Family sharing Apple id

I've been using one Apple id for iTunes purchase - shared by all - and one for icloud data syncing - photos, contacts, calendar etc. With family sharing is there a way now to use the main iTunes account, change the email address to the icloud one I normally use and then take advantage of family sharing? There are a couple of issues that seem to prevent this, not least that you can't change an iTunes account email to an existing iCloud email. Also I would need to export or safe a load of icloud stuff locally to then migrate to the new account. And of course family sharing doesn't have shared everything eg. Shared contacts.
in the absence of Apple still not allowing us to merge accounts, has anyone else thought about how family sharing might provide a workaround and if so how?
Even as I type, I realise this is probably not the the answer!

Thanks for the quick reply

Similar Messages

Cannot start family sharing: Apple id is already used for shared purchases

I'm trying to set-up family sharing on multiple devices, but I'm informed that my mac.com address is "already used for shared purchases" and "accounts can only be part of one Family at a time" with a dialogue box of "OK". We are only one family, and all devices were recently under my iTunes/Apple account. How do I change that so that I can set up family sharing? I have an 11 year old itching for her own phone and want to be able to share, but also to manually approve purchases (which I think is the point of family sharing, especially with someone under 13.)

I FIGURED THIS ONE OUT!!! What happened was initially I had set up a Family Sharing account under my wife's old iCloud login (old email address) . I had set her up as the administrator of the account. We used MY credit card info to handle any purchases made.
Some time later we decided to share MY iCloud account rather than having separate accounts (thus, same email for iCloud login). While switching her out of her old iCloud login over to sharing my login, it never crossed my mind that I had used her old iCloud login to set up Family Sharing. Since her old iCloud login was set up as the administrator of the account, all I had to do was sign into iCloud with her old email address and password that she had used before. Once logged in, I went to Family Sharing and chose an option to stop Family Sharing. As soon as I did that, I re-logged in with the new shared iCloud account and was able to immediately set up Family Sharing. Phew!!!
Hope this helps

HT204053 Family shared Apple ID, Icloud and Itunes passwords & accounts confusing

We started out sharring itunes when kids were smaller and now they are older and have their own iphone5. How do you share itunes (with one password) with the family and all have their own icloud with individual icloud information without it all crossing. The Apple store said it was possible. Any ideas how to separate the passwords? Every time I change mine it makes the Apple ID and my Icloud the same and the kids have their own Icloud email and passwords they just set up. Trying to make Apple ID and Icloud separate passwords and family share itunes or even split itunes up somehow if we have to.

You can continue to share the same Apple ID for iTunes on all your devices; it does not need to be the same as the ID used for iCloud. If you change your iCloud account to a new ID you will be creating a new account, which will leave your current iCloud email address and photo stream behind. Is that what you want to do?

One Apple ID that the whole family uses it, is ther a better way to use family sharing?

My wife and I share the same apple ID on all of our apple devices (Mac-running Yosemite, Iphone 4s, Ipad), and my sons no have their own ipods and I want them to use the ID as well, but I am having trouble because I am getting txts and other messages when my sons send message to their friends.
My sons are 9 & 6 so getting them and Apple Id is not appropriate at this time (or allowed). Is there a way that I can set up a child account under our Apple ID?

Hi Mdbarnharts,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
It sounds like your family members are using the same Apple ID to share purchases, and now you're receiving messages sent and received by your kids.
You can set up and manage Apple IDs for your children through the Family Sharing feature.
You can find more information about Family Sharing and setting up an Apple ID for your kids at these resources:
Start or join a family group using Family Sharing - Apple Support
Family Sharing and Apple IDs for kids - Apple Support
All the best,
Jeremy

Can one apple ID belong to multiple family sharing groups?

