When I try to update my apps, I'm prompted for the password to my wife's account. I am the organizer of a family group and my wife is a member of that group. She is set up to share her purchases with the family. Shouldn't it allow me to update the apps without entering her password, even if the apps were purchased with her account, since she is sharing her purchases? I would rather not delete and reinstall all the apps if possible.
iPhone 6, iOS 9.3.4
If I read this article right:
Share purchased content with Family Sharing - Apple Support
especially the section "Download content from family members", you should indeed be able to download apps from your wife's account (if she is sharing that content) without knowing her password. I can't imagine why you would need to know another family member's password. under any circumstance That seems like a security risk to me. I also can't imagine why it would ask for your wife's account info when your try to download app updates that belong to you, unless it all has something to do with one or both of you changing your Apple ID recently - see the section in the link above on "Share content from a different Apple ID". If that is not the case, then I would contact Apple Support (use the link at the bottom of the page) to try to get this odd behavior straightened out.
It sounds as if you have installed this app while signed in to your wife's Apple ID, as opposed to installing it as a shared app while signed in with YOUR Apple ID.
You may have no choice but to remove some apps and re-install them using the correct Family Share procedures.
That's correct. We were sharing an account when I installed the apps on my device. Now trying to do the right thing by having separate accounts and apparently asking too much of iCloud to handle the transition gracefully.
Not really sure how to respond here.
What would you consider graceful?
You remove the app(s) in question from your device. Your wife checks to see she is sharing them.
You then install them on your device without having to purchase them again.
I would consider being able to sign in with a different Apple ID and not having to delete and reinstall all my apps graceful. The vast majority of the apps were free anyway, so the fact that we don't have to purchase them again isn't really helpful. If it knows my current account is authorized to install the app, it should allow my current account to update the app, even if the app was originally installed with a different account. Otherwise, it might as well require me to reset my phone when I sign in to the App Store with a different Apple ID since I'll have to reinstall everything anyway.
Your beef then, is with the essential purpose and design of an Apple ID.
I would consider being able to sign in with a different Apple ID and not having to delete and reinstall all my apps graceful.
Graceful maybe. Smart business? Not at all. An Apple ID was meant to an identifier for one person. That you want to use it differently is moot.
If it knows my current account is authorized to install the app, it should allow my current account to update the app, even if the app was originally installed with a different account.
Again. You seem to dislike security and Apple's desire to exert some control over the installation of the apps in the app store.
Apple has provided a solution for those wish to share apps.
App Store prompts for wrong account
