Family Share May Not Be As Good As We Thought

[Scott Greczkowski]

Since the big announcement early in the week one of the big talked about features is Family Share which will allow up to 6 members of your family share items that they purchased with other family members.

Well if you are thinking that you just need to get iOS 8 and turn on Family Share and then you can download that $20 Slingplayer app that your kid purchased you might be mistaken.

I just got an email from Apple letting me know that if I want my app to be made available using Family Share that I (the maker of the app) must OPT IN for Family Sharing. If I don't opt in then Family Sharing for my app will not be available.

I have a feeling a lot of these paid apps will not Opt In to make the app free to others in your family.

Some people are not going to be happy when they hear that.

 

[JamesJ]

I wondered about that, they made it seem a lot easier then what I expected.

 

[dishfan82]

Figures. He was not going to say anything about that either in the Keynote because if he did then it would have made a lot angry so now a lot will be angry in the Fall instead. No way apps that are 10-20.00 will have family share enabled.


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[Scott Greczkowski]

Notice this from the bottom of the Family Share page.

*Not all purchases are eligible for Family Sharing.

http://www.apple.com/ios/ios8/family-sharing/?cid=wwa-us-kwg-features-com

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am surprised none of the big media sites have picked up on this yet.

 

[stimpson]

I am surprised none of the big media sites have picked up on this yet.

Yet another reason this site kicks butt!!!


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[rockymtnhigh]

My developer account got an email saying that app developers had to agree to the terms of family sharing for paid apps. I didn't pay much attention to it, but I suspect most will permit it. We'll see this fall.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I see Mac Rumors just picked up the story.

 

[dishfan82]

I am surprised none of the big media sites have picked up on this yet.

I am surprised as well and you know that's where you will see jabs at Apple about how Android has all these free apps whereas Apple's app store you have to pay for most of them. An app that is .99 cents the developer may make free for family sharing but not an App that costs 9.99 or more. If they do then they're very generous.


Rocky,

Do you think developers who charge 19.99 will make their app family share or lower cost apps? If I'm a developer I'm thinking is a family of 4 or 5 with smartphones going to each buy a 19.99 app? Or if Make it family sharable then maybe I can get the mom or dad to buy it?



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[rockymtnhigh]

Rocky,

Do you think developers who charge 19.99 will make their app family share or lower cost apps? If I'm a developer I'm thinking is a family of 4 or 5 with smartphones going to each buy a 19.99 app? Or if Make it family sharable then maybe I can get the mom or dad to buy it?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No clue, but as it is many families use one store id and share already. I know we do.

 

[Foxbat]

I'm also wondering about movies and books (as they are the higher-ticket items) if they may be able to opt-out on not opt-in on a provider by provider basis.

I want to know if it this Family Share is a take it all or if I can choose which media and apps I want that my wife or son may have purchased? I can guarantee you that I might be interested in maybe 15% of the music my son bought, and he would probably leave most of my collection off of his device.

Does Family Share also cover music that I ripped using my Apple ID? Right now I have to export to MP3 in order to share music, so if Family Share means exactly that, cool!

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I don't anticipate issues with my movies, music because we all use the same store Apple ID. But I doubt apple will allow iTunes to be splintered into some content shareable, some not. But just a guess.