I'm interested in starting a family sharing group with my siblings (surprise). They have children of their own, however, so if I invite them to my new group, will they also be able to create a different group for themselves with their children?
My thought is that my siblings can more easily share information and photos. I wasn't interested in approving app purchases for their children however so I thought they could create a separate group with their same parent ID for themselves with their children. If I'm thinking of this right, and ID needs the capability of belonging to multiple groups. Is that possible?
Thanks kindly.
Bill

Hi Mdbarnharts,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
It sounds like your family members are using the same Apple ID to share purchases, and now you're receiving messages sent and received by your kids.
You can set up and manage Apple IDs for your children through the Family Sharing feature.
You can find more information about Family Sharing and setting up an Apple ID for your kids at these resources:
Start or join a family group using Family Sharing - Apple Support
Family Sharing and Apple IDs for kids - Apple Support
All the best,
Jeremy

How do I set up family sharing when one family member doesn't have an apple id but is currently using mine?

I am trying to set up family sharing for my wife and me. I have a Macbook pro (running OS X Yosemite 10.10.1) and an iPhone 6. My wife has an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4s. All software is up to date. Currently we have one Apple ID which has both of our email addresses. Do I need to delete one of the email addresses and open up a new apple account with that email address? Will we lose anything if we do that?

Hi jas717,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
Because there are only two of you, the solution that I may recommend for sharing content would be to use one Apple ID (the one you already have) for iTunes and App Store purchases between both of you. This will allow the both of you have access to the same purchased content. If you would like to have different Contacts, Calendars, etc., you can create a second Apple ID for use with iCloud. This will allow you both to have separate iCloud information but still have access to all purchased content from iTunes and the App Store.
Set up your Apple ID for iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support
Use one Apple ID for iCloud and a different Apple ID for Store purchases
You can use different Apple IDs for iCloud and Store purchases and still get all of the benefits of iCloud.
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
When you first set up your device with iOS 5 or later, enter the Apple ID you want to use with iCloud. If you skipped the setup assistant, sign in to Settings > iCloud and enter the Apple ID you’d like to use with iCloud.
In Settings > iTunes and App Stores, sign in with the Apple ID you want to use for Store purchases. You might need to sign out first to change the Apple ID.
If I have misunderstood the situation or you are still curious about Family Sharing, please refer to the attached article for information on how to set up and use Family Sharing.
Start or join a family group using Family Sharing - Apple Support
Have a great day,
Joe

Family Sharing Music w/ Match & 2 Apple IDs

I set up my Family Sharing and, ran Match successfully through Itunes to put all my music on the cloud (it took a few tries but all three steps completed for 2791 songs). When I try to access my music from the ID's I have varying results. On the devices with the same ID as the original account it appears all the songs are downloadable (just checked a few). But when I try accessing the music from my other ID it is totally random and only shows 247 of the songs available, most of which won't download anyway. I'll have some songs from an album make it over and others that won't. It doesn't appear to be related to whether or not I purchased them on Itunes or ripped them from my original CDs as I've seen some songs that made it across and others that didn't in both online purchases as well as original CDs. I ran Match again and it completed fine but no improvement on the itunes or music app end.
Thoughts....

Hi,
You cannot use iTunes match as part of Family Sharing.
Which purchased content can I share using Family Sharing - Apple Support -
http://support.apple.com/en-us/ht4627
Note:
"There are a few things that you can't share:
Songs added to iTunes Match from outside the iTunes Store
In-App Purchases
Items that are no longer available on the iTunes Store
Items that were hidden
Apps that aren't shareable
If you're on an Apple TV, you can't access shared music."

Family sharing with multiple apple ids

Just a question about family sharing. My husband and I have decided to have separate apple ids but family sharing allows us to share purchases but does this also include iCloud storage or do we each have 5GB. Also if we do this route with our son what happens to his purchases we've approved when he decides he doesn't want to be on family sharing when he's 18.

