how do i stop contacts changing on my 4s when i make change on my 6 or add a new contact it goes onto my 4s

Sounds like you are using iCloud on both devices, just sign out of your iCloud on the 4S. Problem solved! 🙂

ok so there are two COMPLETELY separate accounts?

interesting, iCloud is the ONLY link that would make contacts change across devices. I actually work with Apple, and thats literally the only thing i could think of that would make contacts merge like that.

Does it make changes to our phone when she makes changes?

auburnskys wrote:

interesting, iCloud is the ONLY link that would make contacts change across devices.

No, any shared account that syncs contacts will do that. I use Google. My contacts stay in sync across my iPhone, iPad and whatever my current Android phone is.

Horton123 wrote:

yeah, I have just turned her data thing of on icloud settings and that has worked but I dunno if I should turn it of or not it deleted all the contacts of her phone and now have to type them all back in but if it works then it is worth doing I suppose

It will probably be easier in the long run if your mum has her own Apple ID.

True but the user said by breaking the iCloud connection that stopped the syncing.

AppleGirl4231 wrote:

True but the user said by breaking the iCloud connection that stopped the syncing.

Yes, in this case it was a shared Apple ID. But I wasn't replying to the OP. I was replying to aubunskys who said iCloud was the only way.

She was probably assuming since the device was used by the user before, generally iCloud is the combining factor

AppleGirl4231 wrote:

She was probably assuming since the device was used by the user before, generally iCloud is the combining factor

I think you're misunderstanding the narrow scope of my reply. The statement that iCloud is the only way to sync contacts across iOS devices is factually incorrect. That statement and only that statement was the focus of my reply.

I'm not in a position to make any assumptions about anything that poster thought (or even their gender). I can only go by what they wrote.

However the original post stated that the changes went to their parents phone as well. Yes, signing in to a gmail across many devices will allow contacts to sync over but in this case as the situation may be iCloud logically made more sense. It's not fair to berate some one for focusing more on the specifics of the issue. I know you have tons of time to spend here and have bookoos of points, but the chances of having the same mail account on a device clearly being used by another person is EXTREMELY unlikely..... They made a mistake in their wording. Call it a day... 🙂

AppleGirl4231 wrote:

However the original post stated that the changes went to their parents phone as well...

As I stated, I was not replying to the original post. I made very clear, with a quote, to what I was replying. If auburnskys has an issue with my correcting their misinformation, they are free to comment.

but the chances of having the same mail account on a device clearly being used by another person is EXTREMELY unlikely.`

No, it's not unlikely at all, I see it quite frequently. Though I would never consider sharing an email account with someone else, many people (often couples or families) do.