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You need to setup the iPod/iPhone like this: - During setup, create or sign into the kid's own iCloud account. This is separate from the iTunes account with pu

You need to setup the iPod/iPhone like this: - During setup, create or sign into the kid's own iCloud account. This is separate from the iTunes account with purchases. - After the device is setup and running, go into settings, and find the iTunes & App Stores section. Tap the Apple ID email address and sign out. - Sign in, in this section, with the iTunes account that has all of the purchases. This will not sync anything, including contacts or email. - Ensure all of the "Automatic Downloads" checkboxes are disabled, unless you want apps you download on your iPhone/iPad to automatically find their way onto your kid's iPod/iPhone. - Go into the app store and to the purchases tab. Download the apps you've already purchased. This allows you to purchase an app on any device, and redownload it on any other for free, without syncing contacts and iMessage across everything. This only shares the store account with all devices. Because you've already setup the device, you may need to do a full reset and setup the device again the way I posted.

Tichy 14y ago
My brain hurts...
- andrewmunsell 14y ago
  It's a little easier to follow if you are going through the process and have something to look at. But yeah, it's needlessly confusing and complicated, but it does work. We have 4 iPhones and 2 iPads running this way.
- arrrg 14y ago
  It’s not complicated. The short version: Don’t set up your kids’ devices with your Apple account because that is going to sync everything. I think that is logical and obvious. Apple helpfully also provides the option in the setting to sign up with a different account just for purchases. Then not all the stuff but just purchases will be synced. I’m not sure how you can do it much easier. Suggestions? Sure, this is a pain and it should be easier, but I’m not sure how? (I’m also sure that not many people sign in with their accounts on their kids’ devices. Seriously. That’s just a weird thing to do.) Wouldn’t the most logical thing to do be to just not sign in with anything when you set up the device (I honestly don’t think kids need iCloud accounts for what they will be doing with an iPod touch) and then to try and find some way to sign up only for the store to get your purchases on the device?
  - georgemcbay 14y ago
    The device should just natively support multiple profiles with a login system like newer versions of Android do and link everything to the profile and not the device. It would solve this issue as well as the many issues that arise when a family attempts to share an iPad. There are lots of reasons Apple may not want to do this (it is difficult to get right if not baked in from the start, it may result is less iPad sales, etc), but I think it is clearly the right thing to do for proper UX.
    - arrrg 14y ago
      How would that solve this issue? I don’t understand. This seems unrelated. Do you honestly want to tell me that first creating an account for the kids and then creating an separate account (you do not plan to use) just to get purchased apps on there is in any way, shape or form a simpler solution? Yes, Apple should support multiple accounts, but that’s unrelated to this problem.
      - georgemcbay 14y ago
        It would make the entire setup process more logical. While it may result in slightly more steps at initial setup time, it would bring clarity to the process, so you wouldn't be in the situation you are now where clearly many people are Doing It Wrong because Doing It Wrong is the easy path. Also, it makes it easier to undo the damage if you actually do go ahead and do it wrong, no need to do what amounts of a factory reset of the device to get to your desired state. Usually the best UX is the one which has less steps for the user, but in some situations that can be taken to an extreme which removes important clarity of what is actually happening from the user, and IMO Apple's current device setup system suffers from that.
        arrrg 14y ago
        I completely disagree with you there. Multiple accounts are messy and add tons of complexity. They are anything but easy to understand. I think Apple needs to add them, but I always envisioned them as a pro feature. Throwing normal users into a multiple account setup process seems like a very bad idea to me. I’m also not sure how multiple account creation can prevent this specific failure in any way. Someone who is inclined to set up their kids’ devices with their own account will likely not doing anything different during the same step in a multiple account set up process.
pooriaazimi 14y ago
Unless I'm really mistaken, a full reset is not required. Simply de-associate your iTunes account from kids' "iCloud" section of the Settings.app (but, leave your account in the "Store" section). Now, they can't see/edit your data, but share your "Store" account. You can create new iCloud accounts for them to iMessage/FaceTime/Mail if they like, and it won't remove any of the apps from those devices.
scoot 14y ago
> During setup, create or sign into the kid's own iCloud account. Depending on the age of your children, that may be a little tricky. Kids have to be 13 or older to have an apple account, as I discovered when I ran into this same problem earlier today.
- arrrg 14y ago
  You do not need an iCloud account to set up a device. I also don’t think it’s necessary for kids to be honest.
- ricardobeat 14y ago
  Create a second account for yourself?
- andrewmunsell 14y ago
  Like anyone follows the TOS of any service they've ever used :P
nhangen 14y ago
Except now any time they want to download something, they'll need your password. In the end, I just ended up giving my kids their own accounts across the board.
- andrewmunsell 14y ago
  Well, I certainly want kids asking me for my password when the iTunes account is attached to my credit card. You can always switch back and forth between two iTunes accounts and use the apps on both. When you want to download a paid app, switch the account on the phone (using the same method as above), download the app, and switch back the account.
  - nhangen 14y ago
    I agree, I don't want them using my card at all. I fund them with gift certificates instead. I've tried the two iTunes accounts thing, and it became a big problem when syncing or downloading updates.
brudgers 14y ago
Some might argue that the less than obvious steps listed here are evidence of the OP's point.

