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Best way to set up 2 X iPads for kids; use my existing iTunes account or set up new ones?

Hi guys,


I'm planning on buying by daughters an iPad each this Xmas. I am a long time Mac User and obviously have an apple user ID and iTunes account/iPhones etc etc.


I would like to know the best way to set the iPads up as my daughters are 4 and 7. Ideally I think I would like be able to share iTunes content with the iPads as I already have quite a few apps and music that I have bought for them (using my iTunes account) that they play on my iPhone and iMac.


I suppose what I'm really asking is should I set them each up with their own Apple User ID's and iTunes accounts or should I name the iPads in their names but just use with my existing iTunes account for music and Apps?


Grateful of any advice from folks who've done similar, (PS I'm okay with setting up security and browsing etc to make sure the devices are child safe so not really look for advice re that, rather more concerned about how easy it will be to share content vs the merits of setting up their own accounts for future use)


Many Thanks

Posted on Nov 14, 2015 2:41 AM

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Posted on Nov 14, 2015 10:40 AM

If you want to share your iTunes content you would set them up on your account on the new iPads. Then under General->Restrictions turn the ones you want to restrict them from on (iTunes and iBookstore). You just need to remember what your restriction passcode is though. I put mine in my lockbox just in case.


Anytime they want to use a restricted app they'll be presented with the passcode entry screen. As long as you have the code it will allow access (download/buy in this instance).

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Nov 14, 2015 10:40 AM in response to LiveWire01

If you want to share your iTunes content you would set them up on your account on the new iPads. Then under General->Restrictions turn the ones you want to restrict them from on (iTunes and iBookstore). You just need to remember what your restriction passcode is though. I put mine in my lockbox just in case.


Anytime they want to use a restricted app they'll be presented with the passcode entry screen. As long as you have the code it will allow access (download/buy in this instance).

Nov 25, 2015 2:49 AM in response to bedardjr8

Thanks for the advice guys and apologies for the delay in replying.


I really just want to be sure that when I hook the iPads up to my iMac: iTunes will open and I will be able to drag and drop music onto them? (an extensive playlist of 1D ***sigh***). Do I understand your post correctly bedardjr8? i.e. I have to set up the new iPads under my iTunes Account/Apple ID to do this? (I noticed that my partner's iPhone won't play ball with my current iTunes library, I can't drop MP3s onto there despite them just being ripped CDs) I'm happy to do so.


AJ397- I've checked out the family Sharing Apple ID for Kids, this looks great but as it's cloud based will they only be able to access the content when near Wifi? (i.e. at home) . . .I'm not planning on getting them 3g so I want to physically load the content onto the iPad's memory for long journeys etc.

Nov 25, 2015 2:52 AM in response to AJ397

Thanks for the advice guys and apologies for the delay in replying.


I really just want to be sure that when I hook the iPads up to my iMac: iTunes will open and I will be able to drag and drop music onto them? (an extensive playlist of 1D ***sigh***). Do I understand your post correctly bedardjr8? i.e. I have to set up the new iPads under my iTunes Account/Apple ID to do this? (I noticed that my partner's iPhone won't play ball with my current iTunes library, I can't drop MP3s onto there despite them just being ripped CDs) I'm happy to do so.


AJ397- I've checked out the family Sharing Apple ID for Kids, this looks great but as it's cloud based will they only be able to access the content when near Wifi? (i.e. at home) . . .I'm not planning on getting them 3g so I want to physically load the content onto the iPad's memory for long journeys etc.

Nov 25, 2015 3:08 AM in response to AJ397

To put my question more clearly (having re read the family sharing info):


If I set up family sharing and give each kid (and their iPad) their own "Apple ID for kids" will I be able to drag and drop MP3's from my iTunes library (including MP3s ripped from CD's and also MP3s etc purchased previously from iTunes) onto their iPads physical memory?


Many Thanks.

Nov 25, 2015 6:04 AM in response to LiveWire01

LiveWire01 wrote:


To put my question more clearly (having re read the family sharing info):


If I set up family sharing and give each kid (and their iPad) their own "Apple ID for kids" will I be able to drag and drop MP3's from my iTunes library (including MP3s ripped from CD's and also MP3s etc purchased previously from iTunes) onto their iPads physical memory?


