What’s the latest info on moving country?

[steve62388]

I have a large investment in films, apps, iCloud storage and iTunes Match in my current country. If I move country what is the best way to maintain access to it all? From what I have been reading I think it would be best to create a second Apple ID in my new country and switch between them both. I was thinking of buying iTunes gift cards online for my old country and just keep topping up the account in the local currency. But what will happen when the card recorded as the payment method on that account expires (because the bank accounts will end up getting closed)?

 

[jpn]

i have similar questions about what might be the best strategy to do what you want.

for myself, i have needed to make iCloud separate accounts in 3 app stores (Japan, Hong Kong, and USA) in order to be able to download and maintain apps and content.

the other day i needed to access the hong kong iOS app store to download the Hong Kong version of the HSBC business app (which is only available through the HKG app store).
the only way i know how to do that is to sign out of the iTunes & App store on my iPhone temporarily, download the HKG app store app, and then sign back into the iTunes & App Store in my home country (Japan).
the good news is that the HKG app, and the apps that were/are only available in the USA store, once they are on your iOS device, they can happily stay there and co-exist with apps/content that were downloaded from other app stores, and are even updated normally, even though you are not signed into the store from which you originally downloaded from.

many years ago i bought and download TV content from the USA iTunes store.
i downloaded that content (purchased in USA iTunes TV store) to an off-line device (that could be accessed and loaded into iTunes at any time, but just not located in the main, current apple Music library.
i havent signed into the USA store in over 2 years, the content, but still can access and play that TV content that is being stored outside of the Music main library. so it must check for where it comes from originally, but doesnt care if it is associated with the current iCloud ID you are singed into Music/iTunes with.

but, signing out of one app store will delete the apple Music content that is already downloaded to that one device's Music library.
so every time i sign out of the Japan iTunes & App store, it deletes all the downloaded music that was on that one device in the main library associated with that ID.
when i sign back into that account however, the music titles and playlists are all there in iCloud, but it takes about 1 or 2 hours to get it all downloaded back to that device (i fly a lot and want access to music and content all the time).

i have also found that you do not need to have a credit card in every app store. this has changed over the past 4 or 5 years. there are ways to set up the app store ID to be used for only free apps/content. and doing this has become easier and easier.
your idea of using iTunes Gift cards does work.

however, you mention you have iTunes Match.
the horror stories about iTunes Match not working across different iTunes stores (let along within the same) stores are legion.
it is for sure that downloaded Music content will be deleted as above if you sign out of yr current ID.
getting iTunes Matched songs and albums back onto yr device is likely to have problems.
(i dont have iTunes Match, but the net is full of bad episodes since allowable versions and special versions of songs available for download and purchase varies so much due to the digital Rights in each country having no consistency).
however, in my case (not iTunes matched music): music that i had purchased long long ago before iTunes became apple Music, however, do have a life of their own. apple consistently does recognize that i actually did purchase it at one point, so that music is not deleted.
apple does have a consistent way of leaving that music on my device when i switch stores.
i dont know if iTunes Matched content works the same way or not.

 

[-Gonzo-]

For Movies, TV and Music it’s recommended to download everything to a hard drive via iTunes on a PC or Mac before changing your AppleID to a different country otherwise you could lose some titles due to different licensing agreements between countries. (Any items you purchased that do disappear will still be attached to your account but will only be accessible if you revert back to the original country of purchase.)
You could use two separate AppleIDs however via iOS, PC & Mac there is a 90 day restriction if you wish to download or stream movies,tv and music from a different AppleID.
This restriction doesn’t currently apply to an AppleTV so that’s one option so can switch between accounts and still access content between different county accounts.

 

[steve62388]

i have also found that you do not need to have a credit card in every app store. this has changed over the past 4 or 5 years. there are ways to set up the app store ID to be used for only free apps/content. and doing this
your idea of using iTunes Gift cards does work.

Thanks very much for your verbose reply.

