All iPads: One account, Six iOS devices possible?

[iThinkergoiMac]

Originally Posted by Fed

I installed a new SSD into my MBP last week. Before doing it, I forgot to deauthorise the old disk. To save me from swapping out the SSD again, is it possible to remove that computer manually from iTunes? One can manager devices in iTunes, but for computers it seems you can only remove all.

You have 2 options (since it seems no one actually answered this question, I will). You can pop the old HDD back in a deauthorize it, provided you haven't erased it yet. Or you can remove everything and start reauthorizing. That's really all you have.

As to the whole debate, I think the idea is the spirit of the law. My wife and I share my ID because it's easier and more convenient, but I don't share my ID with any of the rest of my family. If you had 5 kids, all grown and out of the house, and they're all using it, I'd say that's far more suspect than if a husband and wife use it, or if a family living under one roof all use it.

[ZBoater]

Originally Posted by BlueKhufu

Answer this honestly, if you're reading a newspaper and your wife asks to see it so she can read part of it, do you tell her to go buy her own?

The newspaper is not copyrighted software governed by the iTunes terms and conditions. Your analogy is flawed.

I doubt Apple will prosecute husband and wife couples for breaking their terms of service, but they should each have their own IDs. This "community property" argument is not only silly, but irrelevant to software copyright.

Ok, so minor kids is ok, Mom and Dad is not ok, wife/husband is iffy. Is that the prevailing wisdom here?

[Night Spring]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

.Ok, so minor kids is ok, Mom and Dad is not ok, wife/husband is iffy. Is that the prevailing wisdom here?

I think you are the only one saying wife/husband is iffy -- everyone else seems to think that's ok,

[ZBoater]

Originally Posted by Night Spring

I think you are the only one saying wife/husband is iffy -- everyone else seems to think that's ok,

Well, this is interesting....

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1167264

Home sharing not limited to music/videos? Apps included as well? It seems Apple is enabling this generous behavior after all.

So I guess sharing with Mom and Dad is ok, as long as you live with them (or are at least within range of their wifi...)

[Prime85]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

I AM talking about a family setting. How much is too much? Me and my wife, or 15 family members? At what point do you abuse Apple's policy of multiple devices?

I have my Apple ID and my wife has hers. If she wants an app she needs to buy it, I ain't giving her mine. Same with my Dad or my brother. I have an iPhone and two iPads that are MINE. On those three devices I only buy the app once. THAT is the difference.

My wife and i share a My apple ID for the App Store and i don't think that is a problem. If you want to pay double for apps that is your own issue.

If apple wanted everyone in the family in my case my wife and I to have our own accounts then they wouldn't allow you to have a different iCloud account on the iOS from the AppStore ID.

I have also bought an iPhone for my grandmother and my brother also has an iPhone but they have their own app store accounts since that is taking it too far.

Personally i believe Spouses and children are fine.

[Bobby.e]

For those that jumped on me. I went and setup a VPP account.

[BlueKhufu]

Originally Posted by RevTEG

My wife and I have separate Apple accounts. So does my son. We all buy our own apps. All the accounts are hooked to my personal debit.

One of the above posters said they had to share because their kids didn't have credit cards. The kids do not have to have their own CC.

We each buy because the app developers deserve to be paid. But the main reason is WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD WANT TO HAVE EVERY FAMILY MEMBERS APPS SHOWING UP ON THEIR DEVICES ALL THE TIME? I don't like the same music as my wife. And I don't play the games my son plays.

Plus iMessages would be all messed up. I don't want my son recieving every message that comes through. Seperate accounts saves a ton of hassle in my opinion.

You're welcome to do it that way, but I'm sure there are plenty of things you share that developers/writers/authors/composers/producers deserve to get paid individually for... Watching movies at home with family, having more than one person listen to a purchased song, etc.. I'm certainly not saying those things are wrong at all, but two people reading the same book means the author only got paid half of what they would have had you followed your own example of app purchases. Letting the whole family (of four in my case) watch Alvin & The Chipmonks on DVD cuts into someone's pocketbook unless I buy four copies, one for each family member who partook in viewing that copy written material. Of course these are nonsense, but you get the idea; if its allowed (as seems clear to me) its up to you to decide if its right for you, I'm not trying to dissuade you at all.

That issue aside.. You can use separate iMessage accounts for each device even if you share iTunes accounts so no one sees each others messages. I never see which apps my wife buys (other than on the iTunes receipt) on my device, it's a simple option to either automatically download everything we all buy, or only what I buy from my device. If I buy a birds game and my kid wants to play on his device, he goes into the App Store and its available to him for free (nothing is automatically populated to all the devices - unless you set it up that way). Music isnt shared either, I simply drag and drop from iTunes onto each device and we only have what we want. In fact, our devices are 100% unique, EXCEPT purchased apps are able to be shared.. As locked down as Apple is, if their intent was not to allow families to share apps within the household, I doubt they would make it so easy to have completely separate identities for each device, yet share iTunes accounts. Oh, we also use different icloud accounts for find my friends, so each device (even if "owned" by the same parent) can be tracked independently.. Its like tree of ids.. Some are shared by all (iTunes), some are unique to each person (iMessage) and some are unique to each device (Find My Friends).

----------

Originally Posted by RevTEG

Deleted: wasn't worth the argument.

Too late, I quoted it. there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. It's admirable that you want developers to get paid for each person using the apps, I just feel its beyond the intent of apple according to their EULA and their actions (or in this case, lack of actions) regarding iTunes accounts.

[heywoodja]

So I'm not going to do much research on the following statements. I will also add that I am referring to personal household situations: As you will see, most of the comments are directed at ZBoater (which BTW is using someone's baby picture for his Mac Rumors profile pic.)

