Daughter getting iPhone Messages I send my wife on iPhone

I know this has be discussed before, but all of the searches I've made via Google show older results that don't reflect the latest 10.2.1 iOS Settings layouts.


We recently got my daughter a new iPad and put her on our family iCloud plan. I now get photos from her iPad on my iMac at home, and she gets the Messages my wife and I send back and forth on our iPhones.


How do I eliminate this privacy breach? Just now on MY iPhone, I've got to Settings > Messages and turned off iMessage. What more do I need to do to keep our personal conversations private?


Thanks!

iPhone 6, iOS 9.3.5, 16GB black model

Posted on Feb 3, 2017 12:16 PM

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23 replies

Feb 3, 2017 12:51 PM in response to applesmartz

In response to "...when sharing an iCloud account,...", it should be emphasized that iCloud accounts are really not meant to be shared between users (between devices is OK). Yes, there are "workarounds" that can be used in some situations. But sooner or later sharing iCloud account will bite you (maybe with a future iOS upgrade). You can do almost anything you might want to by using Family Sharing instead (which is Apple's recommended way).


Family Sharing - Apple Support

Feb 3, 2017 1:03 PM in response to Kort

Kort wrote:


Thanks Michael. I'm quite certain there used to be a plan for family members, but the implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

There has never been a family plan with iCloud. There is family sharing - http://www.apple.com/icloud/family-sharing/ but that works with each member still maintaining their private individual accounts.


Each iCloud account though has always been intended for use and ownership by a single user. For one thing it is tied to an AppleID, which is the key to the kingdom of all services available from Apple. Apple has never recommended anyone ever share their AppleID (Security and your Apple ID - Apple Support).

Feb 3, 2017 1:09 PM in response to Kort

Family Sharingsounds like what you are looking for. This will give each person their own Apple ID for their device to make it their own, but will allow them access to apps that you have purchased. They won't have access to any of your other information, but they will be able to download apps that you have purchased and use it on their own devices. You don't want to allow them to access your Apple ID as this will allow them access to all your information including your pictures and will also cause your phone to forward messages to other devices that are tied to the same Apple ID which is most likely why your daughter is getting your messages.


Create her an Apple ID of her own, and then add her to your Family Sharing and she'll be able to get access to apps that you have purchased and be able to download them and if there is anything that she wants to purchase you can set it so she will have to get authorization before your card gets charged for any purchases she wants. This will keep all the rest of your information private. It will also allow you to share music, and there is even a family calendar so if one person adds an event on the calendar, it will update everyone that is on the Family Sharing group.

Feb 3, 2017 12:46 PM in response to Kort

There is no such thing as a family iCloud plan. iCloud accounts are strictly single user accounts, not intended to be shared amongst people. Same thing goes for iMessage and FaceTime accounts. These are not shared account services and nothing about them is intended for multiple users.


Everyone should have their own private AppleID for use with iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime and the App, iBooks and iTunes stores. You use family sharing to share purchased content from the stores, and things like iCloud Photo sharing to share chosen photo's.

Feb 3, 2017 12:45 PM in response to KiltedTim

KiltedTim, I guess it depends on your definition of a privacy breach. The fact that my daughter can "listen in" on my wife's and I's (and others) conversations is a privacy breach. Perhaps by our own doing, but one does not expect that to happen when using the basic settings. My daughter is a minor and thus is linked to my account. I'll look into getting her her own that I can still monitor as the need arises.

Feb 3, 2017 1:04 PM in response to applesmartz

I guess I need to contact Apple and see about consolidating my accounts. My wife and I both have iCloud accounts for our iPhones because there could not be one shared account. I've tried to implement family sharing, but the manner in which files get stored to iCloud and access to the accounts has become rather a hassle.

Feb 3, 2017 1:22 PM in response to applesmartz

With "workarounds", I used the caveats - "in some situations" and "sooner or later". Its your device, use it as you wish - just be aware. There are pros & cons to almost everything. For instance with separate iCloud accounts, everyone gets 5 GB of free storage. But then if you need more, every user has to purchase their own additional storage. The choice is yours.

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Daughter getting iPhone Messages I send my wife on iPhone

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