Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

maintaining two or more iphones with one itunes account

N

needthephone

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 4, 2006
813
0
sydney
My wife and I have iphones which are set up very differently- ie different music, photos, apps contacts, email.

Every time I update the ios or back up I always end up screwing one phone up so it looks like the other.

Is there any way of maintaining two iphones without having to manually configure them?

This must be a common problem?
 
Searching shows that this is a very common issue. Many households have several iPhones.

I tried two user accounts on my Mac but then all my music and photos ec doesn't show up in my wifes iTunes or iPhoto. So not practical.

Why does it always show the iPhone as the same iPhone regardless that mine is a 4 and my wifes is a 3GS.

Come on apple we all love the iPhone so much that many households have several but maintaining them from one pc or Mac is a nightmare.

Surely you can do better???
 
needthephone said:
Searching shows that this is a very common issue. Many households have several iPhones.

I tried two user accounts on my Mac but then all my music and photos ec doesn't show up in my wifes iTunes or iPhoto. So not practical.

Why does it always show the iPhone as the same iPhone regardless that mine is a 4 and my wifes is a 3GS.

Come on apple we all love the iPhone so much that many households have several but maintaining them from one pc or Mac is a nightmare.

Surely you can do better???
Click to expand...

Yes, you can do better !

1) Set up multiple users accounts on the Mac IS the right way.

2) Issue of iTunes: You should turn ON the Home Sharing on both iTunes (iTunes>Advanced>Turn On Home Sharing). Then you can manage how you share/sync between your iTunes contents and your wife iTunes (Click on the SHARED library then using the Setting button located @ bottom right side of iTunes). This will solve your issue how to share the music library and also Apps (you can share the Apps purchased on your Itunes with your wife :) )

3) Issue of iPhoto: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2024345

4) Address Book: your wife will have her own Address Book with her iPhone. If you want to share your Address Book then:
a. using MobileMe if you have it
b. otherwise, you can export your Address Book then merge it with your wife Address Book

5) Backup & Update: No more issue (she will have her own iPhone backup)

When you have this setup done, your nightmare will be ... over (unless you forget to switch to your wife Mac account BEFORE connect the iPhone to the Mac :D )

I have this setup with 2 phones 4 and it works.

Good Luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back