iPhone call history shared between devices after iOS 17 Update

AlFrued wrote:

I carry 2 iPhones with the same Apple id since ages, and I don’t want to get confused by which phone initiated personal or business calls.

Its unreasonable to maintain more than one Apple ID after all of this years.

I already reported a bug to Apple. And I came here to see if anyone else noticed/fixed this.

It's not a bug. If you carry two phones – one for work, and one for personal use – for "security" reasons, then it stands to follow that you should "firewall" your accounts and have two Apple ID accounts, as well.

The call history sharing might be new, but there is all sorts of other sharing linked to having the same Apple ID. Sharing that's been around for a long time. E.g., keychain passwords, photos, contacts, calendars, reminders, notes, and files on iCloud Drive.

iMessages are also linked to your Apple ID, whether you use "Messages in iCloud" or not.

AlFrued wrote:

I’m NOT sharing Apple ID with other person.

im using MY Apple ID on MY PHONES

Yes, and Apple designed the system to sync call history between multiple phones belonging to the same person.

See:

https://www.imore.com/apple-comments-icloud-call-history-sync-what-you-need-know

"We offer call history syncing as a convenience to our customers so that they can return calls from any of their devices," an Apple spokesperson told iMore. 

View and delete the call history on your iPhone - Apple Support

"To keep call history up to date across all devices, turn on iCloud Drive."

So apparently the official way to prevent syncing is to turn off iCloud Drive.

There was also a suggestion on a reddit thread to go to Settings > FaceTime and turn off the People Can Contact You On All Devices switch. It wasn't clear why doing that would have that side effect (or whether that side effect was a bug). Normally the use for that switch would be to allow iPads, iPad touches, and Macs on the same Apple ID as a nearby iPhone to place cellular calls with the aid of that iPhone.

I had the same problems with my family's iPhones once upgraded to iOS 17. I tried all the previous options like turning Phone off on iCloud Settings and so on. Turning off Phone on iCloud stopped voicemail merging but not call history. Before upgrading the 3rd iPhone to iOS17 I noticed that Passwords and Keychain was off on iCloud. After the Upgrade it was automatically turned on. So I went back to the other iPhones and turned it off on both of them. Turning that option off, automatically deleted all the call history since it started merging and it hasn't since merged or synced any call history on our devices. Just thought I would share if someone is still looking for a solution.

Yes, you are right. I just got off the phone with Apple support. Things are designed to work like this. My understanding is that it is due to iCloud account. The iCloud account is connected to the Apple ID any device with the same cloud/Apple ID will have integrated phone call logs and voicemails. But you should only receive the calls and be able to answer them on the individual phone. But you can listen to the voicemails across all devices.

So then I asked support if I could turn off my iCloud account and completely delete it but the support technician told me you basically cannot have working subscriptions and apps if you do not have an iCloud account. Even if I deleted it and deactivate it now anytime I want to download a new app or purchase a new song I would have to reactivate my iCloud.

So then I told support that I have had the same Apple ID with both my parents for as long as I can remember. I am 33 and I have shared an ID with them for decades at least two or 1.5… Long before family sharing came along. Because my parents never had an email. So I didn’t see the point in making them their own email and then Apple ID/iTunes account. Fast forward 10 + years later to today the issue came up when I started seeing all of my mom’s calls and voicemails on my phone. So yes it is ios17 that started the problem. Prior to the update turning off phone in the icloud setting would solve the issue but apple has done away with that.

Yes, I can create them a new Apple ID and do family sharing with them. Unfortunately, they moved last year to another state. They are technology deficient in order to set up their new IDs and family sharing. I would have to fly to them and set it up for them, if I do it via screen sharing, it would literally take days in order to log off my Apple ID and set up their whole new Apple ID and family sharing.

I mean I got them an Apple iPhone for convenience. Being able to track them and share certain things I want to share with them but this is not so convenient so the Apple iPhone no longer serves the purpose it did

Yes, for other people wondering I have everything else turned off.Like I told support, I have call forwarding off,I have phone set to off in the iCloud, I have phones set to only receive at their current number, I also have handoff shut off on all devices (not my first rodeo).

The support tech was really friendly and offered to help me set up family sharing and create new IDs for my parents via screen share.

