Yeah I am in the same boat as you. I was able to tie my iCloud account to my other family members and then specify my iTunes purchase account for family sharing purchases.
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App Store Listings Gain Family Sharing Info Ahead of iOS 8 Launch
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Yeah I am in the same boat as you. I was able to tie my iCloud account to my other family members and then specify my iTunes purchase account for family sharing purchases.
multi user licenses???
hmm... I wonder whether some developers will start publishing two versions of the same app. One cheaper for a single user (i.e. no family sharing) and a more expensive version of the same app which allows family sharing. I wonder what apples policies would say about someone trying to do this.
hmm... I wonder whether some developers will start publishing two versions of the same app. One cheaper for a single user (i.e. no family sharing) and a more expensive version of the same app which allows family sharing. I wonder what apples policies would say about someone trying to do this.
I don't buy multiple copies of apps. I never would see the need to do that. I pay for the usage on my devices, and I own them. All of them. If a developer is expecting me to buy it twice to use in the same household, that's a developer that will get none of my money. Simple.
You could already share the same Apple ID for the App Store on multiple devices and use different Apple IDs for everything else. Most people I know are already doing this.
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It's nice that this is an advertised feature but allowing each developer to pick and choose or set dates just means that most of us that are already sharing a single Apple ID just for the App Store across multiple devices (but use our own individual Apple ID for everything else) will continue doing so since that approach will continue to work with all apps in the store, not just some apps.
I guess this is good for people that didn't know you could set up the App Store with the same ID across multiple devices for years now?
Apple is really pushing this hard to developers. They basically sent out a new contract just so they could encourage devs to join the family share program.
You could already share the same Apple ID for the App Store on multiple devices and use different Apple IDs for everything else. Most people I know are already doing this.
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It's nice that this is an advertised feature but allowing each developer to pick and choose or set dates just means that most of us that are already sharing a single Apple ID just for the App Store across multiple devices (but use our own individual Apple ID for everything else) will continue doing so since that approach will continue to work with all apps in the store, not just some apps.
I guess this is good for people that didn't know you could set up the App Store with the same ID across multiple devices for years now?
Setting up like you describe with the same ID across multiple different people's devices has several downsides that Family Sharing does not. First and foremost being that you lose out on the ability to be able to download all your purchases across your devices unless you are ok with automatically downloading everyone else's purchases. I don't know about you, but I have no interest having my teenage daughter's Justin Bieber app or the music she likes showing up on my device or my wife's apps I have absolutely no interest in appearing on my device.
You also don't have the freedom to hide certain app purchase because it will happen on everybody's devices. Also, some syncing services are linked to the Apple ID that purchased the item like where you stopped reading an iBook.
Then there's the fact that everyone has to have your Apple ID username and password because it is needed for updates. There are other downsides as well.
And what happens when the kids grow up and have their own families? Your solution means they have to start all over while all their purchases that you never wanted stay attached to your Apple ID.
Sharing an Apple ID has never been a very good solution because that's not the way it was intended to work.
I don't think so, gift cards are one time use - the money is credited to your account, not tied to the card number. So entering it on a second account would just tell you that the card has already been used.
You could probably share one of those pre-paid visa cards or something similar.
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I doubt this will happen, mainly because then you will split your downloads and reviews across two apps meaning lower search results for both. And if the family sharing version is more popular you are pretty much guaranteed to have people complaining that they bought the more expensive version but aren't using family sharing.
Yup. Hopefully that option doesn't go away in the future. I could see "Family Sharing" being a back door way for app developers - including Apple - to start tightening down on their apps being installed on multiple devices.
As to why I'm even entertaining that notion... I can't otherwise see why app developers should even have the option to not allow Family Sharing - yet they apparently do. It's not adding a new feature; it's simply making an something we can already do somewhat easier to manage. So why allow developers to opt out?
I'm not sure I understand why this feature is even needed.
I put a paid app of mine on my friend's phone so he could play with it and decide if he wanted to buy it. All I had to do was plug his phone into my computer and I dragged the app to his phone.
That's it.
The only caveat is that if he wipes and reinstalls his phone, he needs my password to install the app again. But there doesn't seem to be a mechanism in place to keep families from sharing apps, even with different Apple IDs.
I put a paid app of mine on my friend's phone so he could play with it and decide if he wanted to buy it. All I had to do was plug his phone into my computer and I dragged the app to his phone.
That's it.
The only caveat is that if he wipes and reinstalls his phone, he needs my password to install the app again. But there doesn't seem to be a mechanism in place to keep families from sharing apps, even with different Apple IDs.
They don't have the option not to allow it going forward. MacRumors is just posting incorrect information. The only thing they have the option for is whether they want to make it retroactive for past purchases.
Maybe I don't understand the family sharing idea, because this was my thought. My wife and I can already share apps, music, etc...
My problem is to set up my kid's MobileMe/iCloud accounts years ago I had to lie about their DOBs as Apple decided they were too young (presumably before Apple realized how big a market it was missing out on), so I used my own DOB. Trouble is that means Family Sharing considers them adults, so they won't need any approval to buy apps using my credit card - and there's no ability to change their DOBs in their account settings
That's a good idea. a 4-year old and Autodesk Pro. Let them buy the full version of Autodesk and put in on your credit card. Ages 4+ -- Sure.
Sorry for my lack of knowledge, but does that mean that family sharing will be available even if we do not have a single iOS 8 compatible device in our family?
Correct. You have to have the same credit card on all accounts for family sharing to work. Although gift cards on a single account will be used first.
that said, I wish there was a way to bar using the credit card (as more than a link) and I'm sending that feedback repeatedly. I encourage everyone to do the same.
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nope. Gift cards aren't shareable. They are on one account only.
Which is great for kids. Grandma and Grandpa sent the kids a gift card on their birthday and if they have their own account only Sally can spend her birthday money. No more Billy asking for a game and since its all on one account and credits are used before cards, Billy's game came out of Sally's money. Not really fair is it. Sally doesn't think so
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I suspect they are doing this more to get rid of folks borking up apple ids cause they cheated to make an id for their kid can don't remember what fake birthdate they put. And to get rid of having to refund IAP that kids made. Now you have restrictions AND Family sharing 'ask' to monitor so there should be no 'accidental' purchases
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actually no it was a legality concern. Especially in the US. Same for why Facebook says you aren't supposed to sign up if you are under 13.
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That's why you sign up junior for a child's account where 'ask to buy' is automatically on because he's under 13 and then you say no. problem solved before it is a problem
If your family consists of adults, why are they all living at the same address? Part of being an adult is moving away from home.
You don't have to have the same address. You may need to figure out the rules of family sharing before commenting.
Exactly, but truth is ....
I doubt most people buy multiple copies of apps for multiple family members to use. What usually winds up happening is they just log multiple devices into the same App Store account so everyone can share whatever they pay for once.
That means this change wouldn't affect Apple's revenue in these cases. It would just improve the user experience for everyone in the family, because you won't have to deal with scrolling through all sorts of apps you have no interest in, on your personal iPad or iPhone, just because you loaded it on there for the kid(s).
I doubt most people buy multiple copies of apps for multiple family members to use. What usually winds up happening is they just log multiple devices into the same App Store account so everyone can share whatever they pay for once.
That means this change wouldn't affect Apple's revenue in these cases. It would just improve the user experience for everyone in the family, because you won't have to deal with scrolling through all sorts of apps you have no interest in, on your personal iPad or iPhone, just because you loaded it on there for the kid(s).