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Syncing iphone with two different computers

My current Macbook Pro is now five years old and I soon plan on buying one of the new flash based Macbook Pros. I would like to turn my old Macbook Pro into an Itunes/media server and keep all of my music stored there. I do not want to keep any music on the new computer. Is it possible to sync my iphone with the new computer (contacts, apps, etc.), but transer music off of the other computer onto my iphone. If it can be done, can it be done wirelessly, or would I have to use a USB cable every time I want to update my music.


Thanks!

iPhone 4

Posted on Jun 13, 2012 6:07 AM

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Posted on Jun 13, 2012 6:30 AM

It's iTunes content that an iPhone will sync or manually manage with only one computer at a time...music, apps, videos, photos, etc. So, you'd need to put ALL of your iTunes content on one computer or external drive & then sync just contacts & calendars with the other computer.

11 replies

Jun 13, 2012 6:37 AM in response to Murahachibu

If the old MBP is really going to contain "all" iTunes stuff,

proceed as follows:


-set up the iTunes folder on the old MBP to be able

to be shared and available on the network.

-On the new Macbook Pro, connect to the old MBP

over your network and be sure to mount the volume

with the iTunes folder.

-Open iTunes on the new MBP while holding down the

option key. You will get a dialog box asking to create

a new library or open existing. Choose open existing

and navigate to the iTunes folder on the old MBP

that you connected to in the previous step.

-Now, you should be able to sync your phone on the new

computer.


caveats:

-iTunes will only be able to be openned on the new MBP

or the old MBP. iTunes cannot access the same library

this way from two computers.

-Obviously, the old MBP will need to be on and connected

to the network.

-If by mistake you open iTunes without connecting to

the "master" library and you sync the phone, all iTunes

material will be wiped. You would then need to connect

iTunes to the correct library and do a restore to last backup.


I have a system set up where my iTunes Library is on a

hard drive connected to an Airport Extreme Base Station

and all my Macs point to it. So, all of my Macs iTunes

access that drive. I can also sync my iPhone and iPod

on any of the Macs. The one issue there is syncing

contacts and such, but I have taken care of that by setting

that info to be synced accross devices via iCloud.

Jun 13, 2012 6:39 AM in response to Murahachibu

Like wjosten said you can only sync your phone with one computer BUT iCloud helps you out.


Here's what you could do:

- keep your iPhone synced with the old MacBook Pro but uncheck the info-panel (Calender, Contacts etc.)

- now only your music, video and apps are synced with your old MacBook Pro

- enable wireless sync in iTunes and on your iPhone

- enable iCloud on your iPhone and your new MacBook Pro

Jun 13, 2012 6:56 AM in response to kasparklink

It never occurred to me to have my iPhone tied to the old computer. It seemed only natural to want it move it to the new computer, but I suppose it doesn't really matter as long as the calender and contacts sync via iCloud. This would also allow me to keep my photo library on the old computer as well, which would free up even more space on the new computer.

Nov 22, 2012 1:41 PM in response to Murahachibu

I posted this in another forum and it is being copied & pasted. This is my own personal solution to this problem.


Not sure if I am replying to this the proper way since this is my first time in an Apple forum. I have found a work around to this that's simple and I've been doing it for quite sometime now. From what I understand when you try to add music to your iPod/iPhone on a different computer, it won't allow you to manually manage the music (drag & drop), because it has been synced/used on another computer. Basically the idea is that you would wan't to hook your iPod/iPhone up to any random computer & drag music to it.


What I do when I'm on a different computer is I check the option to "manually manage my music" & click apply. iTunes will let you know that the iPod/iPhone has been previously synced with another computer. I don't remember what comes after that because I just this second added music to my iPhone from another computer. I think you get one or two more pop up messages. But basically you unplug your iPod/iPhone the second it starts to sync. If you wait to long, your music will get deleted. When you plug back in your iPod/iPhone, the "manually manage my music" option should remain checked. If it isn't checked, repeat the process but don't be as quick pulling out the usb cable as you did the 1st time.

Nov 22, 2012 2:17 PM in response to Murahachibu

Murahachibu wrote:


My current Macbook Pro is now five years old and I soon plan on buying one of the new flash based Macbook Pros. I would like to turn my old Macbook Pro into an Itunes/media server and keep all of my music stored there. I do not want to keep any music on the new computer. Is it possible to sync my iphone with the new computer (contacts, apps, etc.), but transer music off of the other computer onto my iphone. If it can be done, can it be done wirelessly, or would I have to use a USB cable every time I want to update my music.


Thanks!

http://www.iskysoft.com/topic-iphone/sync-iphone-with-multiple-macs.html


User uploaded file

Nov 22, 2012 3:26 PM in response to HUSTLE HARD

HUSTLE HARD wrote:


That sounds like something a little to complicated that cannot be done. The only thing I can think of is if you have your iPhone set up to back up everything to iCloud & then you just use the old computer for transfering music. Contacts, photos, etc are back up to iCloud.

Maybe for some. Gives me peace of mind that I have two backups.


User uploaded file

Apr 4, 2013 9:17 AM in response to Murahachibu

My iphone is giving me a headache.


I bought all my apps through my mothers computer, through her itunes.

All of my music is on mine, and I'd like to know if it's possible to sync MY computer, without removing the apps? It's not possible for me to put my music on her computer, she lives in another country.

This is a major schlepp, honestly. If I'd known it was this complicated I'd have gotten an other phone.

Apr 5, 2013 12:07 PM in response to Marciia

There is a complicated way of copying the iTunes folder from one computer to another. But if you purchased all of your apps legit from her iTunes account, hook the iPhone up to your computer, choose the option to transfer all purchases to your computer. After that, sync the iPhone to your computer, which will delete the apps from the phone. Then just add the apps & music back to the phone & only sync with that computer in the future.

Syncing iphone with two different computers

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