iMessage - Multiple Family Members Sharing Same Apple ID

[globalist]

I think Apple caused a lot of confusion by poor nomenclature. By using the generic term Apple ID, it's not intiuitve you can create different ID for FaceTime, iMessage, etc - while maintaining a shared ID for iTunes.

IMHO, they should used iTunes ID for that ID and used Apple ID for subsequent ID's used for other apps. That would make it a lot easier for people to understand where to share (iTunes ID) and where to set up individual ID's (FaceTime, iMessage, etc.)

Exactly! But better yet, they should have called the new ID(s) just "iCloud ID".

 

[Hawkeye411]

The iCloud login can be different from your iTunes Store/AppStore login. So, when you want to download a new game on each device, just log into the iTunes store and download the app and then log out before handing the device back to the kids.

What I did is I set up a $10/month allowance for each of my kids on their own .me accounts. They get pretty excited when the first of the month rolls around.

Here is the link describing this from the Apple website.

Cheers.

 

[acfusion29]

Password: I want to give my 7, 9, and 13 year old's their passwords for free apps they want to download.

Credit Card: If there's no credit card on their iTunes Apple ID's, can they download free apps?

BJ

ya they can download free apps. i set this up for my brother's iPod touch (10 years old). i made the password his favourite nba player and he downloads what he wants.

 

[conwayboys]

Thank you for the response, I still have a few challenges:

1. My kids are 7, 10, and 13. The 13 year old has his own PC, but the others (and my wife) all share the same PC with the same instance of iTunes.

2. Creating Apple ID's for the kids will allow them to download their own content which is something I want to manage and edit.

3. I'd have to put a credit card against each new Apple ID which can lead to downloading that I'm not prepared to spend towards.

BJ

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Very clear! Thank you.

So I can have 1 Apple ID for iTunes purchases and 5 Apple ID's for iMessage.

Perfect.

BJ

Bite the bullet now and give them all their own accounts, any aps already downloaded and on the devices will be able to stay with those devices. As for the credit cards a father of two now late teen boys, simply set the rules and have them follow them. I think my boys may have spent as little as $200 in total on apps over the years they have been available. Save yourself pain and headache later and split up the accounts, give your kids some responsibility, and some privacy.

 

[The Flying Kite]

Bite the bullet now and give them all their own accounts, any aps already downloaded and on the devices will be able to stay with those devices. As for the credit cards a father of two now late teen boys, simply set the rules and have them follow them. I think my boys may have spent as little as $200 in total on apps over the years they have been available. Save yourself pain and headache later and split up the accounts, give your kids some responsibility, and some privacy.

Not important, but I'd just like to point out that his kids are now 9, 12, and 15.

 

[Fireproof!]

Cloud ID is separate from Apple ID.

One Apple ID for iTunes purchases.

Multiple Cloud ID for iMessage, etc.

Choose separate Cloud ID when setting up email in iCloud on each separate device, when it asks for @me.com address, that is the new iCloud ID.

Yes. Exactly. We do this. Except i used my kids' gmail accounts when creating their unique iCloud accounts. Works fine. They have their own calendar, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. But all PURCHASES are done through ONE "Apple ID."

 

[boltjames]

Bite the bullet now and give them all their own accounts, any aps already downloaded and on the devices will be able to stay with those devices. As for the credit cards a father of two now late teen boys, simply set the rules and have them follow them. I think my boys may have spent as little as $200 in total on apps over the years they have been available. Save yourself pain and headache later and split up the accounts, give your kids some responsibility, and some privacy.

Are you sure of this?

So if my kids have 200 apps between them all purchased under dad's (my) Apple ID, you're saying that if I create two unique Apple ID's for each of them that the apps I've paid for under my ID will automatically transfer over and be available at no-charge under their ID's? And future updates too? Never again have to sync to my Apple ID?

That would be great if true, I'd love to get their 100's of games out of my iTunes library, clean that up.

BJ