Two iPhones, One iTunes Account

Question

Two iPhones, One iTunes Account

Hello Everyone,

So, I've had my iPhone for almost a year now so obviously I also have an iTunes account. I bought my wife an iPhone yesterday and I plugged it in to our computer so I could create her an iTunes account. When I plugged in her phone, it started syncing my apps & stuff onto her iPhone. When I noticed this, I immediately disconnected her iPhone because I wasn't sure if that was supposed to happen. I was finally able to create an iTunes account for her and it shows all my apps & stuff under her iTunes account. Is this normal? I have read a few posts that state I should change the "Auto Sync" option since I am using two iPhones on one computer. All this is new to me so any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

iOS 4

Posted on Dec 7, 2010 7:33 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 7, 2010 7:42 AM in response to Kinda Clueless

iTunes includes a global setting to prevent any iPhone, iPod, and iPad from syncing automatically when connected, which is selected at iTunes > Preferences under the Devices tab.

Having two iTunes accounts with the same iTunes library will not prevent the iTunes content purchased/downloaded with each iTunes account from appearing in the same iTunes library with two iTunes accounts. For your wife to download an app, music, movies, and tv shows with her iTunes account, she will need to login with her iTunes account with iTunes first. For you to download any iTunes content from the iTunes store with your iTunes account, you will need to be logged in with your iTunes account first. This will require constantly logging in and out of each iTunes account. Not really needed with a husband and wife, but doable.

Each iPhone can have its own sync preferences with iTunes with an iTunes library on the same computer.

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Answer 2

Dec 7, 2010 7:48 AM in response to Allan Sampson

So, even though we'll have our own individual iTune accounts, it'll still show everything that both have purchased/downloaded when we log into iTunes?

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Answer 3

Dec 7, 2010 7:53 AM in response to Kinda Clueless

When using the same iTunes library for both iTunes accounts, yes.

It is possible to have more than one iTunes library with iTunes under the same computer login account which will require constantly manually logging in and out of each iTunes library and iTunes account with iTunes depending on which iTunes library and iTunes account will be used.

Or you could create a separate computer login account for your wife. She can create her iTunes account with iTunes under her computer login account and her iTunes library will be kept completely separate from your iTunes library and iTunes account under your computer login account.

Or you can use the same iTunes account and iTunes library with both iPhones. There is no limit for the number of devices that can be synced with the same iTunes library and iTunes account on the same computer with each device having its own sync preferences with iTunes.

Or you can do this in a much more difficult way - whatever floats your boat.

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Answer 4

Dec 7, 2010 8:15 AM in response to Allan Sampson

If it's easier to share the same iTunes library then I guess I would rather do this because this seems like it would be easier to maintain. Yesterday, I wasn't aware that more than one device could share the same library so I went into panic mode. I thought I was doing something wrong. Knowing my wife though, she might want to make it more difficult because I'm sure she'll want her own log in and her own apps, music and all that other stuff. I'll mention this to her and we'll see what she says. If you don't mind, can I have your email address to email you if I ever have any questions about all this? You seem very knowledgable about all this.

Thanks for your help. I'll have to mess with this at home since I don't have iTunes on my work computer and because I don't have my wife's phone with me right now.

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Answer 5

Dec 7, 2010 8:24 AM in response to Kinda Clueless

She can have her own music available in your iTunes library on her iPhone - the same or different from the music you have on your iPhone. Each of you can make use of iTunes playlists in iTunes and transfer the playlist or playlists you want available on each iPhone. The same applies with transferring select movies, tv shows, podcasts, and 3rd party apps to each iPhone. When you connect your iPhone to iTunes, you can select what you want available on your iPhone under the various tabs for your iPhone sync preferences with iTunes. When your wife connects her iPhone, she can select what she wants available on her iPhone under the various tabs for her iPhone sync preferences with iTunes. This can be the same under the various tabs for each iPhone with iTunes, or completely different.

There is no limit for the number of devices that can be synced with the same iTunes library and iTunes account on the same computer and each device can have its own sync preferences with the same iTunes library and iTunes account on the same computer. I have an iPod with video, an original iPhone, an iPhone 3G, and an iPhone 4 and all are synced with the same iTunes library and iTunes account. There is different iTunes content on each device.

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