To make the story short, each device should have their own Apple ID/Apple account whatever you wanna call it, through family sharing or etc…

hopefully this post helps someone else.

That is true that would solve things temporarily but once you need to download a new app or would like to purchase music for example, then you would have to sign back in and the problem would reoccur.

I just got off the phone with Apple tech-support. Yes things are working correctly. Any and all devices with the same Apple ID/iCloud account will have all phone logs and voicemails merged. Tech told me that you should only be able to answer phone calls on the soul device though.

Tech confirm that it is due to the upgrade in the iOS 17. Things are working correctly and this is how it should’ve worked from the beginning. But Apple made a loophole where if you turned off phone in iCloud then it would not merge this information.

Yes for people wondering, I do have everything set correctly. I have call forwarding off I have handoff shut off. I have phone toggle off on iCloud. I have phones set to receive calls at their current number along with text and FaceTime calls.

To make the story short, every device must have their own Apple ID/iCloud.

I asked tech-support if I deactivated and deleted iCloud would it stop doing it then they said it would but then I would not be able to download new apps, manage subscriptions, purchase new music, or do anything that required my Apple ID/iCloud account.

When I spoke to Apple support, I told em the long story that I have had an apple iPhone forever and I have shared an apple ID with both my parents since I can remember. Long before family sharing existed. I am 33 so if you do the math I have had an iPhone for almost two decades and I have shared an Apple ID for 14+ years with my parents. I never created them their own Apple ID, because they never had their own email. For convenience purposes, this continued so I can track them and share certain things I wanted to share with them. Then Apple support offered to help me create them their own Apple ID through family sharing. Although this would help. My parents moved one year ago to another state. In order to have this done I would have to fly to them and log off my own Apple ID and set them up with their own. If I choose to do this through screen sharing it would literally take hours.

Call History on multiple devices problem solved after IOS 17 update:

Go to - Settings - Apple ID - iCloud - Show All - scroll down to Phone and turn off toggle - Hope this helps, It solved my problem with 3 iPhones with the same Apple ID.

Apple makes it clear in the link, which has been posted multiple times about why each person needs their own unique Apple ID that doing so on multiple devices makes them be seen as one device. I would fully expect that document to soon be updated to include call logs/voicemail messages, which would make it abundantly clear Apple intended this change and isn't planning to change it. In fact, iOS 17 was released in September, and in a few days it will be January. And these posts started soon after, with multiple iOS updates released since 17 rolled out. And yet, Apple has not done anything with this. This alone should give people a clue Apple doesn't see this as an issue. And people have called Apple and have been told this is the way they intended this to work, regardless if it didn't before iOS 17.

I get you're not happy with this. I'll remind you we are all users here and we didn't make this change in iOS 17, so arguing with us (who keep telling you the one way to fix this is stop sharing an Apple ID) is pointless. Share your displeasure with Apple. They are the ones who made the decision to merge call longs in iOS 17. Not one person here did this.

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but it's not a bug and it's not something Apple seems to want to do anything to stop the shared call logs. Yes, this arrived with iOS 17, which has now been out for over 3 months, with many updates in between, and Apple has done nothing to change this. This is working as Apple intended it to work. If you don't like it, you can certainly share your thoughts with Apple in the link below, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a resolve. There is only ONE way to stop this and this is to NOT share an Apple ID with someone else, which is exactly what Apple has recommended for years --> Make sure that each family member has a unique Apple ID - Apple Support

Feedback can be shared with Apple here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

It's not an opinion. Call Apple yourself and ask them. Many here have called Apple and have been told this is working as Apple intended. That's not an opinion. It's a fact.

Also, consider that this rolled out with iOS 17. And iOS 17 was released in September, going on 4 months ago. Many many many people have complained to Apple about this. And many updates have been released since iOS 17 was first released. And Apple has done nothing to change this. That isn't an opinion. That's a fact too.

So you can continue to wait for Apple to fix, what they clearly don't believe is broken. Or you can stop Sharing an Apple ID. Or you can live with merged call logs. Your choice completely.