Hi Nat8506,
Happy Holidays! I've included complete information for Family Sharing below, but to answer your specific questions:
Each Apple ID has it's own 5 GB of iCloud Storage
Once you son turns 18, if he decides to leave the Family Sharing, any purchases made with his Apple ID will remain his and no longer available to the family.
Family Sharing - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201060
Leave Family Sharing - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201081
What happens to your content when you stop sharing?
When you leave Family Sharing, your Apple ID is removed from the family group, and you stop sharing music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps with any remaining family members. In addition, any photos, calendars, and reminders shared by the family group will be removed from your devices. If you chose to share your location, you'll stop sharing your location with other family members, and your devices will be removed from the family Find My iPhone device list.
Any content that your family shared with you isn't automatically removed from your device. You can purchase it again or remove it to free up space on your device. If you downloaded an app from a family member’s purchase history and made In-App Purchases, you'll need to purchase the app yourself to access your In-App Purchases.
Any DRM-protected music, movies, TV shows, books, or apps that you previously downloaded from other family member's collections will no longer be usable, and other family members won't be able to use content downloaded from your collection. Learn more about Digital Rights Management (DRM) in iTunes for Mac or iTunes for Windows.
You'll keep any purchases you initiated while part of the family group. However, if the organizer was paying for your iCloud storage or any other ongoing subscriptions, you'll need to start paying for them yourself using a valid payment method on your account. Learn how to add a credit or debit card to your iTunes Store account.
Cheers,
Judy

Family sharing not working for music on Apple TV

We have Family Sharing set up and while we can see each other's purchases in Movies and TV shows we can not see our shared music.
Does anyone know how to view each other's music purchases on the Apple TV?
Thanks

Howdy dnajen1234,
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
In searching for shared music with Apple TV I found this.
Which purchased content can I share using Family Sharing - Apple Support
If you turned on Share My Purchases, you can share most content that's also available in iTunes in the Cloud. You can share Music, Movies, and TV shows from the iTunes Store. You can also share Books that you downloaded from the iBooks Store, and apps from the App Store. The availability of each content type depends on your country.
There are a few things that you can't share:
Songs added to iTunes Match from outside the iTunes Store
In-App Purchases
Items that are no longer available on the iTunes Store
Items that were hidden
Apps that aren't shareable
If you're on an Apple TV, you can't access shared music.
So it appears there are limits.
Take care,
Nubz

Can I manage my Family Sharing and child's Apple ID from my windows computer?

I've bought a refurbished iPhone in lieu of new iPod touch for a kid. I've had an iPod classic for some years and have always managed my involvement with apple via iTunes on a windows laptop. I want to set up an "under 13" identity for her and start family sharing, but I've yet to find explicit instructions on exactly how to do this. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

This should answer:
From the family Sharing Page (Family Sharing - Apple Support):
"You can use Family Sharing on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 8, your Mac with OS X Yosemite and iTunes 12, or your PC with iCloud for Windows 4.0. To get started, one adult in your household—the family organizer—sets up Family Sharing"
"iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are required to set up or join a Family Sharing group and are recommended for full functionality."
To set it up, go to your iCloud Settings on the iOS 8 device.
So basically, you can't manage it from your PC; from your PC, you can only access the shared iTunes content and other iCloud shared stuff such as photos, calendar etc.

I have an apple id with verizon and @me and i can't set up family sharing

i need help setting up family sharing because i have two apple id's one with verizon and one @me.com so i already purchased more storage on the cloud with verizon and when i signed in on the desktop to upload my library and set up homesharing i had to do another 9.99/mo plan because that computer only allows me to sign in with @me.com. I've read that I can't combine them?? So how can I fix this? Any easy solution?

Howdy Denise,
It is not possible to combine Apple IDs. See this article -
Frequently asked questions about Apple ID - Apple Support
You can set up Family Sharing using one of your Apple IDs by following the directions in this article -
iCloud: Family Sharing
Note in particular that in order to set up Family Sharing you need a Mac computer running Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite).
This article provides a good overview of Family Sharing and what you can do with it -
Family Sharing - Apple Support
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Brett L

Family sharing will not accept my apple id.

