Family Sharing when having different accounts for purchasing and iCloud

Similar situation: I have one Apple ID for purchases that I share with my wife. We each have separate Apple IDs for iCloud services.

I am thinking that we use the shared purchase Apple ID as the organizer and invite our iCloud Apple IDs. The only issue seems to be that you must first log into the purchases/organizer ID on an iOS device, to start the invitations. I'm going to try this if I can find time today.

Yes. Ditto for me. I have had an Apple ID since 2004 (pre-@me). All my purchases are still associated with that account. My wife and I share that account to make iTunes purchases (music, movies, etc.), but also have individual @me (iCloud) accounts for mail, messages, iCloud files, etc. I thought that with Family Sharing I would be able to finally rid myself of having to manage that old Apple ID just for purchases, but not so. If anyone figures out how to do this I would love to know. Why is it so difficult for Apple to just allow transferring purchases to another account or "merge" accounts.

I was actually thinking of doing exactly what jd2020 suggested, but then realized I would have to tie e an iOS device to that old account, which I don't want to do.

It seems that they are so innovative in certain areas to blaze forward and abandon old outdated ideas, but in others they remain so stubborn....this being one.

Gents, you seem to be reading too much into this. I don't see any need to stay logged in to the organizing account.

Earlier today I signed out of iCloud on my iPad mini, then signed into iCloud with my iTunes purchase Apple ID (which then converts that account into an iCloud account, if it wasn't already). Then I activated Family Sharing and invited my primary iCloud email address and my wife's email. Then I signed out and re-connected to my primary iCloud account. Seems to be all set.

In fact, I am now logged into the store with the "purchasing" Apple ID, which is how I used to do it before. You enter the "purchasing" account password to confirm the connection, I believe. This is how I operated before -- both of us logged into the various Apple Stores with the purchasing account. Now you don't have to re-log in to that account account when purchasing, I suspect.

Maybe I'm missing something?

I was in fact missing something. I was still logged into the stores using my "purchase" ID. When I tried to make a purchase I was prompted for the "purchase" ID not my iCloud (Family Share) ID. So, I logged out of the Stores tab and signed in with the iCloud ID. Then you're prompted to verify your purchase info. Initially "None" was checked on a list of credit card types. I thought that's what it should be. Then click done.

When I tried to make a purchase I was sent to Identity Verification (because of 2 factor authentication). After getting the code I was returned to enter payment (credit card) info. So all this was for nothing. Definitely not working. I found that when you check Settings at www.iCloud.com it tells me about Family Sharing, but says "To manage Family Sharing go to Settings on your iOS device or System Preferences on your Mac." -- Ugh!

My understanding is that adult accounts require no approval, so this procedure should have worked, no? Now I'm probably going back to just using the other account for Store purchasing -- both of us logged into the various Apple Stores with the purchasing account.

Ok teach me to believe stuff I read on the Internet!! But I did get it to work.

So how in effect it is not working much differently to the old way under ios7 that worried me when iTunes Match was going to use "icloud" and not my existing Apple ID. But as we all found out we could use our @me.com or @icloud.com address for all they syncing stuff and then further down there was an option for your iTunes store account where most of us used our old iTunes Store account.

So after reading this thread and many similar articles on new family sharing I thought we may have the same issue, but it seems we are ok.

How I did it:

1) Set up Family Sharing,

2) when asked for AppleID enter my @me.com address and password

3) click next, it asks what AppleID to use for Store purchases for the family, here I entered my old store id which is so old is actually just a username.

4) confirm payment card

This seems to have worked, my purchases through AppStore are still made through my old id and all family purchases will be made through that id too.

But as far as my family are concerned @me.com addy is the organiser.

I have yet to set up family members but I trust Apple that it will work they haven't let me down yet (apart from the mucking around with Photostream that they seem to have done).

Also you can check in your settings whether it is set up correctly, go to Family Sharing via icloud settings, click on your name as organiser, it should show what AppleID your family purchases are made through, mine shows my normal AppStore ID, when I get home I'll upload some screenshots (once edited out my details!)

So if I get this right, what I should do is invite my "purchases" ID to Family Sharing from my usual mail/iCloud Apple ID? Is that correct?

I hope/wonder whether I can undo the family sharing from "purchase" Apple ID...

To clarify you will be asked to use your "old" purchase details to buy apps, as this is your purchase account, the family sharing organiser address is more to help communicating across your family (photo stream, calendars etc)

That sounds like it should work but that is not the case unless you want to lose the use of the other features of yours and your wives iCloud accounts. Then you both will be seeing everything that the other does in all the iCloud supported apps. Not a good look.....

I guess the reason for that is to stop people trying to do the purchases amongst friends, under current situation you can only share your ID on 5 devices, so a huaband and wife and two children are limited to 4 phones and one ipad.

This family sharing means each member of the family can use 5 devices each (However unlikely)

smokefortyaday wrote:

I guess the reason for that is to stop people trying to do the purchases amongst friends, under current situation you can only share your ID on 5 devices, so a huaband and wife and two children are limited to 4 phones and one ipad.

This family sharing means each member of the family can use 5 devices each (However unlikely)

The 5 device limit is for computers not iOS dcevices.

How utterly confusing Apple make things for us.

Why on earth would Family Sharing be grouped under iCloud settings rather than iTunes Store/AppStore Settings - you are sharing your iTunes purchases not your iCloud e-mail etc.

Admittedly for many people they will be the same, but they have clearly thought of this issue as you can select the account to use - why did they not put Family Sharing in the iTunes Settings section?

Same goes for Home Sharing - this is hidden away at the bottom of Music settings!

My recollection was that I could dowload content purchased with my own Store AppIeD to any number of iOS devices and 5 computers. I believe Mac AppStore purchases are not subject to the 5 computer limit either.

In the first link above we see this, and I wonder if by joining Family Sharing it makes things more stringent than they were:

Learn more

* Not all content and content types are available in all countries. All family members must use the same iTunes Store country or region. Music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers. Apps can be downloaded to any devices the family member owns or controls.

Is that per family sharing member account or 10 instances in total?

I am pretty sure 10 devices was the limit before so I don't think that part has changed. But note the subtle difference between how apps and other types of content are handled. Apps don't seem to have a device limit but other media types do. And 10 devices is starting to feel a little cramped even for a small family.