is there any benefit to family sharing given iTunes match isn't shared?

[madeirabhoy]

just got the wife a new iPhone 6, normally we use my login for buying apps from the portuguese store, and the wife's as a free account to get some uk apps like player etc..

this works very well, wife's gadgets have my account logged in on iTunes and hers for iCloud.

but id seen about family sharing, its new, it must have some benefits to using it surely....

so i tried it. had to change her country...fine....figured out from googling the bug with the card security numbers...fine....

but then iTunes match isn't shared. so bin what I've done and back to the old way.


have i missed something? i know not everyone uses iTunes match, but a lot do, and i know there are benefits if you have kids in terms of restrictions, but for people without kids is there any point to using family sharing?

 

[zhenya]

I haven't yet seen the point. In addition to not sharing Match in app-purchases are not shared which given the state of apps today where most are not functional without those purchases, or many trial versions are unlocked via in app purchases it just makes no sense to switch to family sharing over the old way.

 

[Armen]

My wife and I had made many purchases of music, apps and movies prior to being married with our own separate Apple accounts.

With family sharing I have access to all her music, movies and apps and she does mine as well.

 

[Xenomorph]

Wow. We've been using Family Sharing for a while, and I don't even have iTunes Match.

We share purchases. Tons of purchases. I've made literally thousands of purchases, and now everyone in my family can download them as well without having to pay again or having to be signed into my account.

It's funny that you don't see a point without iTunes Match, when I get so much use out of it without even considering iTunes Match.

 

[madeirabhoy]

Wow. We've been using Family Sharing for a while, and I don't even have iTunes Match.

We share purchases. Tons of purchases. I've made literally thousands of purchases, and now everyone in my family can download them as well without having to pay again or having to be signed into my account.

It's funny that you don't see a point without iTunes Match, when I get so much use out of it without even considering iTunes Match.

But that's my point. iTunes match doesn't share.

So doing it the old fashioned way, my wife's idevices are logged into my iTunes account but her own iCloud account. Doing this she can download anything I have purchased, plus iTunes match works on her device. There's no downside I can think of.

Trying the new supposedly great family sharing, there's no benefit of doing it and a huge drawback of iTunes match not working on her idevices.

 

[Armen]

But that's my point. iTunes match doesn't share.

So doing it the old fashioned way, my wife's idevices are logged into my iTunes account but her own iCloud account. Doing this she can download anything I have purchased, plus iTunes match works on her device. There's no downside I can think of.

Trying the new supposedly great family sharing, there's no benefit of doing it and a huge drawback of iTunes match not working on her idevices.

iTunes match allows you to download/stream music that it matched against your library without even verifying if you legally own your music or not.

You're asking Apple to treat your music the same way it would treat iTunes purchased music. I don't think that's fair.

 

[madeirabhoy]

iTunes match allows you to download/stream music that it matched against your library without even verifying if you legally own your music or not.

You're asking Apple to treat your music the same way it would treat iTunes purchased music. I don't think that's fair.

But Apple already does. Just not with family sharing. I can share my iTunes match across 10 devices I just can't let them have their own different family logins

 

[Armen]

But Apple already does. Just not with family sharing. I can share my iTunes match across 10 devices I just can't let them have their own different family logins

I'm wondering of Apple ties the songs it matched to your Apple ID only. If that was the case than others in your family wouldn't have access to it.

 

[zhenya]

Wow. We've been using Family Sharing for a while, and I don't even have iTunes Match.

We share purchases. Tons of purchases. I've made literally thousands of purchases, and now everyone in my family can download them as well without having to pay again or having to be signed into my account.

It's funny that you don't see a point without iTunes Match, when I get so much use out of it without even considering iTunes Match.

I can see the point for two people who have independent purchases already made that they'd like to share, but for people who have been sharing an AppleID all along, Family Sharing makes no sense. Just have a common family AppleID and everyone shares all purchases with no arbitrary limits like the lack of shared in-app purchases.

 

[Paco II]

iTunes Match aside, Family Sharing is fantastic for the typical family. Why would you want to have to manage multiple Apple IDs per device when you can have one (your own) and that's it?

 

[zhenya]

iTunes Match aside, Family Sharing is fantastic for the typical family. Why would you want to have to manage multiple Apple IDs per device when you can have one (your own) and that's it?

You don't have to manage multiple Apple ID's. You have one AppleID for purchases, one iCloud account for personal data. Yes, that is not quite as simple as having only one id, but as stated, there is a lot that family sharing doesn't offer that sharing an ID does. Since this is the method many people have already been using for years, there is no incentive to change.

