Use two iCloud accounts on same Mac - Handoff/Continuity

benjer

Our family has one Mac (a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro). However, my wife and I both have iPhones, and one feature of Continuity we both want to use is SMS messaging from our Mac. Is it possible to have different iCloud logins for different users on our Mac? That is, could I log into our Mac as one user signed into my iCloud account (and Messages with then use my iPhone for SMS messaging), and my wife have her own user account on our Mac so that when she logs into our Mac she is signed into her own iCloud account?

wilstone

You both should have your own iCloud account. This means two different user/names & pass/words. On your phone under settings access the iCloud menu to review your user and password info.
Do you only have one user account on your MacBook? That could be your problem.

benjer

We do each have our own iCloud accounts, and on our iPhones we are signed into our respective accounts. Right now, the MacBook is logged in under my iCloud account. My question is wether there is a way to have two iCloud accounts on the same Mac for the purpose of Continuity/Handoff working for both of us on the same Mac.

kingofsomewherehot

Only if you sign into the Mac under different user accounts ... one user account on the Mac for you, one user account on the Mac for your spouse.  If you both use the Mac under the same user acount (I'm in that same boat), then no, I don' tknow of a way for continuity to work properly with multiple iCloud accounts on a single desktop user account.

 

(What I'm getting at is that you and your spouse would need to have separate user accounts set up on the Mac... where you don't share all the same files and stuff ... I get the impression that you both use the same user account on the Mac because you don't have anything to hide from each other and it just works easier that way for you.)

naveenraj

Hi,

 

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benjer

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingOfSomewhereHot 

 

Only if you sign into the Mac under different user accounts ... one user account on the Mac for you, one user account on the Mac for your spouse.  If you both use the Mac under the same user acount (I'm in that same boat), then no, I don' tknow of a way for continuity to work properly with multiple iCloud accounts on a single desktop user account.

 

(What I'm getting at is that you and your spouse would need to have separate user accounts set up on the Mac... where you don't share all the same files and stuff ... I get the impression that you both use the same user account on the Mac because you don't have anything to hide from each other and it just works easier that way for you.)

Thanks...I guess there isn't a solution. Maybe we're in the minority where we only have one family computer, and we don't mind sharing a user account. Hand-off and Continuity are new features, so maybe in the future there will be consideration for how multiple user accounts can use Continuity on the same computer.

john.b

I believe Apple's intent was to link Messages only to the iMessage/SMS messages of the person who is currently logged into the Macbook.  Yours seems to be a fairly unique case.  I'm not sure there are that many people who would want to share their SMS messages with someone else.

kingofsomewherehot

Quote:

Originally Posted by John.B 

 

...  I'm not sure there are that many people who would want to share their SMS messages with someone else.

 

 

 He doesn't want to share his messages.  But he and his wife share the same User Account on the Mac (I do the same in my house ... we both use the same iPhoto, iBank, iTunes, etc...)

...I believe he's thinking it would be nice to be able to keep using the same shared user account on the iMac, but somehow be able to tell it which person/phone number is sitting in front of it at a particular time for the purposes of the continuity features. (being able to answer the phone and use iMessages on the iMac.)

They're specifically trying NOT to share SMS's, but still want to use the same iMac user account.

livvving

I also wish to share iCloud accounts, but a little differently - I want to be able to access my home/personal iCloud account at work, but not all the time, just when I need to - I don't want others at work to have access - a shared iCloud would work perfectly - so I can decide what I want to share with my work account.

 

This MUST be a big problem for many users who have macs at home and at work too. There HAS to be  solution, surely?

 

Currently, I log into iCloud in Safari to access my home account, but it is a bit of a nuisance.

macsh

I had the same issue with work and home and 2 icloud accounts.This is how you set up your other icloud account on your home mac and vice versa.

1. Go to System Preferences

2. Users and Groups

3. Click on the lock to make changes

4. Add your other icloud account

5. Opt for sign in with icloud password

6. Click on the lock to save

7. Logout 

 

When you go to log on again you will see an icon for the icloud account you just added.

 

Good Luck!

ringer

The old way may be the best, as was standard practice for computers shared by multiple users in a university department.  Create an account with administration privileges and use it for all necessary system updates.  Then create an account without such privileges for each user including yourself.  Or just remove your personal account admin privileges.  This is relatively safe, and you can create a guest account or two as well.  When you want to do something that requires admin privileges you can either log in as administrator or just give the admin password when prompted.