Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

antdawe

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 14, 2010
212
1
Just picked up my new iPad today so I'm like a kid with a new toy.

I have an iPhone but don't want all my iPhone apps mixed up with my iPad apps and vice versa.

how do I go about having two separate libraries for both my ipad and iPhone.
 
cant you just create a playlist named iPad and one called iPhone and just sync them appropriately? also for the apps you should be able to decide what apps you want to sync to what device.
 
cant you just create a playlist named iPad and one called iPhone and just sync them appropriately? also for the apps you should be able to decide what apps you want to sync to what device.

I'm just gonna set up a new user name on my Mac now specifically for my iPad. Apple need to address the issue regarding syncing multiple devices on one username. Thanks anyway
 
You can manage your apps and music very easily with iTunes. It will recognise each device connected and allow you to choose which music and apps are synced to each device.
 
antdawe said:
I'm just gonna set up a new user name on my Mac now specifically for my iPad. Apple need to address the issue regarding syncing multiple devices on one username. Thanks anyway

That seems like an awkward "solution" to something that isn't really a problem.

It would be much less trouble to do as others have suggested and just:

1. Plug in either device.
2. Tell iTunes to "Sync selected playlists" and then check the box beside the ones you want. (You will probably want to create new playlists or smart playlists for each device, but obviously you'd end up doing that anyway, much less conveniently, in separate user accounts.)
3. Go to the Apps tab and check the boxes for the apps you want on that device.
4. Plug in the other device and do the same thing.

Now you're set. You can do this for as many devices as you want. Right now I've got two iPads and one iPod synced to one Mac using the same user account. No problem. It's how the system is designed to work. There is no "issue" here for Apple to deal with.
 
That seems like an awkward "solution" to something that isn't really a problem.

It would be much less trouble to do as others have suggested and just:

1. Plug in either device.
2. Tell iTunes to "Sync selected playlists" and then check the box beside the ones you want. (You will probably want to create new playlists or smart playlists for each device, but obviously you'd end up doing that anyway, much less conveniently, in separate user accounts.)
3. Go to the Apps tab and check the boxes for the apps you want on that device.
4. Plug in the other device and do the same thing.

Now you're set. You can do this for as many devices as you want. Right now I've got two iPads and one iPod synced to one Mac using the same user account. No problem. It's how the system is designed to work. There is no "issue" here for Apple to deal with.

Bit confused here but this is an interesting topic.

You say playlist, as in songs playlist? Can you create a playlist for apps?
 
I have two ipads, two iPhones, two iPod Nanos and one iPod Touch al with the same user name and password. Each device has its own music playlist that syncs to that device. Additionally, I select the apps that I want to use with each device.

It really is not that difficult.
 
Can you create a playlist for apps?

Not exactly, but the end result is similar.

When you connect an iPad (or iPhone or iPod touch) to a computer, and you start iTunes, you get a series of tabs for the device where you can control what you want to sync with that device. You have a tab for apps, music, videos, podcasts, etc. Some tabs give you several different ways of selecting what to sync with your iDevice, music being the most complex tab. The tab for apps is quite simple, you just check the apps you want to sync with that particular device, and only the checked apps get synced, the unchecked ones stay off. Since iTunes remembers the settings for each iDevice, each device can have its own set of apps, music, podcasts, etc, that you sync with it.

This sounds more complex when written out than in practice. Just trust us and hook up multiple iDevices to your computer, and go through all the different tabs and check out what they do. It'll make more sense once you see it in action.
 
I love these forums. It gives people the opportunity to learn things they never knew before. This is much better than my two user accounts idea. Big thanks to everyone that contributed here.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.