Is Apple ID and App Store ID are the same?

It’s a common problem of the modern age: how to share just enough with a partner or with your family, but not your personal stuff, like emails and messages. An Apple ID is designed to be a unique identifier you can use across all Apple services and purchases, but Apple recognized that for legacy and other reasons, it had to separate iCloud-connected stuff, iMessage and FaceTime, and iTunes Store and various App Stores purchases.

If you simply share the same Apple ID among everyone, as one Macworld reader discovered, all your private communication and information appears for all devices (and people) logged into the same account. Instead, you split up roles within iOS and macOS by account.

Each person has to set up or already have their own personal Apple ID that they use with iCloud email, contacts, and calendar entries, and which they use to log into iMessage and FaceTime. A third (or subsequent) Apple ID can be entirely devoted to purchases.

The example that follows assumes two people; I recommend Family Sharing later in this column as an alternative for a duo and a recommendation for three or more.

Set up iOS and iPadOS

In iOS and iPadOS, set up this two Apple ID split in Settings. If you haven’t yet logged into an iCloud account, you start by using your unique Apple ID for iCloud. If you’re already logged into it, Settings will show your name and avatar, and you can tap that to get to iCloud and other settings.

In that second screen, tap iTunes & App Store. Tap the Apple ID at the top if an account is already logged in. Tap Sign Out. Then tap to sign in and enter the shared-purchase Apple ID account. Repeat these steps on all devices, ensuring you start with the Apple ID used for iCloud before proceeding to log in separately with the purchase account.

You may also have to log in or change settings for iMessage and FaceTime.

• For iMessage, go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and tap the Apple ID to change it if necessary.

• For FaceTime, visit Settings > FaceTime, and likewise tap the Apple ID if it’s the wrong one.

Set up on the Mac

In macOS 10.14 Mojave and earlier, use the iCloud preference pane to log into your personal iCloud account. Then launch iTunes, Books, and the Mac App Store to switch those to the shared-purchase Apple ID. Use Account > Sign Out in iTunes and Store > Sign Out in Books and the App Store.

In macOS 10.15 Catalina and the upcoming macOS 11 Big Sur, use the Apple ID preference pane’s Overview tab to check which account you’re signed into. If none, sign into your personal Apple ID account here. Then open App Store, Books, Music, and TV—whichever of those you use—to switch them to your shared-purchase Apple ID. (The Podcasts app picks up its account settings from the App Store.) Click Account > Sign Out or Store > Sign Out depending on the app.

The TV app—one of the many places in macOS you can manage or change the Apple ID associated with an app’s purchases.

Use Family Sharing instead

A couple may want to use Family Sharing instead, which keeps everyone’s accounts personal and private, but allows most purchases to be accessed by other members of the sharing set. I recommend it for any family group of three or more people; it can handle up to six.

One drawback to Family Sharing has been that App Store subscriptions and in-app purchases (IAPs) have not been shareable to date. However, with macOS 11 Big Sur and iOS/iPadOS 14 due out later in the year, developers will be allowed to let subscriptions and IAPs be eligible for Family Sharing, too.

For more on Family Sharing, see Mac 911 columns on “ Save iCloud storage costs with Family Sharing” and “ Why can’t Family Sharing include more than six people?”

This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Del.

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Wondering how to switch to a different Apple ID on your iOS device? Follow this simple guide to update Apple ID on iPhone or iPad.

An Apple ID is the main account that is required to use any of Apple’s services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, the iTunes Store, as well as iCloud. The Apple ID works like your identity on your iOS and Mac devices, and tells the device who is currently using the device. If you use an iCloud account, you already have an Apple ID and don’t need to create a new Apple ID from your iOS or Mac devices.

We’ve put together this handy guide that goes through various steps of managing an Apple ID account from any iPhone, iPad, or a Mac.

How to Check Apple ID on iPhone or iPad

To check which Apple ID is currently logged in on an iPhone or iPad is very easy. Follow these simple steps to understand how to check existing Apple ID on an iPhone or iPad.

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. If you’re running iOS 13, tap the Apple ID Name & Photo at the top of the screen. If you’re running iOS 12 or earlier, tap on iCloud.

Here you can find all information about Apple ID currently signed in on the iOS or Mac device. Using the options listed on this screen, you can also change Apple ID or Sign Out of an Apple ID on iPhone or iPad.

How to Change Apple ID on iPhone or iPad

Signing out of your Apple ID and signing in with a new one can be done in 2 basic set of steps. This should take no more than 3-5 minutes, and you’ll be up and running with the new Apple ID right away. Here’s how:

Part I : Sign Out of Apple ID on iPhone or iPad

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
2. If you’re running iOS 13, tap the Apple ID Name & Photo at the top of the screen. If you’re running iOS 12 or earlier, tap on iCloud.
3. Scroll down a bit and then tap on the Sign Out link.
4. If you use the same account for iCloud and the iTunes Store, you’ll be asked to enter your Apple ID password. If you use two different accounts, you’ll be given three options:
   1. Sign Out of iCloud and Store
   2. Sign Out of iCloud
   3. Sign Out of Store
5. Select which data from iCloud you want to keep on the device and which data you want to delete using the toggle switches.
6. Tap Sign Out again to remove the Apple ID from your iPhone or iPad.

Part II : Sign In with a Different Apple ID on iPhone or iPad

Now that you have managed to remove the Apple ID that was previously being used on an iPhone or iPad, let us now see how you can Sign In with a different Apple ID on the iOS device.

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on the Sign in to your iPhone link at the top of the screen. If you see a Name or Photo here, follow the steps outlined in Part I above.
3. Enter the Email address or Phone Number associated with the different Apple ID you want to Sign In with.
4. Enter the password.
5. If you already have some data on your device, such as Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, etc. you will be asked if you want to Merge that data with this new Apple ID you are Signing In with. Tap Merge if you want to merge data, otherwise tap on Don’t Merge.

How to Change Apple ID on iPhone or iPad

Not many people are aware of this, but it is possible to sign in and use multiple Apple IDs on an iPhone or iPad. You can log in and set up multiple Apple IDs on an iOS device from the Settings app, and use them for different purposes like contacts, email, notes, bookmarks, etc. For example, you may have a personal Apple ID that you use with the App Store and iCloud, but a different Apple ID for work purposes where you store your business or work contacts. You can set up two or more Apple IDs on an iPhone and iPad. Here’s how:

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down a bit and tap on Passwords & Accounts.
3. Tap on Add Account.
4. Tap on iCloud.
5. Enter the Apple ID email and password.
6. Select which services you want to enable for this Apple ID.

Is my Apple ID password the same as my App Store password?

Can I use a separate Apple ID for App Store?

How do I find my App Store ID?

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