You say the GC idea works with free content. Any idea if it will work with paid content?

I guess what I really need to know is what happens when the existing card on file expires. I’ll be shutting down my old country bank accounts so at that point the card will be invalid. When Apple tries to verify it for any reason it will be rejected (and it would expire if it’s own accord anyway).
[automerge]1569054942[/automerge]

You could use two separate AppleIDs however via iOS, PC & Mac there is a 90 day restriction if you wish to download or stream movies,tv and music from a different AppleID.
This restriction doesn’t currently apply to an AppleTV so that’s one option so can switch between accounts and still access content between different county accounts.

The 90 day restriction will cause me massive difficulties. That’s why I was thinking I would just remain in my old country’s store.

 

[jpn]

You say the GC idea works with free content. Any idea if it will work with paid content?

I guess what I really need to know is what happens when the existing card on file expires. I’ll be shutting down my old country bank accounts so at that point the card will be invalid. When Apple tries to verify it for any reason it will be rejected (and it would expire if it’s own accord anyway).

this happened to me.
the credit card i had on file for that store had expired and i needed to input the new card's details.
needed to log into that store to do that, which made my downloaded music be deleted from my main store.
but inputting new details was not a problem.
then just signed out of it and back into my main store.

 

[steve62388]

this happened to me.
the credit card i had on file for that store had expired and i needed to input the new card's details.
needed to log into that store to do that, which made my downloaded music be deleted from my main store.
but inputting new details was not a problem.
then just signed out of it and back into my main store.

Hmmm. This is a serious concern, it implies it’s impossible to retain any access to my library at all without a foreign card (which I wont have).

EDIT: I’m wondering if there is some way to open a digital only UK based bank account and work around it that way?

 

[jpn]

Hmmm. This is a serious concern, it implies it’s impossible to retain any access to my library at all without a foreign card (which I wont have).

EDIT: I’m wondering if there is some way to open a digital only UK based bank account and work around it that way?

sorry i wasn't clear. even if your credit card expires, you will still be able to get updates to that app.
you just won't be able to log into that store to do anything else, even download more free apps (as i recall).
in my case, i just download all the apps from that store that i need and (try not to need to go back to that store) and use my main store for all apps that can be downloaded from it.

 

[steve62388]

I’m thinking my best option is to setup a second Apple ID for my new home country.

Is the 90 day lockout when you change AppleID per device? I have an iPhone, iPad, AppleTV, Apple Watch and Macbook.

If I change the login on one device to a new AppleID (with my new country) can I continue to buy stuff on my second device that remains logged into old country? My intention would be to change the ID from my new country back to my old after the 90 day lock out.

General comments. Please chime in I have made any mistakes or there is something I haven’t thought of.

1. I foresee handoff wouldn’t work.
2. I could forward email (I use Apple Mail) from the new ID to the old ID.
3. Photos wouldn’t sync across the two IDs, but I think I could manually sync those from my device to my MacBook. Are Photos tied to an ID? ie when I log out will they disappear?
4. Notes wouldn’t sync, but that would be an easy copy and paste job.
5. Safari bookmarks could be exported and imported.
6. I’m not sure how third party apps that use iCloud to sync would work. I’m guessing they won’t.
7. I have read lots of posts about it but I still don’t really understand how app updates would work.
8. My (iTunes Match) Music would be missing off the device signed into the new AppleID.
9. Through this whole process my AppleTV will be fine as long as I leave it signed into my old ID.
10. I don’t want to split purchases between the two accounts in case I want to permanently change countries in the future. If Apple come up with an option to migrate countries (highly unlikely) then merging accounts would be a sticking point.
11. Most of the time I would be logged into my old ID account. I would only log into my new ID (and new country) to download apps that are only available in that store.
12. When I login to my new ID (and country) am I better turning off all iCloud syncing functions?
13. I have read some posts that people got their accounts closed when they purchased from a foreign store (which will be my situation). Is this a thing?