I have mentioned this before, but I'm not sure why people are upset about this. Are you aware that whoever you share your Apple ID has had the ability to start reading your text messages, simply by checking your phone number on their iPhone in Messages, without your knowledge or permission? They've had this ability to do so for years. And did you know they have the ability togo to www.icloud and wipe your phone, again without your permission. They can change the Apple ID Password, effectively locking you out of your phone again, without your permission. There are definitely negative consequences in sharing an Apple ID, no matter how much you trust the person you share the ID with.

lobsterghost1 wrote:

You can post whatever you want. But this isn't a rant-complaint forum. This is a technical support forum where you ask a question from other users and other users try to help you with your technical question. It's been asked and it's been answered, that we, as users, cannot turn off this feature.

There's a report on reddit that if you go to Settings > FaceTime and turn off the People Can Contact You On All Devices switch, phones will stop sharing call logs.

The person who posted this was not sure why call log sharing was linked to this switch, and offhand, I can't say whether the (supposed) linkage between this and call log sharing is a bug or a feature. It could be a bug – but simply one that the people complaining in the reddit thread would happen to like.

https://www.reddit.com/r/applehelp/comments/16nffeo/disable_call_log_share_on_ios_17/

Note that call log sharing between two iPhones using the same Apple ID does not seem to be an iOS-17-only thing. This thread seems to refer to it happening in a version of iOS prior to iOS 9.2.1,

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/191641/stop-synchronising-the-call-history-log-between-iphones-on-shared-apple-id

That led to this article, which makes it clear that Apple considered saving / restoring / sharing call history to be a desirable feature.

https://www.imore.com/apple-comments-icloud-call-history-sync-what-you-need-know

"'We offer call history syncing as a convenience to our customers so that they can return calls from any of their devices,' an Apple spokesperson told iMore."

View and delete the call history on your iPhone - Apple Support

"To keep call history up to date across all devices, turn on iCloud Drive."

There you have it. Who knows how Apple intended call history sharing to work before iOS 13 (though apparently it did, in some cases)? Since iOS 13, sharing call history across all of your devices has been an intended side effect of using iCloud Drive.

Apple isn't listening here. This is a user to user only forum. For you and your husband however, you both should stop sharing the same Apple ID and then use Family Sharing to share apps between the two iPhones. I can see someone who has a work phone and personal phone and want them both on the same Apple ID. But you don't have that situation and sharing an Apple ID is causing this and likely won't change.

Go to ICloud-> Apps Using ICloud -> show all -> turn off Phone. Seems to have worked for me. Looks like they added a specific slider for Phone this release.

BugsInIoS wrote:

Me and my father Share same Apple ID and we are a bit concerned with this bug, of call log sharing, please help! If anybody has a solution. Fed up with it We both Can’t differentiate whose missed the calls actually!!!😏

It's not a bug. It is your new normal. And the only correct solution is two different people should NOT share an Apple ID. One of you needs to erase your phone and set it up with it's own unique Apple ID. Then you can use Family Sharing to share things like Apps, storage, etc.

I’ve been frustrating like you coz I have one Apple ID with two phones two numbers to keep my work life and personal life separate.

I didn’t even realized they merged until recently coz they never did - anyways I was doing some testing while talking to apple support (who didn’t help and just kept repeating the same message) - coz I wanted to see how soon the call logs would merge

Then I stumbled by chance that they don’t sync right away - rather, the two phones would first automatically connect because of the new NameDrop feature of iOS 17 and then once they connected, the lists merged!

now that I have turned off NameDrop, the lists don’t merge anymore!

Settings > General > AirDrop > turn off “Bringing Devices Together”

I hated it anyways coz whenever I put my two phones together it would make that sound and that screen thingy I just never got around to turning it off

And It’s a feature I can live without - I’d rather have my two lists stay separate.

Hope it helps!!

you can disable call log sharing in ios17 by changing what info is kept on iCloud for PHONE application (at least that helped me):

go to settings -> AppleID -> iCloud -> Apps using iCloud / Show All -> Gray out PHONE button

OR (as Apple suggests) one may change AppleID on the Iphone and keep one appleId per one person. As local community suggests that will ONLY force you to provide old AppleID account password EACH time any application is updated (and it seems family sharing doesn't help).

Personal non-valued comments/suggestion: somebody in Apple responsible for such ios17 behavior should be forced to enter his personal pwd at least 100 times every morning to update 1000-2000 apps. Just as a reminder