iCloud Sync - Multiple devices and one AppleID

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Level 3

535 points

iCloud Sync - Multiple devices and one AppleID

So your contacts and calendar will sync automatically between your Mac, iPhone, iPad. And you can backup your stuff. And it does this based on your AppleID.

I, like I suspect many others, have an iPhone and iPad for me and my significant other. And we have two Macs. We both used the same AppleID. We clearly would not want to "merge" our contacts and calendars, or any backups.

Why do we share an AppleID? So we only have to purchase music, iOS apps, Mac apps, once for the family. Multiple AppleIDs is not an option as that negates a primary benefit of the Apple ecosystem. Apple has been pretty family friendly up to this point. You can share an AppleID with 5 devices today (if you have that many Macs or PCs), in my case we are talking 2. And they did still say you can buy Lion in the app store and use it on all your AppleID authorized machines.

I suppose you could maybe just turn all that stuff off and forget the iCloud part of Lion and iOS5. But I have to believe that is going to cut out a significant segment of the population from using iCloud services.

Anyone know how Apple is going to handle that situation?

Posted on Jun 9, 2011 7:25 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

timfromdavie

Level 1

10 points

Oct 9, 2011 12:34 PM in response to user1724

I am in the same situation. iCloud allows you to create a new account for free. Create an individual accout for each of your email, contacts, calandar, ect. and use the one you have been using for itunes only. That will allow you sync all your itunes stuff accross all the devices and wont interfere with your personal stuff. I am doing it now and love it. I have over 20,000 songs on my ipad and my iphone and loving every monute of icloud so far.

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Answer 2

Oct 13, 2011 6:35 AM in response to user1724

Ok, so how to I create a new account after I have already set up the main apple ID? When I say "delete account" it says all my ipod info on the cloud will be deleted....

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Answer 3

iHujanen

Level 1

5 points

Oct 13, 2011 1:51 PM in response to deborahg2003

I am wondering the same thing... the "Correct Answer" seems kind of vague.

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Answer 4

iHujanen

Level 1

5 points

Oct 13, 2011 2:29 PM in response to deborahg2003

OK... I figured out how to create a new account. This is what I did to keep my Apple ID for purchases on my second device, but set up a new ID for the iCloud stuff. Note I did this all on my iPad:

Went to Settings > iCloud.
Clicked Delete Account (I didn't have anything on the iPad that was syncing that I needed to save).
After that was complete, I choose Account to add a new Appplie ID using an existing email address.
I then went to Settings > Messages and signed in/out of my original Apple ID and used the new one.

Hope that helps somebody. The key part for me is I wasn't comfortable tapping Delete Account, but that just really deletes that device from the syncing process (doesn't affect the Apple ID).

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Answer 5

user1724 Author

Level 3

535 points

Oct 14, 2011 6:54 PM in response to user1724

Read this . . .

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4895

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Answer 6

abh70

Level 1

0 points

Oct 15, 2011 6:18 PM in response to user1724

I feel the more i read the more confused i get. We have multiple devices under one itunes account for purchases. My daughter updated her iphone and when it asked her to set up her icloud accound she used the itunes account we have always used for purchases. I am getting the 4s shipped to me, my question is when i activate that and it tries to set up icloud what apple id do it give it? I dont want our messages, email and contacts to sync. neither of us ever had a mobile me account so a little confused about these free me.com accounts. Do I also need to change my daughters icloud account since she entered our main itunes account as her icloud. She tried fooling around with it and under settings, icloud, clicked the big "delete account" in red but it still shows our itunes email in grey on her icloud. This all seems so frustrating. Thanks for any help. I know the answer is here already but keep reading and seem to be just confusing myself.

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Answer 7

Oct 17, 2011 12:49 AM in response to user1724

I'm sorry to say, but I'm confused too. I have set up my device with a .Me address for iCloud and the AppleID we use for purchased items. If I set up each family members device the same way, but with unique iCloud AppleID's, do we still all share the same purchased item pool? For example, if I then purchase a new app with my device under the shared iTunes AppleID, do the others then get it too? Even if they have unique iCloud accounts? If not, how can we do this? Thanks...

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Answer 8

user1724 Author

Level 3

535 points

Oct 17, 2011 6:45 PM in response to jefffromhuntington beach

Make it simple . . .

Apple ID used for purchases.

