content to my iPhone (so I can take it with me, be it video or music) then it all needs to be in iTunes on a single device, either the MBP or Mac Mini? That's very limiting, especially with media libraries growing so much!

     

    Is there any other alternative?

  • by tim_135,

    tim_135 tim_135 Aug 22, 2016 2:17 PM in response to NLangridge
    Community Specialists
    Aug 22, 2016 2:17 PM in response to NLangridge

    Hi NLangridge,

     

    I can certainly understand wanting to have continuous access to an ever-growing media library. We have a few options to allow you to do this.

     

    For music, check out Apple Music. You can use this to have access to not only your own iTunes music library, but you can stream many new releases as well:

    Apple Music - Official Apple Support

     

    For other content, you can easily download purchases made with your Apple ID directly on your iPhone or another iOS device. This is especially useful if you've forgotten to sync that workout playlist or an episode of a show you've missed:

    Download your past purchases - Apple Support

     

    Cheers!