Here are my gripes:
1. IAP (in-app purchases) - these are not shared among the family. I can understand that a developer may not want a family to share, for example, a package of "gems" for Growtopia among everybody (ie, pay $5 once for 10,000 gems that gives each family member 10,000 gems), but what about when an IAP "unlocks" the full version of an app? With Family Sharing, each member of the family would have to pay separately to get the "full" app. As it is right now, there's no way to differentiate an IAP that just buys you "stuff" vs. an IAP that unlocks an app to it's full extent.
2. App updates - these require the child to enter his password on his device and then send a request to the family "organizer" or other designated "parent" who then has to enter his/her password to either allow or decline the request. And, on top of that, if the child has a list of like 12 apps that need updating (like my older son had last night), he has to go through this process for each app individually. Even though there's an "Update All" button up top, it doesn't allow you to at least only have to enter your password once and send one request to the parent. Nope. Has to do it for each app that needs updating. So, there are a couple of problems here: First, the need to enter a password in the first place just for an update. Didn't have to do that with the setup we had previously (ie, everybody was just logged in to the App Store under my Apple ID). If an app needed updating, my son could just "update all" and it would just work. Second, even if there is some COPPA rule that requires the whole password thing, why does one need to do it for each app update individually? Why can't "update all" and enter his password work for all the apps that need updating?
3. Request notifications - This scenario has already happened: My son sent me a request to update an app yesterday and, in my haste, I cleared out Notification Center on my iPhone before having had a chance to act on the notification. Now, the notification is gone and there's no way to find it somewhere else on the iPhone (at least that I know of). So, on his end, he was waiting for me to allow the request and on my end, I lost the request entirely. I'll have to test and see what happens on his end - I can't remember if he got a notification that I declined the request or if he got no indication of anything. Maybe the App Store needs another little button at the bottom that shows pending notifications that need to be acted upon.
Anyway, with all the betas that have gone out since iOS 8 was announced and with the army of coders/programmers that Apple has in Cupertino, one would think/assume that at least several of them would have come across these issues during the months leading up to the public release. That's why I feel like it's half-baked.
I'm considering going back to our old system and maybe wait out the evolution of Family Sharing.
Incidentally, this is a good link to read about Family Sharing:
http://www.macstories.net/tutorials...e-purchases-between-family-members-much-more/
And the Family Sharing Reference Guide that they include seems helpful for those trying to sort out how to arrange/set up Apple IDs for each family member.
1. IAP (in-app purchases) - these are not shared among the family. I can understand that a developer may not want a family to share, for example, a package of "gems" for Growtopia among everybody (ie, pay $5 once for 10,000 gems that gives each family member 10,000 gems), but what about when an IAP "unlocks" the full version of an app? With Family Sharing, each member of the family would have to pay separately to get the "full" app. As it is right now, there's no way to differentiate an IAP that just buys you "stuff" vs. an IAP that unlocks an app to it's full extent.
2. App updates - these require the child to enter his password on his device and then send a request to the family "organizer" or other designated "parent" who then has to enter his/her password to either allow or decline the request. And, on top of that, if the child has a list of like 12 apps that need updating (like my older son had last night), he has to go through this process for each app individually. Even though there's an "Update All" button up top, it doesn't allow you to at least only have to enter your password once and send one request to the parent. Nope. Has to do it for each app that needs updating. So, there are a couple of problems here: First, the need to enter a password in the first place just for an update. Didn't have to do that with the setup we had previously (ie, everybody was just logged in to the App Store under my Apple ID). If an app needed updating, my son could just "update all" and it would just work. Second, even if there is some COPPA rule that requires the whole password thing, why does one need to do it for each app update individually? Why can't "update all" and enter his password work for all the apps that need updating?
3. Request notifications - This scenario has already happened: My son sent me a request to update an app yesterday and, in my haste, I cleared out Notification Center on my iPhone before having had a chance to act on the notification. Now, the notification is gone and there's no way to find it somewhere else on the iPhone (at least that I know of). So, on his end, he was waiting for me to allow the request and on my end, I lost the request entirely. I'll have to test and see what happens on his end - I can't remember if he got a notification that I declined the request or if he got no indication of anything. Maybe the App Store needs another little button at the bottom that shows pending notifications that need to be acted upon.
Anyway, with all the betas that have gone out since iOS 8 was announced and with the army of coders/programmers that Apple has in Cupertino, one would think/assume that at least several of them would have come across these issues during the months leading up to the public release. That's why I feel like it's half-baked.
I'm considering going back to our old system and maybe wait out the evolution of Family Sharing.
Incidentally, this is a good link to read about Family Sharing:
http://www.macstories.net/tutorials...e-purchases-between-family-members-much-more/
And the Family Sharing Reference Guide that they include seems helpful for those trying to sort out how to arrange/set up Apple IDs for each family member.
