What does Family Sharing really do for me?

[HoosierFan]

We used to all share my AppleID for iTunes so we could share app purchases and music. We all have separate iCloud Ids. We share iCloud calendars. After a while it was getting confusing when my son would get iTunes gift cards and I would deposit them in my account. He wouldn't spend it all right away, then I would spend part of it...

We eventually had him sign up for his own AppleID for iTunes so he could pay for his own apps. If he wants an app that I bought, he just logs out of his, into mine, buys it, then logs back in to his.

My understanding of Family Sharing is now that all purchases will get charged to my account. There is no way that he can still pay for his own stuff (He uses iTunes cards). I thought I read somewhere that In-app purchases don't work with Family Sharing. Is all this right? This really doesn't seem like an improvement. Or am I misunderstanding?

 

[Stuke00]

We used to all share my AppleID for iTunes so we could share app purchases and music. We all have separate iCloud Ids. We share iCloud calendars. After a while it was getting confusing when my son would get iTunes gift cards and I would deposit them in my account. He wouldn't spend it all right away, then I would spend part of it...

We eventually had him sign up for his own AppleID for iTunes so he could pay for his own apps. If he wants an app that I bought, he just logs out of his, into mine, buys it, then logs back in to his.

My understanding of Family Sharing is now that all purchases will get charged to my account. There is no way that he can still pay for his own stuff (He uses iTunes cards). I thought I read somewhere that In-app purchases don't work with Family Sharing. Is all this right? This really doesn't seem like an improvement. Or am I misunderstanding?

In-app purchases aren't shareable.

 

[LaynieGorilla]

I noticed that and postponed doing family sharing. Why should we all rely on one person's credit/itunes card info to withdraw money from? Everyone should be able to use their own personal funds with family sharing apps.

 

[ScubaCinci]

I noticed that and postponed doing family sharing. Why should we all rely on one person's credit/itunes card info to withdraw money from? Everyone should be able to use their own personal funds with family sharing apps.

Everyone can use their own gift card balance...that's one way around it

 

[ayeying]

If you had everything hared before, then its not much that Family Sharing will do except prevent you from purchasing former purchases between different apple IDs. Otherwise, I only really use it for the Photostream but even then it was really unnecessary

 

[Padmini]

We used to all share my AppleID for iTunes so we could share app purchases and music. We all have separate iCloud Ids. We share iCloud calendars. After a while it was getting confusing when my son would get iTunes gift cards and I would deposit them in my account. He wouldn't spend it all right away, then I would spend part of it...

We eventually had him sign up for his own AppleID for iTunes so he could pay for his own apps. If he wants an app that I bought, he just logs out of his, into mine, buys it, then logs back in to his.

My understanding of Family Sharing is now that all purchases will get charged to my account. There is no way that he can still pay for his own stuff (He uses iTunes cards). I thought I read somewhere that In-app purchases don't work with Family Sharing. Is all this right? This really doesn't seem like an improvement. Or am I misunderstanding?

With Family Sharing, all accounts are separate....EXCEPT, they must all share the same credit card....aka you'll still pay for purchases.

The plus side is, any gift cards redeemed on either account will remain entirely separate.

 

[yalag]

why would I ever want to use family sharing if I already share an iTunes account with everyone in my family. What do I gain?

 

[jon2690]

why would I ever want to use family sharing if I already share an iTunes account with everyone in my family. What do I gain?

Authorize app purchases (only works with minors).
Find friends and find phone automatically have all members.
If you have different music preferences in your family, you library will be 'clean'. (but that wasn't a problem before if you just disabled auto music download and synced device to different itunes library)

Other than that, I don't know.

Photostream can be done with a shared album
Share a calendar with a shared calendar
If you have been sharing an itunes ID for a while, looks like you will probably have to uninstall reinstall all apps (if you are on one of devices that needs to change itunes ID to setup family sharing) in order to receive updates. This will also remove any in app purchase. (Not 100% sure, but looks like it from what I saw in another thread)
itunes match can't be shared anymore.

At the end of the day, it is starting to look like the only people that benefit from family sharing is the developers and Apple. And remember, family sharing is opt in for developers - they don't have to let you do.

 

[navodwickra]

why would I ever want to use family sharing if I already share an iTunes account with everyone in my family. What do I gain?

Not much, plus I won't be able to use iTunes match account with my wife if I do. So nothing to gain from it for me.

 

[HoosierFan]

OK. If my kids have gift cards on their accounts, will they still be able to use them to buy apps, or will it only charge my account?

Also, I saw on the 8.0.1 update (which was pulled) that they are improving the Family Sharing with in-app purchases? Do you think we will be able to share those as well?