There is nothing wrong or illegal about buying an app once and installing it on multiple devices. These are MY FAMILY iDevises, it is called a family unit. Even Phil Schiller or Jobs said in one of their Keynotes that you can buy an app and install it on ALL of your devices. If I buy an iPad for my dog, I'm going to install the app on that one also.

Yes I think it is wrong and against EULA for a company to buy once and install on multiple devices...But you know what, I don't care. It is nobody's place in here to be the app police..Leave that to Apple to enforce that. I'm pretty sure they have it under control.

I like how ZBoater believes "Somehow I doubt that's what Apple had in mind" when it comes to the definition of "control" Yeah Apple really ****ed that one up. I really hope the App Store ecosystem fails because some ******* wouldn't install a .99 cent app on his wife's iPhone because it is ethically wrong is his mind.

No matter what arguments for this issue, ZBoater really seems to have an answer for his side. The funny thing is, Apple has a pretty big legal department. I don't believe Apple's EULA was not written on a paper napkin. He uses the words like "vague", "interpretation", "in my opinion" and so on. You will not see those words or phrases in the EULA.

And yes, I do sleep well at night knowing I didn't overpay for an app or a song that was downloaded and installed on multiple devices. You on the other hand seem to own two of everything. Just going to throw this one out...say you have an Apple TV and you play music from YOUR iTunes library. Do you kick your wife out of the room or make her wear sound deadening headphones? Next question,have you ever personally bought a physical Music CD. Is she allowed to listen to it? Is it only OK for her to listen to it in YOUR stereo, but not in her car stereo?

As for the trolling accusation, I think that is kinda far fetched..I have a child that needs a babysitter, I have an iPad in the house. Do I need to wipe the iPad before I let the babysitter use it during her time at my house? The babysitter is in no way related to my family. I have no means of locking it up and I don't want to take it with me in the car. What should I do?

You doubt Apple would prosecute husband and wife for breaking their TOS.. Their you go again acting like a lawyer. Lawyers do not use the words "iffy" "silly" or "I doubt" I will give you "irrelevant" and "prevailing" those are good strong words.

So in closing...I'm going to continue using my iDevises to the letter of the EULA that Apple spelled out very clearly no matter how much it pisses you off....Because......wait for it....YOU ARE NOT APPLE INC. And I don't have to listen to you....(I'm sticking my tongue out at you) because I didn't want to waste my time looking for an emoticon.

[ZBoater]

Originally Posted by heywoodja

So I'm not going to do much research on the following statements. [SNIP] ....(I'm sticking my tongue out at you) because I didn't want to waste my time looking for an emoticon.

Great post. Very classy.

In case you're wondering I did find the info on Homesharing, but since you're not doing much research I guess you'll miss out.

[ericrwalker]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

So I guess sharing with Mom and Dad is ok, as long as you live with them (or are at least within range of their wifi...)

VPN will always keep you in range

[FiremanMike]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

I AM talking about a family setting. How much is too much? Me and my wife, or 15 family members? At what point do you abuse Apple's policy of multiple devices?

I have my Apple ID and my wife has hers. If she wants an app she needs to buy it, I ain't giving her mine. Same with my Dad or my brother. I have an iPhone and two iPads that are MINE. On those three devices I only buy the app once. THAT is the difference.

It's all about limits bro. If you rent a movie with your money, do you not let your wife watch it unless she rents a copy also?

If you choose to be so uptight about apple apps, that's fine, but don't come on here all smug as if you're better than everyone else because you refuse to share a $.99 app with your wife.

While I don't necessarily agree with the 13 business ipads running the same copy, I'm also not all bent out of shape about it, and I definitely don't have a problem with a family under the same roof sharing apps, I personally think that apple intended it that way.


tl:dr - lighten the hell up.

[balamw]

MOD NOTE: Can't let this bickering go on. Thread closed for clean up.

B

[annk]

Admin note:

Ok, we've cleaned it up a bit and the discussion can continue.

Please keep bickering out of it. It's fine to debate what Apple does and does not allow, but on a general and not a personal level.

[micrors4racer]

For the ending I emailed iTunes support about this and here is what they have to say:

Dear Jason Bourne,

First and foremost, I would like to extend an apology for the delayed response to your email. I just came back from my off. I immediately went to your email as soon as I got back. I appreciate your patience and understanding.

I am glad to hear that your first issue has been already resolved.

With regards to your inquiry, you can download your purchased apps with your family. You will just need to sign into your account on their devices, App Store and just redownload those apps on their device itself for free. Please read on the following article:

Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519

Syncing iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with iTunes
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1386

I hope everything goes well from here. Thank you for being an iTunes Store customer. It is my pleasure to assist you. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

(Mr.) Jovy
iTunes Store Customer Support

Please Note: I work THURSDAY-MONDAY, 10:00AM-7:00PM CST

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you.

[donnaw]

Let me add one more thing to this. When I purchased an iPad for my husband and tried to set up FaceTime so we could use it between my iPad and his it got all screwed up. I took both iPads to the Apple store and had them help me. The guy who finally got everything fixed (he actually had to call Apple and have them fix it on their end) actually suggested I set up my husband's iPad under my Apple ID for the store so we could share apps. I wasn't going to but then it was their suggestion.

Since an Apple employee suggested this I'm quite sure Apple (as a company) condones this type of setup. And if we had kids I would do exactly the same thing. Whether someone agrees or not this seems to be the policy set by the company and I, for one, happen to like it. To be honest, he and I don't actually even use the same apps but it certainly makes it easy to maintain our iPads.