I open iCloud, log in - no issues. I try to turn on Family Sharing and it just will not accept my password. The pop up asking for password just keeps coming back. Advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

Hi mmbj,
Welcome to the Support Communities! Is it possible that you have more than one Apple ID? Are you trying to sign in to Family Sharing from an iOS device or a computer? The first step would be to go to My Apple ID and confirm your Apple ID and password. You can reset the password if you need to. I'm including some general information below for your Apple ID and Family Sharing.
Frequently asked questions about Apple ID - Apple Support
Family Sharing - Apple Support
All the best ...
- Judy

Can I use family sharing without a credit card

I want to set up family sharing in iCloud between my account and my dad's since we have separate accounts. Problem is, one of them needs a credit card and my sister tends to make purchases from iTunes cards that weren't for her. Can I set up family sharing without using a credit card? I have a friend who used his parents credit card and one day, they got a $500 bill from iTunes on purchases they didn't make. The account was hacked somehow and the last thing my parents need is to have one of their cards hijacked again.

Apple suggests that in this case you add with a credit card then switch back: Start or join a family group using Family Sharing - Apple Support
"When you create an account for a child, you must use a credit card as the payment method as part of providing your parental consent. After you create the child's Apple ID, you can change your payment method if you choose."
Annoying, but presumably there are technical constraints that make this difficult. I hope they'll fix at some point but this at least means I can set it up. I don't use a credit card but I have one around that I can use to at least set up the accounts.

How can a parent restrict a child's access to a PARENT'S PRE-EXSISTING iTunes account via iCloud's Family Sharing Program?

How can a parent restrict a child's access to a PARENT'S PRE-EXSISTING iTunes account via iCloud's Family Sharing Program? To explain further... I have a young son who is on my iCloud family sharing program... I am excited to be able to share SOME of my music in my iTunes library, but there are some songs and music videos that are not age appropriate for him and currently there is no way to restrict him from viewing and downloading anything off of my iTunes library. Yes, I suppose I can delete the songs he shouldn't have access to, but I don't think I should have to do that... I paid for them and still like them and listen to them while I work out or am without my kids. Is there a way for me to personally select which songs/videos I would like to "hide" from my children in an effort to shield them from inappropriate content?

Hello ggg39,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
I understand that you have some content in your iTunes library that you would like to restrict access for the child set up on Family Sharing with you. To do this, you can set restrictions on the child’s device as described in the attached article.
Family Sharing - Apple Support
Now kids under 13 can have their own Apple IDs. As a parent or legal guardian, the family organizer can create an Apple ID for a child and add the child to the family group automatically. Ask to Buy is turned on by default, and the organizer can also limit the content kids have access to on their devices through Restrictions on an iOS device or parental controls in OS X and iTunes.
For more information on restrictions and how to set them up, please reference the next attached article.
About Restrictions (parental controls) on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Have a great day,
Joe

How to set-up and use FAMILY Sharing

Can someone please explain to me in detail how to set-up and use FAMILY Sharing, none of the information I have so far found in the documentation helps at all, in fact it puts you in a constant loop giving the same information over and over again
We have quite a few devices from ipads, iphones and ipods and I need to set-up Family Sharing.
We have our main Apple ID which is linked to our Payment method, I have now got my son a new iPad, I have created his Apple ID and set-up a link via FAMILY Sharing to our main Apple ID.
From what I read we should be able to share our purchased Apps between family members.
So I figured I would be able to get the Apps now via iTunes that are part of the FAMILY Sharing, however when I go into ITunes (latest version downloaded yesterday) I can only see the Home sharing menu item not FAMILY Sharing, so I cannot work out in Itunes how to get Apps that are FAMILY shared. So ok I will try and get Apps directly via the Ipad using the App Store. To test it is working I look for a known paid for App, I then go to download it and it is now asking me to pay for it again.
Can someone please explain to me in detail how FAMILY Sharing is supposed to work and how I get it to work please.
Thanks for your help
Greg

Hey GregWr,
Thanks for the question. The following resources provides some of the best information regarding Family Sharing. Included, you’ll find information on making sure the accounts are set to "Share my purchases”, as well as information on downloading Family Member purchases from the iTunes Purchased section. Please note that some applications are not shareable.
Sharing purchased content with Family Sharing - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201085
Which purchased content can I share using Family Sharing - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203046
If you don't see your family's shared content - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201454
Thanks,
Matt M.

Family sharing Apple id

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for