 

[Paco II]

Two is multiple, so yeah, multiple IDs to manage. Pain. But yeah if you've got a family that has always used the same Apple ID to but apps it would make no sense to suddenly switch away from that. But most families are probably using individual Apple IDs, hence the need for Family Sharing, and I for one am thankful Apple finally rolled this feature out.

You don't have to manage multiple Apple ID's. You have one AppleID for purchases, one iCloud account for personal data. Yes, that is not quite as simple as having only one id, but as stated, there is a lot that family sharing doesn't offer that sharing an ID does. Since this is the method many people have already been using for years, there is no incentive to change.

 

[madeirabhoy]

iTunes Match aside, Family Sharing is fantastic for the typical family. Why would you want to have to manage multiple Apple IDs per device when you can have one (your own) and that's it?

Exactly. And the answer would be - we have iTunes match and you can't share that so that makes family sharing useless to iTunes match users

 

[donnaw]

Two is multiple, so yeah, multiple IDs to manage. Pain. But yeah if you've got a family that has always used the same Apple ID to but apps it would make no sense to suddenly switch away from that. But most families are probably using individual Apple IDs, hence the need for Family Sharing, and I for one am thankful Apple finally rolled this feature out.

There's no management involved. Once you set up the device with the main ID for purchases and the individual ID for iCloud for backups that's it. Nothing else to do unless you get a new device or reset to factory settings. So no, it's not a pain. I've been managing 4 ipads this way for several years. The only real management comes in when setting up the FaceTime access and you have to do that anyway.

Both my husband and I have ipads but share very few apps. But my grandkids get our hand-me-downs and I have my Apple ID set up on theirs for purchases so I can buy them apps once in a while. I looked into family sharing when it first came out and also found absolutely no benefit over using our current method. But I suppose it's nice that Apple is offering the option for those families that might benefit for it. Always nice to have options.

 

[Paco II]

Still seems like a pain. What happens when you change a password? Or when Apple requires the CVV to be entered for verification? Anyway not going to argue the matter. Agreed that options are good.

 

[HiRez]

Still seems like a pain. What happens when you change a password? Or when Apple requires the CVV to be entered for verification? Anyway not going to argue the matter. Agreed that options are good.

Yeah, to me that's the main downside without Family Sharing. Whoever is using the "master" iTunes ID has to share their password with anyone who wants to purchase stuff. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I don't like sharing my main Apple ID with anyone, not even family members. If something funky happens with my account, I know immediately it wasn't compromised with a password leak because I know I never gave my password to anyone.

And as you said, potentially credit card info as well. I've had that "You must verify your credit card" thing pop up many times over the years.

 

[sbailey4]

iTunes Match aside, Family Sharing is fantastic for the typical family. Why would you want to have to manage multiple Apple IDs per device when you can have one (your own) and that's it?

Not to mention each still have their own ID for calendar and iCloud backup storage, iMessage etc. Plus when family sharing enabled there is a common calendar, reminders setup as well. So adding that to the ability to share purchases (apps and music) seems like a win to me. I use it for only 2 (myself and wife) and it works just fine and keeps our devices separated otherwise.

We both still have our own AppleID per device but the shared functionality makes it nice for the things already mentioned.

 

[newagemac]

But that's my point. iTunes match doesn't share.

So doing it the old fashioned way, my wife's idevices are logged into my iTunes account but her own iCloud account. Doing this she can download anything I have purchased, plus iTunes match works on her device. There's no downside I can think of.

Trying the new supposedly great family sharing, there's no benefit of doing it and a huge drawback of iTunes match not working on her idevices.

There's plenty of downsides. First and foremost lack of control and privacy. Sharing the iTunes account means that you have to get all of her purchases automatically downloaded to your computers and devices or be forced to turn that feature off. Plus you can no longer hide content you don't like that she purchased because then it will hide it from her as well.

And what about others in the family? I'm pretty sure I don't want my little girl's apps on my devices. And I don't want my children logged into my iTunes account. There are other benefits as well related to backups and allowing people in your family to have their own curated list of content, playlists, etc. rather than everything being all jumbled together with stuff a particular person may not like or want. Everybody is different and have different tastes.

Family sharing also manages approval for requests from children to purchase content. My child can be at home and me at work and she can try to purchase something. Family sharing automatically sends me an approval request. If I approve it, she can then download it.

Family sharing is just a much cleaner way of handling things and gives you more options.