Apple Music – temporary sign out from Apple ID, downloaded music immediately deleted

[lars666]

Hi everybody,

I have a question with a frustrating answer, I guess, but I'd like to be sure about that: I am using two Apple IDs on my iPhone – a main German one and a second US one for specific apps which are only available in the US App Store. I try to stay logged in with my main German one, which is also the one for my Apple Music subscription, all the time – however, from time to time, I have to switch to my US Apple ID for a minute or so just to download an app or update it. The problem is that, even if I immediately switch back, this deletes all my downloaded Apple Music music on the iPhone. I am aware of course that, as soon as I log in with the other ID, my Apple Music subscription shouldn't work anymore – however, I had hoped that the music is just "deactivated" and the downloads not "physically" deleted immediately, so that – when I log back in with the correct Apple Music ID – I don't have to download everything again all the time. Aren't there really not any other users out there who, for whatever reason, have to switch between Apple IDs in the App Store from time to time and facing the same problem? As I like to have a lot of my Apple Music songs downloaded on my 256GB iPhone, this always takes a lot of time.

Do I have to live with that (which I am afraid) or is there any solution? It's a pity that the App Store and Apple Music don't have two autonom logins like iCloud and the Apple Store. I'm still hoping that Apple will also separate App Store and Apple Music login in a future iOS version.

If there's any solution I am not aware of, I would be grateful for a hint. Thanks a lot!

 

[nicho]

It's been a while since I tested it, but in the past iTunes on a Mac worked the same way as you've experienced... and was changed to work the same way you want, so there's hope.

FYI you don't need to log in to your other app store account to update apps anymore. That was a feature added in iOS 11.3.

For adding new apps... the only workaround would involve owning both a mac and another iOS device you don't mind about apple music on, so it's not a great solution.

 

[lars666]

Thanks for your answer, appreciated! Yes, you're correct – updating apps doesn't need switching accounts anymore. However, when it comes to downloading / installing new apps only available in the other country's store without switching accounts for a few minutes, I really don't see any solution at all – therefore, I also don't understand your workflow for this workaround. I maybe would even have another iOS device (my old iPhone 6) which I don't use for Apple Music, but what exactly would be the trick here? Downloading the app on the iPhone 6, connecting the iPhone to the Mac, manually drag and drop the app file with a third-party program like iMaze oder iFunbox to the computer and into my iPhone XS? This surely won't work on the XS as a real "installation", would it?

 

[nicho]

Thanks for your answer, appreciated! Yes, you're correct – updating apps doesn't need switching accounts anymore. However, when it comes to downloading / installing new apps only available in the other country's store without switching accounts for a few minutes, I really don't see any solution at all – therefore, I also don't understand your workflow for this workaround. I maybe would even have another iOS device (my old iPhone 6) which I don't use for Apple Music, but what exactly would be the trick here? Downloading the app on the iPhone 6, connecting the iPhone to the Mac, manually drag and drop the app file with a third-party program like iMaze oder iFunbox to the computer and into my iPhone XS? This surely won't work on the XS as a real "installation", would it?

Use Configurator 2 (free from Apple on the App Store) instead of some third party program. Leave it signed into the US account.

It can install any app onto the iphone XS that you have in your purchase history (and counts as a "real" installation). The "old" iphone never needs to be connected to your mac, but you need to use it to purchase the app and add it to the purchase history for your US account. There's no way to buy apps with configurator 2.

 

[lars666]

That sounds interesting – I'll try to figure this out, could be my solution!

 

[nicho]

it's how i've managed 2 accounts for the last year or more. works well enough. works even better since 11.3 and not needing to use it to update the apps.

 

[infinitejest]

What exactly happens on your iPhone/MacBook when you switch accounts in iTunes? Doesn’t it only mess with Apple Music or your whole Apple ID settings?

 

[lars666]

Doesn't mess with anything really - the problem simply is that, because Apple Music was deactivated (even if it only was a short moment), after logging in back with my Apple ID connected with the Apple Music subscription, I have to redownload all my previous downloaded music again. As mentioned above, I understand, of course, that Apple Music is deactivated as soon as you log out with that ID (everything else wouldn't make sense) - however, it would be a better solution IMO that the downloaded music at least stays on the iPhone "hidden" (for some time and/or if the space isn't needed) and "re-activated" after logging in again and re-enable AM without having to download everything again. I would bet that there are quite a lot people out there who have to log out from /switch their Apple ID from time to time. A simple seperation of the App Store and Apple Music login would be the best solution by far (and a logical one). The iCloud login is autonom, too, which allows me and a lot of others to use two different Apple IDs for iCloud (mails etc.) and the AppStore.

 

[infinitejest]

Ok. I’m just asking because I’m surprised Apple Music is the only thing that causes problems by switching accounts nowadays. I’ve used two iTunes accounts some years ago and it was a complete mess. I don’t remember exactly what kind of problems I had, but at some point I just gave up and abandoned one account completely.