Continuity and Apple IDs

[bunger]

My wife, kids, and myself each have iPads. My wife and I each have iPhones (ios 8).

For years we have all shared an Apple ID so we can all access the same apps, music, videos, find my phone, etc.

On my wife's devices, I have setup a second icloud account for her to allow syncing of her contacts, notes, reminders, etc.

Now that IOS 8 is out, I have been playing a bit with continuity and in a multi-user, multi-device household, you pretty much have to use icloud Family Sharing. However, not all apps are fully opted in to that new structure and I feel like it is a work in progress.

How is everyone else handling this?

 

[caesarp]

My wife, kids, and myself each have iPads. My wife and I each have iPhones (ios 8).

For years we have all shared an Apple ID so we can all access the same apps, music, videos, find my phone, etc.

On my wife's devices, I have setup a second icloud account for her to allow syncing of her contacts, notes, reminders, etc.

Now that IOS 8 is out, I have been playing a bit with continuity and in a multi-user, multi-device household, you pretty much have to use icloud Family Sharing. However, not all apps are fully opted in to that new structure and I feel like it is a work in progress.

How is everyone else handling this?

By not using family sharing. I have more control doing what u did before. Just using the same itunes ID for all devices. We all have unique icloud IDs. I don't see the need for continuity with my wife or kids device. Continuity is for your own multiple devices, like my ipad and my iPhone. Not sure what u r trying to accomplish?

 

[bunger]

By not using family sharing. I have more control doing what u did before. Just using the same itunes ID for all devices. We all have unique icloud IDs. I don't see the need for continuity with my wife or kids device. Continuity is for your own multiple devices, like my ipad and my iPhone. Not sure what u r trying to accomplish?

What brought the issue up for me was that my wife's iPhone was ringing on my iPad because we use the same main Apple id. So then I started looking into it and wondered what is required to have her phone ring on her iPad and my phone on mine - thus, family sharing.

 

[jon2690]

Two options:

-Disable wifi 'cellular calls on the other devices' under Facetime preferences (either on the iphone or ipad).

-Use personal icloud IDs on you and your wife's devices for icloud only. Make sure message and Facetime are using your personal ID and not the shared ID on each device.

I think I see what you did, you added your wife's icloud ID as an extra account (under 'Mail, Contacts, Calendar'), not the main icloud account on her phone. I guess that way you can continues to share backup space, find phone, photo stream, icloud drive space. In my case, I don't want to share my photo stream with my fiancee, and we don't buy extra storage yet. We have our own icloud account for all icloud services and a shared account for itunes purchases.

If you want to keep the find phone functionality to see where people are, give each person his/her icloud account and use find friends instead. On the kids phone, you can enable restrictions and not let them turn tracking off

 

[caesarp]

What brought the issue up for me was that my wife's iPhone was ringing on my iPad because we use the same main Apple id. So then I started looking into it and wondered what is required to have her phone ring on her iPad and my phone on mine - thus, family sharing.

No. Her iphone should only ring on your iPad if you both use the same ID to set up FaceTime (and enable iPhone cellular calls on both devices).

Here's what you need to do. Share ONLY an tunes/App Store ID amongst family. BUT Make sure each family member has a separate personal icloud ID. Use that separate personal iCloud ID (not the shared itunes ID) for FaceTime and iMessages setup.

Thus, your stuff only rings on your stuff. Your wife's stuff Rings on her stuff. And you each have your own icloud storage, contacts calendar etc. Yet, you can download anything bought by any other family member on iTunes or App Store, without paying twice.

No need to enable family sharing.

 

[bunger]

No. Her iphone should only ring on your iPad if you both use the same ID to set up FaceTime (and enable iPhone cellular calls on both devices).

Here's what you need to do. Share ONLY an tunes/App Store ID amongst family. BUT Make sure each family member has a separate personal icloud ID. Use that separate personal iCloud ID (not the shared itunes ID) for FaceTime and iMessages setup.

Thus, your stuff only rings on your stuff. Your wife's stuff Rings on her stuff. And you each have your own icloud storage, contacts calendar etc. Yet, you can download anything bought by any other family member on iTunes or App Store, without paying twice.

No need to enable family sharing.

Unfortunately, the above doesn't work - enabling "iPhone Cellular Calls" ( which is required for continuity ), throws a message saying that FaceTime and iCloud must use the same Apple ID. It wants the "main" iCloud account to match face time, which is doesn't unless we do family sharing.