Many Thanks.

I am not sure about the ripped CD's. Maybe give Apple support a call and ask them. When you download music or an app it will be on the iPads physical memory.


Your previous purchases will be availableto them as well. See this excerpt from the following article: Family Sharing - Apple Support

All your family’s purchases, on all your family’s devices.

Once you’ve set up Family Sharing, all the eligible songs, albums, movies, TV shows, books, and apps ever purchased by family members are immediately available to everyone else in the family. And, of course, so are new purchases. The content appears automatically in the Purchased tab in iTunes, iBooks, or the App Store for each family member. Just select the family member whose collection you’d like to browse, then download and play the content you choose. Other family members can access your collection in the same way. If you want to keep some purchases private, you can choose to hide individual items.

Nov 25, 2015 7:57 AM in response to AJ397

Thanks for the prompt reply,


Say I don't set family sharing up? Can't I just set 2 iPads up on my apple ID/iTunes account (as bedardjr8 suggested) and then just manually manage music in iTunes as I do already with my iPhone? And under these circs surely it will allow me to drag and drop mp3's of CD's that have been in my iTunes library for years? All this cloud stuff gets on my nerves. I've searched the forums and I'm amazed this has never come up before, I still like to buy CD's for my kids, surely I should be able to import into iTunes and transfer them to whatever device I have registered in my name? . . .I've championed Apple for years but stuff like this gets on my nerves . . .so much so I was looking at Android Tablet options for them, transferring files to them seems to be so much easier (albeit with an Android Transfer App) that is. . .


I guess at some point I'm just going to have to take the plunge and see.

Dec 12, 2015 3:14 PM in response to AJ397

Hi guys, thanks again for all your previous help. I got the iPads and have set them up thanks to your help. I have a new question which kin of relates to what I was asking before so thought I'd post here:

I've set them up under my apple ID and successfully got all the Apps I wanted (previously purchased) on there and music etc. Very happy with how easy the set up was. I did the whole set up WITHOUT plugging them into my iMac.


HOWEVER: I want to be able to drag and drop MP3s from my iTunes library to them (not items purchased from the iTunes store which have already showed up automatically via iCloud which is great) BUT when I connect the iPads physically to my iMac; iTunes prompts me to either set them up as new devices or transfer data from my iPhone. The iPads do show up in the left panel of iTunes but iTunes will not let me explore them or drag any mp3s to them.


So . . . IF I click to set them up as "New iPad"s will I be back to square one and have to set them up all over again? (I really don't want to do this as it took a while to set the restrictions, remove inappropriate apps, set You-Tube safe search etc etc . . .) OR: after I click set up as "New iPad" will iTunes recognise that they already have content and just get them to the stage where they play ball with iTunes on my iMac?


Really grateful of any help (again!). Thanks. :-)

Dec 12, 2015 3:17 PM in response to bedardjr8

Hi guys, thanks again for all your previous help. I got the iPads and have set them up thanks to your help. I have a new question which kin of relates to what I was asking before so thought I'd post here:

I've set them up under my apple ID and successfully got all the Apps I wanted (previously purchased) on there and music etc. Very happy with how easy the set up was. I did the whole set up WITHOUT plugging them into my iMac.


HOWEVER: I want to be able to drag and drop MP3s from my iTunes library to them (not items purchased from the iTunes store which have already showed up automatically via iCloud which is great) BUT when I connect the iPads physically to my iMac; iTunes prompts me to either set them up as new devices or transfer data from my iPhone. The iPads do show up in the left panel of iTunes but iTunes will not let me explore them or drag any mp3s to them.


So . . . IF I click to set them up as "New iPad"s will I be back to square one and have to set them up all over again? (I really don't want to do this as it took a while to set the restrictions, remove inappropriate apps, set You-Tube safe search etc etc . . .) OR: after I click set up as "New iPad" will iTunes recognise that they already have content and just get them to the stage where they play ball with iTunes on my iMac?


Really grateful of any help (again!). Thanks. :-)

Best way to set up 2 X iPads for kids; use my existing iTunes account or set up new ones?

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