iCloud is personal, while Apple Store is not. In this post, I discuss why it is not wise to use the same Apple id with iCloud that you share with your family.
The basic difference between an iCloud Account and App Store Account (Or the Apple Id)
An iCloud Account on your iPhone or iPad allows you to sync your data from Email, Favorite Songs, Documents, etc., to the cloud, while an App Store Account is only to buy Apps, Songs, or any form for purchases. The former is a backup. The latter is only your passport to get new stuff.
Where does the problem begin?
Starting with iOS 5, anybody who sets up his iPad for the first time is also asked to setup up an iCloud account, and he or she ends up creating an iCloud Account using the same Apple Id because it is filled in by default to your iCloud Account Signup form.
Sharing the same Apple Account with your Family?
This is where everybody will go crazy. Let’s say you have already created an iCloud account using the same Apple account. Next, your Wife Upgrades and does the same stuff, and then your son.
Since all of you are using the same account for iCloud, all your data will now be shared, and I am sure you don’t want your Son to see your Bank Details or even confidential emails. And I am sure you will run out of 5GB of data if you have a good amount of data soon.
So what should you have done, and How to Fix it?
The best option was to skip it the first time when your iDevice asked for iCloud Setup. So if you are reading this before, you have done it till now. Skip is an option you get right on the iCloud Setup form (Right Lower). In case you have already done it, follow the steps :
On Your iPad / iPhone :
- Take up the iPad or iPhone, which has your data.
- Now go to Settings > iCloud and turn off all the backup options to OFF.
- This will make sure the data you have on your device stays on your device.
- Next select Delete Account.
- This will remove all the data on iCloud and will not disable the account, so don’t worry. So you can still use the same id again.
On your Family member’s iDevice :
- Now go and repeat the same steps on all your family iDevices with iCloud Settings, except don’t turn them off but keep them on.
- Now we are even. The data is on your device and off everybody’s else.
- If your family members have backed up data, use it to restore.
Setting up Different Accounts for iCloud :
Now set up a new iCloud account different for every family member. This will ensure that you and everybody else have their data backed up to their account. The whole thing is a bit of a trade-off, as the rest of the members need to recover their settings again.
If you find changing this bit difficult on all devices taking them into hand individually, you can use the iCloud Control Panel to manage all the iCloud Accounts in one place.
Instead, you can use the Home Share feature to share purchased iTunes content with your family on five different PCs and Macs.
In the end, Why Turning off Automatic Download is a good option for App Store :
App Store now allows you to download any content like Books, Apps, and Music to all devices when bought on one. If you or your wife is a download junkie, you will see any app which you bought gets downloaded to your Sons iDevice and on your wife’s iDevice. So the best is to turn this option off when an App Store Apple Account is shared with all and downloaded individually to every device.
