Two Questions on Family Sharing

[Dev from tipb]

In family sharing, one apple id is the main "organizer" -- can the other Apple IDs in the family sharing network still purchases independently of the family? For instance, say in my 4 person family:

me - Organizer
wife - member
kid #1 - member
kid #2 - member

Can my wife purchase against her own Apple ID outside of the family share, or, once a share is set up, are all purchases by all members *only* on that share account?

Secondly, what strategy is best to consolidate at the start? We each have quite a bit of content (mainly songs and apps) we have purchased over the years on our separate accounts, and we have authorized each other to to use each other's libraries. Is there a best path to converting these separate libraries into a family share setting? To make things even more complicated, she is moving over from Android and wants to set up her new iPhone with a different Apple ID than the one she used to build up her library.

 

[Just_Me_D]

In family sharing, one apple id is the main "organizer" -- can the other Apple IDs in the family sharing network still purchases independently of the family? For instance, say in my 4 person family:

me - Organizer
wife - member
kid #1 - member
kid #2 - member

Can my wife purchase against her own Apple ID outside of the family share, or, once a share is set up, are all purchases by all members *only* on that share account?

Great question, and I'd like to think you can. Anyone should be able to make a purchase on their devices but the one account is charged. The main focus is on the ability to not have to buy multiple times for family members. Mind you, I have NOT researched the Family Sharing feature, and am only giving you my opinion of it based on your question.

Secondly, what strategy is best to consolidate at the start? We each have quite a bit of content (mainly songs and apps) we have purchased over the years on our separate accounts, and we have authorized each other to to use each other's libraries. Is there a best path to converting these separate libraries into a family share setting? To make things even more complicated, she is moving over from Android and wants to set up her new iPhone with a different Apple ID than the one she used to build up her library.

I don't know.

 

[wenrob]

She can make purchases but they will come off the credit card you as the organizer have put on there. However, iTunes will charge a gift card on the account first. So for instance, I have iTunes credit on my account and my teen daughter has iTunes credit on her account. She is in my Family Share Plan. If she makes a purchase it will come from her gift card/credit first, if she has no gift card/credit it will come from the credit card I put in there. Not sure if would use my gift card or not but I plan to test to see if it will. My plan is to make sure everyone has iTunes credit in their accounts and avoiding use of the credit card.

The libraries are not consolidated. You go to the iTunes or App Store, choose a person's library and download from there. So if you have been using just your ID thus far, then she will have to go to your library in the iTunes Store and download the stuff she wants from there. I was a little disappointed in this as I was hoping my younger kids could just open the video app and the movies would appear there.

As far as I know you cannot transfer purchases from one ID to another. If she has purchases from a previous ID she'd be better off sticking with it.