Apple Watch with family account

[Sahib7]

I've bought an Apple Watch for my wife and myself.
We have multiple Apple devices and all are currently set up with a shared Apple ID (mine), this way contacts, calendars as well as photos are shared over all devices.
For iMessage we use different phone numbers and mail addresses depending if it is my device or her (on shared devices like the iPad both our credentials are in iMessage).

But now both of us have an Apple Watch and the specialized messages (hear beat and drawings) are not working properly. iMessage is still working flawlessly.

What would you suggest?


Thank you!

This family sharing stuff is getting more and more complicated with every release.....

 

[Neo1975]

It's much easier IMO to have separate Apple ID's and one shared Apple ID for purchases.

That way each Apple ID has free iCloud storage. Otherwise you are sharing the free storage and probably having to buy more storage.

You can still share contacts by setting up the appropriate email account and syncing contacts, and calenders only. And you can share photos via photo sharing. You could just use the Family Sharing option.

Shared Apple ID's makes some things not work or very confusing.

 

[jsalicru]

I share a similar issue. My wife and I share an iCloud account. However, she uses her own specific account for iMessages and FaceTime.

 

[garrym13]

Why don't you do a true family account? Have a man account and setup family sharing to your wife's account. I don't think you can share contacts, but you. Can share a family calendar. That is what my wife and I do.

 

[garrym13]

https://www.apple.com/icloud/family-sharing/
More info.

 

[dhlizard]

It's much easier IMO to have separate Apple ID's and one shared Apple ID for purchases.

That way each Apple ID has free iCloud storage. Otherwise you are sharing the free storage and probably having to buy more storage.

You can still share contacts by setting up the appropriate email account and syncing contacts, and calenders only. And you can share photos via photo sharing. You could just use the Family Sharing option.

Shared Apple ID's makes some things not work or very confusing.

This, share one AppleID for purchases, but separate AppleID's for everything else.

Works perfectly for wife and I (including Apple Watch)

 

[Sahib7]

@dhlizard:

How did you set that up exactly?

 

[garrym13]

@dhlizard:

How did you set that up exactly?

I do not remember the exact steps. It was back in September when I did it. Maybe the link above will have a guide.

 

[jsalicru]

Its simple. You set up the main apple ID for iCloud setup. This will ensure that your devices are all backed up in the same account (this works if you purchase extra space from Apple). Then use individual accounts under iMessages, FaceTime, and iTunes.

If you don't have the issue that I have in regards to device backup, then you can have all the accounts separate and tie them together for purchases as family accounts, or simply use the same Apple ID on all devices for iTunes purchases.

 

[mikezmac]

@dhlizard:

How did you set that up exactly?

Basically you all have your own iCloud account. For billing you all need to use the same credit card. The family organizer invites the others and they accept.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201088

 

[Sahib7]

Do you know which one is responsible for the Digital Touch function on the Apple Watch.

I have only one Apple-ID active on all my devices but I've set different phone numbers and mail addresses under iMessage and FaceTime. This is working flawlessly.

Actually the only hick-up with that set up is that Digital Touch messaging is not working properly...
Beside that this set up is working great as we both share contacts and different calendars that way.
Shared contacts and calendars using a work around with e.g. Gmail causes some problems as for example location based services are not available for gmail calendars and some fields for contacts are not working properly with gmail contacts. And only being able to sync a single family calendar is not a very powerful solution (each of us has personal and business calendars and we also have a family event calendar, all color coded).
I would really love to keep it that way. So if I have to loose all these little things then I prefer to keep it that way I would prefer to waive the ability to send Digital Touch messages...

 

[EdisEdward]

#1
Hi, I am planning to sign up for this feature and share my "family" with my sister, brother, and three other regular friends. I trust my friends, but is this safe to do? I have not tried the family feature yet, and I do not want to share anything (photos, music, files, app downloads, etc) with any of them except the right to use Apple Music. I also do not want them to be able to purchase things using my credit card without my permission.

IS this possible?

 

[mikezmac]

#1
Hi, I am planning to sign up for this feature and share my "family" with my sister, brother, and three other regular friends. I trust my friends, but is this safe to do? I have not tried the family feature yet, and I do not want to share anything (photos, music, files, app downloads, etc) with any of them except the right to use Apple Music. I also do not want them to be able to purchase things using my credit card without my permission.

IS this possible?

1. Turn on Ask to Buy.

OS X Yosemite

1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
2. Click Manage Family and select your family member's name.
3. Select Ask to Buy.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201079

 

[mikezmac]

Do you know which one is responsible for the Digital Touch function on the Apple Watch.

I have only one Apple-ID active on all my devices but I've set different phone numbers and mail addresses under iMessage and FaceTime. This is working flawlessly.

