Apple ID and Family Sharing Confusion

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Apple ID and Family Sharing Confusion

Hi all,

Hope you can help me. I am an Android using dad with three iOS using daughters. I built an Apple ID on an old iTunes account in order to manage my eldest daughter when she first got an iPhone. And since then, I have figured out that I can create child Apple ID's for my youngest two (twins), which are managed by my Apple ID.

However, my eldest is now 14 and really needs her own. Plus I need her to be separate as currently all of my 2FA's go through her phone etc. I also need her to get out of my Apple Music. :-)

I still need my Apple ID so that I can manage the twins, so I can't just let her have it. But she is terrified that everything she has will be lost if she goes to a new one.

So my question is, how can I separate her onto her own Apple ID (she has an iCloud account) and separate her from mine without her losing all of her things?

Thanks in advance!

James

iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 20, 2021 1:52 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

David McKinlay

Level 7

22,540 points

Nov 20, 2021 6:22 AM in response to AdviceForAnAndroidDad

Hi James,

you seem to have a bit of sorting out to manage.

Firstly, your comment about Apple Music suggests that you have a Mac which uses this service? This would make it easy to sort out the Apple IDs you need to establish for your family. In this model, your existing Apple ID would be used on the Mac, a new "Adult" Apple ID for your 14 year old and two Child Apple IDs for your twins. Then you will set up a Family Sharing group from your Apple ID. In this way your eldest can share the content you have bought as if it were hers. See What is Family Sharing?

If you don't have a Mac you will have difficulty as you state you do not have an iOS device. You can't control an Apple ID, Apple services or a Family Sharing group without Apple hardware. You can sign into your Apple ID via a part of Apple's website, but this does not control most aspects of it which you will need to access via Apple hardware.

Without a Mac then you will have no alternative but to have your 14 year old daughter take command of the Apple ID which you say is yours, although you will obviously wish to monitor the account. You can still create two Child Apple IDs from her device and set up Family Sharing.

how can I separate her onto her own Apple ID (she has an iCloud account)

I don't understand what you mean by this. An iCloud account is an Apple ID - just as an iTunes account requires an Apple ID. The Apple ID is the identity and credentials, the iCloud account is the service your sign into with the Apple ID. Do you mean that her iCloud account is different to the one you have?

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Apple ID and Family Sharing Confusion

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