Apple ID used for iCloud.

They can be the same, or not. So you can share purchases and have different IDs for iCloud.

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Answer 9

Clacks

Level 1

0 points

Oct 24, 2011 9:47 AM in response to user1724

user1724 wrote:

Make it simple . . .

Apple ID used for purchases.

Apple ID used for iCloud.

They can be the same, or not. So you can share purchases and have different IDs for iCloud.

Hi could you tell me how this would work with the following please:

I have one Apple ID used in iTunes/App store etc. I have set up iCloud with this ID and created an @me email address which has linked itself to my Apple ID.

I have purchased an iPod Touch for my daughters xmas present. She has no Apple ID as yet.

How can I configure her Ipod touch to have her own iCloud space (for contacts and calendars etc) but share apps and music purchased under my Apple ID.

Many Thanks for any help!

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Answer 10

user1724 Author

Level 3

535 points

Oct 24, 2011 12:08 PM in response to Clacks

OK, here is how do make this work. All the details I can think of to give . ..

On any IOS device there is an entry for the Apple ID to be used for store purchases. You will find this in Settings > Store.

On any IOS device there are several Apple ID entries for using iCloud services. You will find these in Settings > iCloud and Settings > Messages.

Then there are also Apple ID entries in some apps, like Facetime, Find my Friends, . . .

Set them as you wish. If you have a shared family Apple ID for purchases then put that one in Store. And give each family member their own Apple ID for iCloud.

This is also true on your Mac. For the iCloud settings you can use one Apple ID, and a different one for the iTunes store.

Cannot get any easier than that.

In my case I am using one Apple ID for the Store, and separate iCloud Apple IDs for each family member. That way someone does not use the wrong ID and trash the person who would be using the Store Apple ID. There is no personal data on the Store Apple ID. Seems much safer and logical that way (to me). However, there is no reason why you could not have the Store Apple ID also be used by one person for iCloud.

Not sure what else can be said here. Apple provided a good solution for those of us who have been sharing an Apple ID in the family. Thanks Apple!

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Answer 11

Clacks

Level 1

0 points

Oct 25, 2011 12:13 PM in response to user1724

Thanks user1724!

I think I am getting the concept of what I need to do. One final question:

Each user has their own user account on the home MBP.

When using itunes which ID should be used? The main (family one) which I will use with iCloud or their own Apple ID that I will create.

If using the family ID how will this affect the back up to iCloud function if at all.

Hope this makes sense.

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Answer 12

user1724 Author

Level 3

535 points

Oct 25, 2011 2:05 PM in response to Clacks

The Macs work just the same.

Use one Apple ID for iCloud (in preferences), the same one you are using for iCloud on your iPhone. And use a different one (for shared purchases) in iTunes.

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Answer 13

Oct 26, 2011 7:41 PM in response to user1724

OK, I followed all in this post and it convinced me I want to set up a separate apple account for itunes purchases only. So, I went to itunes and at the bottom was the Manage Accounts item. I went through and could not set up a new account through itunes. I tried various combinations of name@me.com. It said I could not create a new Apple ID using an existing MobileMe email address. I tried the email, absolutelydifferent@me.com and a bunch of other bizaar ones.

So, can someone help me understand what I am doing wrong.

Thanks,

Shannon

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Answer 14

user1724 Author

Level 3

535 points

Oct 27, 2011 12:52 PM in response to Shannon Coffey1

Create your new Apple IDs here -> https://appleid.apple.com/

As for using me.com email accounts, I cannot help you. I am not using me.com email accounts as the ID. But I did create all the iCloud accounts I am using on my Mac using Lion at that url. I already had the one I am using for purchases (the old "shared" one).

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Answer 15

Mumzee

Level 1

0 points

Nov 5, 2011 12:09 PM in response to user1724

Son's phone was the guinea pig, but by jove, I think we've got it!

First, save photos, etc. from child/spouse/ ghost phantom phone

Delete iCloud account

Set up new Cloud accout linked to personal email. In our case gmail and all the ecoutrenents - (we paused to configure email/cloud settings).

Then go to:

Settings

Music

Scroll down to Home Sharing

Enter Apple ID/Password for primary Itunes account

When we went to iTunes from the phone, it prompted for Apple ID Password showing the primary/family account asking for the family password.

Hope this helps!

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