Apple adds Family Sharing support information to iOS, Mac App Store listings
Apple on Friday activated a new iOS and Mac App Store asset that notifies customers of compatibility with the company's upcoming Family Sharing program, which will allow family members to share purchased content.
Listed as part of the "Information" section of an app's description, the new Family Sharing line tells customers whether the title supports Apple's upcoming content sharing initiative that is set for debut with iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite. German blog iFun.de was first to spot the change.
Family Sharing has not yet been activated, though multiple apps like Minecraft - Pocket Edition (seen above), are already showing support. Some apps are showing conditional sharing options, limiting users to those who purchased the app after a certain date, while others are simply listing a "no."
Unveiled at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Family Sharing is a long-awaited iOS and Mac feature that lets up to six family members share content purchased from the iTunes Store. The program stipulates that all users who participate within a household must be use the same credit card.
In addition to sharing content, the program allows family members to share photos, a family calendar and current locations among registered devices. Apple also built in safeguards that allow parents to approve purchases and downloads made by their children, as well as accept or reject purchases remotely.
Apple began urging developers to opt-in to the Family Sharing program in June.
Listed as part of the "Information" section of an app's description, the new Family Sharing line tells customers whether the title supports Apple's upcoming content sharing initiative that is set for debut with iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite. German blog iFun.de was first to spot the change.
Family Sharing has not yet been activated, though multiple apps like Minecraft - Pocket Edition (seen above), are already showing support. Some apps are showing conditional sharing options, limiting users to those who purchased the app after a certain date, while others are simply listing a "no."
Unveiled at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Family Sharing is a long-awaited iOS and Mac feature that lets up to six family members share content purchased from the iTunes Store. The program stipulates that all users who participate within a household must be use the same credit card.
In addition to sharing content, the program allows family members to share photos, a family calendar and current locations among registered devices. Apple also built in safeguards that allow parents to approve purchases and downloads made by their children, as well as accept or reject purchases remotely.
Apple began urging developers to opt-in to the Family Sharing program in June.
Comments
On some entries, it says it applies to purchases after a certain date. The examples I have seen are in this past June.
On some entries, it just says Yes. The lack of a date could imply no date limitation.
So will devs increase the price of apps that allow "Family Sharing"? If they rely on in-app purchases that are costlier than the app itself, it may not matter.
How is this different from Home Sharing, except that that's 5 versus 6 computers and what, 10 devices?
It seems like we're already doing everything referred to here around our house.
With home sharing you have to use the same Apple ID to login, this allows you to link multiple Apple IDs under a family account umbrella. So each member of the family has their own ID and password but can see/download purchases from other family members linked under the umbrella.
How is this different from Home Sharing, except that that's 5 versus 6 computers and what, 10 devices?
It seems like we're already doing everything referred to here around our house.
With home sharing you have to use the same Apple ID to login, this allows you to link multiple Apple IDs under a family account umbrella. So each member of the family has their own ID and password but can see/download purchases from other family members linked under the umbrella.
Thanks, that's helpful, but I'm still concerned/confused:
"The program stipulates that all users who participate within a household must be use the same credit card."
Proof-reading aside, this means I'm going to be paying for everything they buy, much of which I might not care to share...
As it is now, can't they "share" regardless of account affiliation, if I simply 'authorize' their computers/devices?
How is this different from Home Sharing, except that that's 5 versus 6 computers and what, 10 devices?
many ways
Home sharing
1. is only media, not apps
2. only works on devices when they are on your 'home' wifi network.
3. is based around a single apple id.
4. the purpose is really to network your music and video from your computer to your devices, especially your apple tv. like a very low grade NAS
Family sharing
1. is about all purchases, provided an app developer doesn't opt out
2. works on all devices where family sharing is activated, regardless of where the devices are
3. is the connecting of several apple ids
4. includes features that allow parents to monitor and control a child's purchases, on their own id, even from afar
5. the purpose is to allow families to actually avoid purchasing apps and items several times while maintaining multiple apple ids.
With family sharing kids can have their own account and granny and grandpa can give the kiddies iTunes gift cards without fights that you spent part of my money or Mommy worrying about how the system pulls from cards first so her movie purchase just 'stole' from one of us. Everything is on everyone's account. But then Mommy decides to treat us cause we have been good and buys a game we wanted on her account so we can save our money but can share it with us. and so on
Thanks, that's helpful, but I'm still concerned/confused:
"The program stipulates that all users who participate within a household must be use the same credit card."
There has to be a way to link the cards and this is the one that Apple has chosen. Hopefully it will come with a way to restrict accounts so they can't actually use it as anything more than a link but we'll have to wait until the release to know.
And if you activate the restrictions so they have to ask for permission to make a purchase you actually get way more control than you did when there was one account and they figured out (or worse, you told them) the password
Thanks, that's helpful, but I'm still concerned/confused:
"The program stipulates that all users who participate within a household must be use the same credit card."
Proof-reading aside, this means I'm going to be paying for everything they buy, much of which I might not care to share...
As it is now, can't they "share" regardless of account affiliation, if I simply 'authorize' their computers/devices?
The way is is explained in this article, the sharing program is totally useless to me, no way I will give my kids full access to my credit card. Hopefully the description is incorrect, and there is some way to connect to the credit card number only without access to charge to the account.
The way is is explained in this article, the sharing program is totally useless to me, no way I will give my kids full access to my credit card. Hopefully the description is incorrect, and there is some way to connect to the credit card number only without access to charge to the account.
The person who creates the family group is the group "admin" and can approve or deny credit card purchases. Anyone under 13 years old is automatically a "child" user and cannot make credit card purchases (they have to submit a request). And the admin can manually assign a member as a "child" user as well so you can control who can purchase without approval or not. Group members can also use their own gift cards in which case there is no purchase approval required. Group members can then browse other member's purchases although members can choose to hide purchases. Only in-app purchases cannot be shared.
https://www.apple.com/ca/ios/ios8/family-sharing/
https://developer.apple.com/icloud/documentation/family-sharing/
Try learning to read. You can authorise or decline every payment made as the Daddy.
Thanks, that's helpful, but I'm still concerned/confused:
"The program stipulates that all users who participate within a household must be use the same credit card."
Proof-reading aside, this means I'm going to be paying for everything they buy, much of which I might not care to share...
As it is now, can't they "share" regardless of account affiliation, if I simply 'authorize' their computers/devices?
The way is is explained in this article, the sharing program is totally useless to me, no way I will give my kids full access to my credit card. Hopefully the description is incorrect, and there is some way to connect to the credit card number only without access to charge to the account.
Try learning to read. You can authorise or decline every payment made as the Daddy.
Or, try learning to express yourself politely...
Security was not really the issue, but auditing and settling accounts was.
Meanwhile, thanks again to everyone who spent their time responding to me
with detailed instruction on the ins and outs…that sort of thing is useful.
Pleasure.