Q: Family sharing when you have a shared iTunes ID for purchases
I can not solve my Apple ID problem and my need for Family Sharing. Here is the issue: I have 7 Apple IDs but Family Sharing only allows six. This is my breakdown:
1.) Shared Apple ID for purchases
2.) My Apple ID
3.) Wife's Apple ID
4.) Son's Apple ID
5.) Son's Apple ID
6.) Son's Apple ID
7.) Daughter's Apple ID
If I drop the shared account I loose all my purchases. If I drop mine or my wife's individual account I loose all of our contacts, mail, etc. Also, because the shared account is not an @iCloud account but a @ymail account I would still have to have second @icloud account for email anyway.
Is there anyway to merge the purchase account to my individual account or transfer the purchases? If not, is there a way to change the purchase account to a new @iCloud account so I don't have to use two accounts?
I would love any help.
Thanks
Posted on Sep 15, 2015 8:42 PM
OK, so if you are wanting to do the Family Sharing so you can have kids under 13 with an Apple ID, then you might want to go a different route. For the Apple ID that has been used for all purchases up to this point, do you have a single computer that has the iTunes Library for that Apple ID?
Here's what I'm thinking:
If you have a Mac with an iTunes library that has the purchases done by the currently shared ID, then you could sync all of your devices to that library to get any of the purchases to date on the individual devices (music, books, movies, etc.). So you would get those existing purchases to the devices by syncing.
Then you would set up Family Sharing with your Apple ID as the Organizer and put a credit card on it that can be used for future "Family Sharing" purchases.
Add the rest of your family to the Family Sharing account, setting up your kids' Apple IDs, and turn on Ask to Buy for the minors.
Going forward, any new purchases would be under your Apple ID, but would be shared by the entire family.
If the computer where your library resides required downloading some purchases in order to get the library "up to date", then you would not be able to do the next step for 90 days, otherwise, you could do it immediately:
On the computer where the Library of the purchases from the original Shared ID resides, sign on your Apple ID and authorize the computer to that ID. Then as you do new Family Sharing purchases with that ID, you can download those to that same iTunes library, so that it will contain both the old shared ID purchases and any new purchases you make with your Apple ID.
That way, if someone wants to re-sync their device they will have an iTunes library to sync with that has the full compliment of all of your purchases.
Does that make sense?
Cheers,
GB
BTW - not sure if you have seen these links, but thought I would share in case you haven't:
http://www.apple.com/icloud/family-sharing/
Posted on Sep 15, 2015 10:22 PM