Tichy 14y ago

My brain hurts...

andrewmunsell 14y ago
It's a little easier to follow if you are going through the process and have something to look at. But yeah, it's needlessly confusing and complicated, but it does work. We have 4 iPhones and 2 iPads running this way.
arrrg 14y ago
It’s not complicated. The short version: Don’t set up your kids’ devices with your Apple account because that is going to sync everything. I think that is logical and obvious. Apple helpfully also provides the option in the setting to sign up with a different account just for purchases. Then not all the stuff but just purchases will be synced. I’m not sure how you can do it much easier. Suggestions? Sure, this is a pain and it should be easier, but I’m not sure how? (I’m also sure that not many people sign in with their accounts on their kids’ devices. Seriously. That’s just a weird thing to do.) Wouldn’t the most logical thing to do be to just not sign in with anything when you set up the device (I honestly don’t think kids need iCloud accounts for what they will be doing with an iPod touch) and then to try and find some way to sign up only for the store to get your purchases on the device?
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  The device should just natively support multiple profiles with a login system like newer versions of Android do and link everything to the profile and not the device. It would solve this issue as well as the many issues that arise when a family attempts to share an iPad. There are lots of reasons Apple may not want to do this (it is difficult to get right if not baked in from the start, it may result is less iPad sales, etc), but I think it is clearly the right thing to do for proper UX.
  - arrrg 14y ago
    How would that solve this issue? I don’t understand. This seems unrelated. Do you honestly want to tell me that first creating an account for the kids and then creating an separate account (you do not plan to use) just to get purchased apps on there is in any way, shape or form a simpler solution? Yes, Apple should support multiple accounts, but that’s unrelated to this problem.
    - georgemcbay 14y ago
      It would make the entire setup process more logical. While it may result in slightly more steps at initial setup time, it would bring clarity to the process, so you wouldn't be in the situation you are now where clearly many people are Doing It Wrong because Doing It Wrong is the easy path. Also, it makes it easier to undo the damage if you actually do go ahead and do it wrong, no need to do what amounts of a factory reset of the device to get to your desired state. Usually the best UX is the one which has less steps for the user, but in some situations that can be taken to an extreme which removes important clarity of what is actually happening from the user, and IMO Apple's current device setup system suffers from that.
      - arrrg 14y ago
        I completely disagree with you there. Multiple accounts are messy and add tons of complexity. They are anything but easy to understand. I think Apple needs to add them, but I always envisioned them as a pro feature. Throwing normal users into a multiple account setup process seems like a very bad idea to me. I’m also not sure how multiple account creation can prevent this specific failure in any way. Someone who is inclined to set up their kids’ devices with their own account will likely not doing anything different during the same step in a multiple account set up process.

pooriaazimi 14y ago

Unless I'm really mistaken, a full reset is not required. Simply de-associate your iTunes account from kids' "iCloud" section of the Settings.app (but, leave your account in the "Store" section). Now, they can't see/edit your data, but share your "Store" account. You can create new iCloud accounts for them to iMessage/FaceTime/Mail if they like, and it won't remove any of the apps from those devices.

scoot 14y ago

> During setup, create or sign into the kid's own iCloud account. Depending on the age of your children, that may be a little tricky. Kids have to be 13 or older to have an apple account, as I discovered when I ran into this same problem earlier today.

arrrg 14y ago
You do not need an iCloud account to set up a device. I also don’t think it’s necessary for kids to be honest.
ricardobeat 14y ago
Create a second account for yourself?
andrewmunsell 14y ago
Like anyone follows the TOS of any service they've ever used :P

nhangen 14y ago

Except now any time they want to download something, they'll need your password. In the end, I just ended up giving my kids their own accounts across the board.

andrewmunsell 14y ago
Well, I certainly want kids asking me for my password when the iTunes account is attached to my credit card. You can always switch back and forth between two iTunes accounts and use the apps on both. When you want to download a paid app, switch the account on the phone (using the same method as above), download the app, and switch back the account.
- nhangen 14y ago
  I agree, I don't want them using my card at all. I fund them with gift certificates instead. I've tried the two iTunes accounts thing, and it became a big problem when syncing or downloading updates.

brudgers 14y ago

Some might argue that the less than obvious steps listed here are evidence of the OP's point.