How to disable call history sharing between two iPhone 16s running iOS 18.3?

cd.scott wrote:

Yes, same ID. I had it turned off under an earlier iOS, and different phones, but my new phones apparently didn't remember that from my iCloud restore.

Things changed with iOS 17 and have continued with iOS 18. They won't likely ever change as for more than a decade, Apple has advised people to not share the same Apple Account.

Read this --> Make sure that each family member has a unique Apple Account - Apple Support

If you want to stop this behavior, a very respected member of this forum, wrote this user tip to help you unshare your account --> How to “unshare” an Apple ID - Apple Community

Jeff Donald wrote:

Yes, I understand all that. Not my first time using an iPhone. I understand recents/history and it doesn’t show them on her iPhone. For example I got 14 phone calls in the last hour that show in recents/history. She has zero showing in recents.

That “something isn’t working” is what I’m curious about. Clearly everyone thinks it should work that way, but it doesn’t. Things don’t just randomly happen on an iphone. It must be a setting. I mentioned to Bob that I thought it might be an iCloud syncing issue. That’s the only way call history could be shared. What iCloud syncing setting disables the history be synced and shared?

Well, I can honestly tell you if you can find whatever setting you've made, which doesn't merge calls and voicemail on two phones under the same Apple Account, you'd be a hero to a LOT of couples who finally had to unshare their accounts. Apple did this on purpose and I've certainly not found a way around this. This is why Lawrence Finch wrote the user tip to help people when they learned there was no way to unmerge call logs.

Jeff Donald wrote:

What happens is you follow this path?

iPhone > Settings > scroll down > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices > Off

Repeat for FaceTime and Messages.

For personal reasons, Th*****, my wife, and I share Apple ID. We have separate phone numbers and do not get each other’s calls, history, Messages or FaceTimes.

If you follow that path, calls will still be merged. Used to work, but doesn't work anymore. If you and your wife share the same Apple Account, you should be seeing each others call histories on both phones. Apple removed the ability to stop that when iOS 17 rolled out for everyone.

Now, you can simply uncheck one phone number for Messages and Facetime on each phone, but call logs will still be merged and is now by design.

Apple even updated the link I provided above about why each family member needs their own unique Apple Account to include merged call logs.

Jeff Donald wrote:

She has an iPhone 15 PM and I have a 16 PM. Both are on 18.3. We’re on AT&T and don’t receive each other’s calls. I’m normally on beta but there is no beta version currently so both on public iOS 18.3

Before I replied, I got a call and let it go to VM. I checked her iPhone and no VM and no listing in history. I asked if she deleted it and said no.

We’re not on WiFi calling and that is mentioned in Settings app. Not sure if that’s related or not. But not experimenting after everyone’s comments above.

I wouldn’t think it’s carrier related but maybe it is. I haven’t looked at the provisioning of iPhones to carriers in quite a few years. Maybe I’ll try to do that this weekend. This is an interesting anomaly.

No, it's not getting each others calls which is the issue being discussed. If you open the Phone app and look at recents, you should see your wife's and your calls in each others phones listed. The call logs are merged and that can't stop. You won't receive each others calls. If by some odd chance you don't see each others calls or voicemail messages in each others phones, something isn't working as Apple intended it to work, so count yourself as lucky.

There are SO MANY threads on this topic. Ever since iOS 17, things merged and there is no way for them to unmerge.

Also, the carrier has nothing to do with this. My boss and his wife share the same Apple ID. They're on AT&T and their call logs in recents and voicemail messages appear on both phones. Another couple I help with all things Apple are on Verizon and the same thing. This is truly how Apple intends this to be.

You're not going to get an answer from Apple here. This is a user forum. Apple does not participate.

Use different Apple accounts for your personal and business devices.

If you don't want the call history to show on multiple devices, don't share the Apple ID (now called Account) with the devices. Otherwise, the call history is going to show on all devices using the same Apple ID. And if someone else has the other iPhone, they can read your text messages, delete photos, lock you out of your account or pretty much anything they want.

cd.scott wrote:

I know it's not your fault, but this is just unacceptable. I use one for business, and the other is a personal phone. I shouldn't have to "live with" this situation, without creating a new Apple ID. Oh, mighty Apple, what sayeth thou?

As others have said, you won't get an answer from Apple. And you are more than welcome to contact Apple yourself and they will most assuredly tell you either accept merged call logs, or don't use the same Apple Account for two phones if you don't want the calls merged. Unless you own the company you work for, by using your Apple Account for a phone tied to your employer, gives your employer ownership of the data on your phone. If you own the company, this wouldn't be a concern. But if you don't, it SHOULD be a concern to you.

Are you using the same Apple ID on both phones?

What happens is you follow this path?

iPhone > Settings > scroll down > Apps > Phone > Calls on Other Devices > Off

Repeat for FaceTime and Messages.

For personal reasons, Th*****, my wife, and I share Apple ID. We have separate phone numbers and do not get each other’s calls, history, Messages or FaceTimes.

As users......just like you.....we can't speak for Apple, but if we could, Apple....(and we).....would say you should never ever have the same Apple ID on both a business and personal phone.

That's normal if you use the same Apple account on both devices.

She has an iPhone 15 PM and I have a 16 PM. Both are on 18.3. We’re on AT&T and don’t receive each other’s calls. I’m normally on beta but there is no beta version currently so both on public iOS 18.3

Before I replied, I got a call and let it go to VM. I checked her iPhone and no VM and no listing in history. I asked if she deleted it and said no.

We’re not on WiFi calling and that is mentioned in Settings app. Not sure if that’s related or not. But not experimenting after everyone’s comments above.

I wouldn’t think it’s carrier related but maybe it is. I haven’t looked at the provisioning of iPhones to carriers in quite a few years. Maybe I’ll try to do that this weekend. This is an interesting anomaly.

On your home phone......

Tap Settings > Apps > Messages

Tap on Send & Receive

Make sure that the only check mark appears next to the home number

On your work phone......

Tap Settings > Apps > Messages

Tap on Send & Receive

Make sure that the only check mark appears next to the work number

Run a few checks on both phones. Any luck?

That’s maybe the change. Mine are both limited to each other’s iPhones, phone numbers etc. FaceTime also needs to be set the same way.

I was starting to think maybe iCloud syncing was the issue. I have most of T****** syncing turned off.