Actually the only hick-up with that set up is that Digital Touch messaging is not working properly...
Beside that this set up is working great as we both share contacts and different calendars that way.
Shared contacts and calendars using a work around with e.g. Gmail causes some problems as for example location based services are not available for gmail calendars and some fields for contacts are not working properly with gmail contacts. And only being able to sync a single family calendar is not a very powerful solution (each of us has personal and business calendars and we also have a family event calendar, all color coded).
I would really love to keep it that way. So if I have to loose all these little things then I prefer to keep it that way I would prefer to waive the ability to send Digital Touch messages...

Digital account should be per iCloud account. Not per family. A "family" is best set up as individual iCloud accounts but all using the same credit card. The digital touch should go based on iCloud account, not to all 'family' members.

I have a 'family' set up and My digital touches that I receive no one else does.

If you all share the same iCloud account you may run into problems.... I'm not sure

 

[mikezmac]

Family Sharing https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/family-sharing/
https://www.apple.com/icloud/family-sharing/

 

[Sahib7]

But that method causes two problems:
shared calendars and shared contacts are not working properly using iClod anymore.
You just have one family calendar and no contact sharing afterwards.
Do you have a solution for that?

 

[mikezmac]

But that method causes two problems:
shared calendars and shared contacts are not working properly using iClod anymore.
You just have one family calendar and no contact sharing afterwards.
Do you have a solution for that?

Every one I the family has access to a valance called family. I dont know about contacts. I'm not sure shared if shared contacts is part of family share or not. Calendar works for me with separate I loud acctz

 

[Knightcastle]

Why don't you do a true family account? Have a man account and setup family sharing to your wife's account. I don't think you can share contacts, but you. Can share a family calendar. That is what my wife and I do.

A "man account"

 

[Sahib7]

Does anybody here have another suggestion on how to deal with these "wishes":

1. I want to share my calendars and contacts between my wife and me.

2. I want to "communicate" with her using "Digital Touch".


Currently we share one Apple-ID (so number 1 is fulfilled) and have separate phone numbers/mail addresses for iMessage and FaceTime (this works flawlessly). The only thing which is not working is "Digital Touch" as this is bound to the iCloud Apple-ID (which is the same - mine - for both of us).

 

[fischersd]

Well, it's just the two of you, so it's less onerous. (I never saw the sense with having shared contacts with your kids - they have their friends and should have a measure of privacy).
The easiest way I see to do this is two-fold:
1) You can export/import a full contact list via programs on your mac/windows and sync those to your iPhone (and thusly watch).
2) Whenever one of you adds a new contact (and feel your mate should have it), send it to them via iMessage or e-mail.

Then you just use family sharing for your shared calendar.

And keep the iCloud / Apple-ID's separate.

 

[Knightcastle]

Does anybody here have another suggestion on how to deal with these "wishes":

1. I want to share my calendars and contacts between my wife and me.

2. I want to "communicate" with her using "Digital Touch".


Currently we share one Apple-ID (so number 1 is fulfilled) and have separate phone numbers/mail addresses for iMessage and FaceTime (this works flawlessly). The only thing which is not working is "Digital Touch" as this is bound to the iCloud Apple-ID (which is the same - mine - for both of us).

I can send digital touches to myself... surprised it's not letting you do it across watches.

I think in general though you'd be much better off with two (linked) accounts. A shared calendar, and shared contacts via Google account or something.

 

[dhlizard]

@dhlizard:

How did you set that up exactly?

As others have stated, for purposes of AppStore (purchases) we share my AppleID.
Family Sharing is set up using my AppleID with others invited at their respective emails linked to their own personal AppleID (if I recall correctly)
For all other settings (FaceTime, iMessage) my wife has those set to her own, separate AppleID
She also uses her own, separate AppleID for her iCloud backups

I set up shared calendars, notes, reminders long before Apple offered Family Sharing, but they converted into the Family Sharing interface with no issues

With respect to Watch digital touch, when I added her to my Friends list in the Watch app on phone, then opened the friends screen on the watch, it connected automatically and the little "finger" appeared on both our watches to show digital touch was enabled.

 

[Knightcastle]

This family sharing stuff is getting more and more complicated with every release.....

In fact I think it's getting simpler/increased support with every release, but your unusual and outdated approach to signing in is hindering that.

 

[papbot]

This, share one AppleID for purchases, but separate AppleID's for everything else.

Works perfectly for wife and I (including Apple Watch)

That is by far the easiest way to accomplish this. We have an original, shared Apple ID/iCloud account that was established years ago, but with the introduction of new services and devices that one ID became an encumbrance. So now we each have an Apple ID that is the main account on all of our devices and computers. That original ID we still use for all purchases, apps, music, etc. We've included it as a secondary iCloud account on our devices so that we both have access and can view/modify contacts, calendar, reminders and notes.

 

[Knightcastle]