How to use multiple Apple ID's with one computer and iTunes
Many families share one computer and in turn, may back up and sync more than one iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with that one computer. If everyone in your household all shares the same Apple ID for purchases in iTunes, it's normally not an issue. But what if that's not the case and you all want your own Apple ID's for iTunes purchases and you don't want mom's cooking apps mixed in with dad's finance apps? As it happens, you can set iTunes up to separate Apple ID's quite easily.
It'll take a little bit of effort to set up but once you're done, none of your apps, music, tv shows, and movies will be intertwined nor require you to authorize all accounts in the same iTunes library. Here's how.
How to create a new iTunes library
First we'll need to create an iTunes library for each person that's using that computer by performing the following steps:
- Completely quit iTunes and make sure it is not running in the background. Now hold down either alt/option on your Mac or Shift on your PC and click to open iTunes again.
- You'll notice instead of opening, iTunes is now asking you to either create a new library or navigate to an existing one. Click on the Create Library... option.
- Now give it a name and choose where you want to save it at. For most people, the default Music folder is probably fine. After you've named it and selected where you want it to be located at, click on Save.
- You'll now be able to scan for media for the new library or you can just sign in to iTunes and bring everything down that you've previously purchased with your Apple ID if you'd like.
- Repeat this process and create a library for each person you'd like to have their own iTunes library to use with their own Apple ID.
How to switch between iTunes libraries
Now that you've set up an iTunes library for each person in your household, the rest is easy. You can easily switch between the libraries in just a few taps.
- Completely quit iTunes and make sure it is not running in the background. Now hold down either alt/option on your Mac or Shift on your PC and click to open iTunes just like you did to create your libraries.
- Instead of creating one, this time you'll select the option for Choose Library....
- Navigate to the library you'd like to use and select Open.
- That's it. You can close out iTunes when you're done and the next person can do the same thing and open their own iTunes library.
This process will allow each person to have their own personalized library that isn't filled with stuff they don't use by other people who use that same computer. That means your own apps, music, tv shows, music, and other media types that you purchase will only filter into your library, not everyone else's - as long as you're using your own Apple ID's.
How-to, jailbreak, and DIY Editor at iMore, owner at The Pod Drop & AnoStyle, Potter pundit, and the ninja in your iOS
There are 17 comments. Add yours.
Thanks for the info. An issue I have is that I actually created another user account on our computer to accomplish kind of what you are doing. How can I transfer that data to the new library?
You can place the music/app/video files into a shared folder. Step by step instructions: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1203
This will be the easiest option. :)
Would each created account have to buy a paid app? Is there any way to share apps other than to be under the same Apple ID?
Just sign out of one account on your device and log into the account that has the app you want and download from Purchased under Updates tab on app store. My wife and I do that when one of us buys an app that the other might like.
Thank you. I will give that a try.
thanks:)
"you don't want mom's cooking apps mixed in with dad's finance apps?"
Stereotype much?
Really? That's what you pulled out of that?! I am a female with finance apps and cooking apps. I was making an easy to comprehend point. Wow. Just wow.
Ally,
You are the best ever. I don't need to do this but now I can teach my best friend and his girlfriend how so they don't get their things mixed up.
Now thanks to them I can impress them with my knowledge but I will give you the credit. :)
Thanks! I've been pulling out hairs trying to figure this out... Apple's article mentioned this, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1495, but didn't mention Apple IDs, which really confused me.
Whoa, this article could land some users in never never land. It works as described unless iTunes Match or Automatic Downloads are enabled.
In those cases, the Mac is treated as a single user device much the same as iOS devices are, and switching from one AppleID to another triggers a 90 day lockout on the previous ID. This holds true if you use multiple iTunes libraries under one user account, multiple user accounts on the same hardware, or different boot drives on the same CPU.
See this tech note for a partial explanation: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4627?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
"Partial" because Apple has published conflicting tech notes about this topic and does not explicitly denote the differences between "classic" iTunes and iTunes in the cloud.
The big assumption this doesn't state is that this is for people sharing the same user account. Otherwise, if people sharing a computer have separate user accounts, each gets a separate music library by default as well as mail, contacts, calendars, etc. Enable fast user switching for convenience.
I agree with Ryan's point above mine. If you're bent on having your own library you might as well create your own OS X/Windows account.
Regardless, great article!
I understand the creating different libraries, what I don't understand is how the different ID's are associated to each library. We have a shared account. One person moved out and I need to give them their stuff, but retain my stuff, and It's a tad hostile, so I don't want them to have my apple ID information-since with it, they could access my account information and lock me out. I'd like to create their library and associate it to their NEW ID. Make sense?
Great article, but here's my peculiar problem: I needed to download the 'kindle for iOS' app onto my iPad, but it unfortunately isn't available to my country. Is there a way I can create another ID using a supported country (but still on the same device) so I can get the app? I really need to get some books in the kindle format from amazon and I can't afford the amazon kindle right now. Regards
I like to know what is going on here my mom has an iPod nano 6th generation & I have a 7th generation iPod nano & she has her apple id & I have my apple id but the problem is that when I log in with my apple id it shows all her music in my apple id why does it do that & how do I fix it so it doesn't do that