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Level 1

29 points

Family Sharing Device Limit

I am desperate for a definitive answer on this topic. I've called Apple and I can't get a firm answer from the people on the other end, they are literally reading from the same support articles that are causing my confusion in the first place.

I had an Apple ID since they were first available. When iCloud ID's came along, I created a different iCloud ID instead of reusing my Apple ID. So, for some time, I have an iCloud ID that I use for services (messages, drive, FaceTime, backup, etc) and an Apple ID that I use for purchases.

As my family because Apple users, I gave them each their own iCloud ID so their services are kept separate but they use my Apple ID as the "store ID" so that we are sharing purchases. Nothing wrong here, Apple even explains how to do this in a s support article. Unfortunately, like many of you, we hit the 10 device limit for the store ID which causes all kinds of problems.

When Family Sharing came out, I assumed this would correct the problem by pushing the 10 device limit out to each user. So, for instance, right now my family of 4 has a limit of 10 devices across everyone, whereas I thought Family Sharing would push the limit out to 10 devices each, so theoretically, if we all maxed out our devices, 40 devices could be buying off of the same account organizer iCloud account.

So, we come to this statement in the Apple Support Article about Family Sharing:

"Family Sharing requires a personal Apple ID signed in to iCloud and iTunes 12. Music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers."

I've been trying to clarify with Apple, and can't, what they mean by this. I read it as "per account" or "per user" since it says "10 devices per account." Two Apple people have said no, it's per family share. "Per account" and "per family share" are two extremely different things and the article should be updated and clarified if that is the case. And it's hard to even believe them since they sound like they are guessing at their answer and again, their only source of info seems to be this knowledge article and the statement highlighted above. They are literally guessing at the answer.

It makes no sense to me that Apple would allow a family of 6 to share purchases and limit the family to 10 devices. Heck, if each person had an iPhone and an iPad, they'd exceed the limit.

So, I'm looking for anyone who has actually set up FS and can confirm these limits. Not looking for more speculation please. Someone who has actually setup family sharing, has lots of devices, and can confirm if it's 10 per family share or 10 per user on the share.

Thanks!

Posted on Jul 15, 2016 8:13 AM

Best reply

jlt0812

Level 1

10 points

Posted on Jul 8, 2017 7:34 AM

Your last sentence is funny. I still don't think you understand the OP's question. And you clearly don't understand what many of us long term Apple customers deal with in terms of iCloud IDs vs. iTunes ID. Yes, they are both Apple IDs. iTunes was launched BEFORE iCloud. Apple has never come up with a way to merge IDs.

The 10 device limit is silly. You are losing business over this whether your realize this or not. Example: my daughter wanted to rent a movie today on a brand new iPad mini. She couldn't because we are at our 10 device limit as a family. Half of the devices on the list of 10 we don't even own anymore (they have been replaced). No way to remove because of some other weird restriction. Anyway, no solution so my daughter rented a movie from Amazon video. Not the first time this has happened.

It is really a shame. I think your team there is overly obsessed with the .5% of customers who are trying to game the system somehow. Most of us just want to buy more apple devices and spend more money with you....

I would think Apple would want to support that.

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18 replies

Jul 15, 2016 8:31 AM in response to Atlantax

Firstly, there is no such thing as an iCloud ID, iCloud is a service which you use in conjunction with your Apple ID.

Secondly nothing has changed, you can have 10 devices associated with an Apple ID, if you use 3 Apple ID's on one device it will count as one device against each of those 3 Apple ID's, I'm not sure why Apple couldn't explain this to you, it seems fairly straight forward to me.

Atlantax Author

Level 1

29 points

Jul 15, 2016 8:56 AM in response to Winston Churchill

Thanks, simply using the terms iCloud ID vs Apple ID to help differentiate I'm using one solely for services and one for purchases. Second, I don't think you understood the situation. I never said I was using multiple (3 in your example) Apple ID's on one device. Each person has their own Apple ID and each person has their own devices. They each log into their personal iCloud account via THEIR Apple ID and they log into the iTunes/App Store with the Apple ID I use for purchases. This is how MANY people did this prior to family sharing being introduced and it's well documented by Apple on how to do this on their website. In this case however, Apple sees more than 10 devices purchasing off of one ID. If we go to family sharing, the setup would change. Each user would now enter their Apple ID into both the iCloud login and the store login on their devices, and Family Share would tell Apple to put their purchases against my Apple ID. By apple stating that you can have 10 devices per Apple ID, it's not clear if they are talking about the individual users Apple ID which would be on each of their devices, or the family share organizers Apple ID which would present the same challenge of exceeding 10 devices. It seems crazy that apple would limit a family to 10 devices especially since they allow 6 people on the family share.

Jul 15, 2016 9:17 AM in response to Atlantax

There is no such thing as any iCloud ID, so if you decide to use it what should I decide it means. Contacts and calendars etc are associated with iCloud, purchases of music and movies etc are associated with iTunes and purchase of books is associated with iBooks, you use your Apple ID to sign into each of these services (and others).

It's iTunes that is related to the 10 associated devices, if you enable Family sharing on any device its uses up an association for the iTunes account that uses the Apple ID used on that device, it doesn't use use up an association related to the iTunes accounts associated with the Apple ID's of the other family members.

it's all quite simple really.

Family Sharing Device Limit