 

[jon2690]

Unfortunately, the above doesn't work - enabling "iPhone Cellular Calls" ( which is required for continuity ), throws a message saying that FaceTime and iCloud must use the same Apple ID. It wants the "main" iCloud account to match face time, which is doesn't unless we do family sharing.

I've found that out as well, you need the ID for the main icloud account and facetime to match. What is preventing you from using the same apple id for facetime and the main icloud?

 

[caesarp]

Unfortunately, the above doesn't work - enabling "iPhone Cellular Calls" ( which is required for continuity ), throws a message saying that FaceTime and iCloud must use the same Apple ID. It wants the "main" iCloud account to match face time, which is doesn't unless we do family sharing.

What do you mean by main iCloud account? There should only be one unique iCloud account per individual. Use that iCloud account only on that individuals devices. And use that same iCloud account for FaceTime on that individuals devices.

If it relates to family sharing turn that off. You don't need family sharing with the setup I described.

In other words, your wife should configure an iTunes account that matches yours and a new iCloud account that is unique to her. You should also have an iCloud account that is unique to you. Use those unique/ personal icloud accounts for iCloud FaceTime and iMessage on each persons device.

That's what I do and have done for years. Works perfectly.

There should be no shared or main iCloud account. Just go to outlook or gmail and create husband@gmail.com and wife@gmail.com. Now go to Apple ID and create separate icloud accounts for you and your wife with those emails. It will be called an Apple ID, but don't worry. A person can have many different Apple IDs and use them for different purposes. Make sure you don't simply add the new email addresses as additional addresses to your shared itunes ID. Get rid of any iCloud/Apple ID email addresses you may have had previously.

Thus: Husbandwife@gmail.com = itunes App Store id

Husband@gmail.com = iCloud id for husband

Wife@gmail.com = iCloud id. For wife

Each ID above is a separate Apple id and the email adresses should not be used between and amongst them.

Turn off continuity, delete existing iCloud id and FaceTime id on each device. Add per the above.

 

[jon2690]

Unfortunately, the above doesn't work - enabling "iPhone Cellular Calls" ( which is required for continuity ), throws a message saying that FaceTime and iCloud must use the same Apple ID. It wants the "main" iCloud account to match face time, which is doesn't unless we do family sharing.

I've found that out as well, you need the ID for the main icloud account and facetime to match.

What is preventing you from using the same apple id for facetime and the main icloud?

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What do you mean by main iCloud account? There should only be one unique iCloud account per individual. Use that iCloud account only on that individuals devices. And use that same iCloud account for FaceTime on that individuals devices.

You can add icloud accounts in two place. The usual place (menu just about Itunes in preferences), and the "Mail, Contact, Calendar" menu (only work with mail, calendar, reminder, notes, contacts). I think he shared the same ID for main icloud and itunes on each device. For his wife, he added another personal icloud account. That way he can share cloud storage, photo streams, find ipad, some contacts.

 

[XTheLancerX]

Doing the whole unique iCloud account per individual, and using that iCloud account for the persons iMessage and Facetime has worked perfectly for me for a long time. Just use one Apple ID for iTunes and Appstore for the whole family. If the individual iCloud accounts for iMessage/Facetime is a problem because its a different address, just sign in with the new iCloud account and add the old address for send and receive. Then uncheck the other address.

 

[bunger]

We use the same "main" icloud account on all devices for Photostream and Find my Phone.

 

[caesarp]

We use the same "main" icloud account on all devices for Photostream and Find my Phone.

Not necessary. Just create a shared stream for her and she creates one for u on her device. For find my phone, you just need to know each others account ID/ password. So if needed, you can log in as her and vice versa. For the amount of time you probably use find my phone, I would not share icloud IDs. Causes too many issues. Hence this thread.

By the way, doing as I suggest will also give each of you 5GBs of backup storage. Instead if sharing it. Way better.

 

[Menel]

My wife, kids, and myself each have iPads. My wife and I each have iPhones (ios 8).

For years we have all shared an Apple ID so we can all access the same apps, music, videos, find my phone, etc.

On my wife's devices, I have setup a second icloud account for her to allow syncing of her contacts, notes, reminders, etc.

Now that IOS 8 is out, I have been playing a bit with continuity and in a multi-user, multi-device household, you pretty much have to use icloud Family Sharing. However, not all apps are fully opted in to that new structure and I feel like it is a work in progress.

How is everyone else handling this?

Any apps specifically that aren't?

I've been surprised, as things like Camera+ and Minecraft Pocket have been available through family share. As well as music and TV shows.

It has been quite great.