Sharing iCloud calendars but not iMessage

[Dave00]

So, I've ordered a new iPhone 5s, which will go along with my wife's 4S and several iPads. I've had an iCloud account since its prior iterations as .me, .mac, etc. Currently, the calendars, contacts, iMessages, and iCloud email all go to all devices. Once I get my new phone, that's obviously going to be a problem. I'd want to use iMessage with each phone but not have my wife's texts, etc. come to my phone and vice versa. Can you have separate iMessages and email on different devices but still share the calendars/contacts? The wife doesn't really need an iCloud email, she can just use her Yahoo account. Separate Facetime would also be necessary.

This seems like it should be relatively straightforward, but I haven't figured out exactly how to do this yet. I may be waiting awhile anyway, my iPhone order is still "Processing" a week after I ordered it.

Thanks so much in advance.

Dave

 

[deeddawg]

Better to set her up on her own AppleID / icloud account.

For a shared calendar, just create an additional icloud calendar and share it with her.

She doesn't HAVE to use the icloud email.

I don't believe there's a way to share icloud contacts; you might consider a joint google account and sync that contact list to your phones as well.

 

[Weaselboy]

So, I've ordered a new iPhone 5s, which will go along with my wife's 4S and several iPads. I've had an iCloud account since its prior iterations as .me, .mac, etc. Currently, the calendars, contacts, iMessages, and iCloud email all go to all devices. Once I get my new phone, that's obviously going to be a problem. I'd want to use iMessage with each phone but not have my wife's texts, etc. come to my phone and vice versa. Can you have separate iMessages and email on different devices but still share the calendars/contacts? The wife doesn't really need an iCloud email, she can just use her Yahoo account. Separate Facetime would also be necessary.

This seems like it should be relatively straightforward, but I haven't figured out exactly how to do this yet. I may be waiting awhile anyway, my iPhone order is still "Processing" a week after I ordered it.

Thanks so much in advance.

Dave

The short answer is yes... you can do exactly that. Each can have its own login/AppleID.

 

[Dave00]

So then the question becomes, is it easier to
(a) have two iCloud accounts and try to have them share some things (like Calendar and contacts) or
(b) have one iCloud account and try to separate the iMessages/email/facetime?

I think you can have iMessage only refer to the phone number rather than the iCloud/email, and facetime you can use with any email, right? That would seem to make B the better option.

Thoughts?

 

[deeddawg]

I never tried the single account method so I can't tell you if it's easier. Seems simpler to have seperate accounts and either share your calendar or create a 2nd calendar to share. As easy as clicking on "share calendar" Sharing contacts should be simple, never had a need or desire to do so. The few contacts we share we just entered in or sent vcards; it's not like our friends / family change their contact info very often.

Consider also: - each iCloud account gets 5GB storage free. iCloud backups use that space.

Between my ipad and iphone I use up over half my 5GB. If my wife and I were on one iCloud account we'd have to pay for additional iCloud storage space.

 

[Weaselboy]

So then the question becomes, is it easier to
(a) have two iCloud accounts and try to have them share some things (like Calendar and contacts) or
(b) have one iCloud account and try to separate the iMessages/email/facetime?

I think you can have iMessage only refer to the phone number rather than the iCloud/email, and facetime you can use with any email, right? That would seem to make B the better option.

Thoughts?

Option b is what I use. Let me explain. I have an iPhone I primarily use and my wife is the primary user on the iPad. Plus I have a Macbook Air.

I have three AppleIDs. One (acct #1) for iTunes/App purchases on all devices. One (acct #2) that is the primary iCloud account on all three devices. One (acct. #3) for a secondary iCloud account used only on the iPad.

Here is the setup.

Macbook air has acct. #2 turned on for all iCloud functions. Mail, calendars etc. Then uses acct. #1 in iTunes and the App Store. The wife and I use the same calendar in this account that is shared in all devices. We use a system of "Fred dentist" and "Wilma dentist" to tell who belongs to what appointment. We also share all contacts using this iCloud account across all devices. I use acct #2 for Messages and Facetime on the Air.

iPhone has the same setup as the Air. Acct #2 is turned on for all iCloud features and acct. #1 for iTunes/App store.

iPad has acct #2 setup as the first and primary iCloud account and everything in the iCloud settings is turned on EXCEPT mail. This allows my wife to see the shared calendars and contacts we use, but not be bothered by my email. Then I added acct. #3 as a second iCloud account on the iPad and turned off everything except Mail in the iCloud acct. settings. Then I use acct. #3 for Messages and Facetime on the iPad. Acct. #1 is used for iTunes/App store.

This works out perfectly for us.

 

[Dave00]

Thanks, all. I wasn't aware you could have more than one AppleID with one iCloud account. I think that fixes everything - I get the issue with less backup available with using one iCloud account, but the sync is more important to me. Thanks again!

Dave