I'm curious about how iPads handle multiple Messages accounts. I have a family set up on my iCloud with one child account currently active on the iPad. If I were to sign out of this child account and log into a second child's iCloud account, what would happen to the existing data? Would signing out erase everything on the iPad, or could the second child access their own Messages contacts and threads without losing anything? Also, I've decided against doing this after reading some feedback. Is there any way to switch user accounts specifically for the Messages app without this hassle?
5 Answers
If you're looking for a better solution, consider using a shared iPhone, especially if it’s an older one with no cellular plan. That way, each child can use their own Messages app without the hassle of switching accounts on the iPad.
Definitely don't try it without erasing the device first. You'd be setting yourself up for a headache during account switches.
Right now, only macOS supports multiple user accounts effectively. Trying to have two kids use one device with different Apple IDs will cause issues every time one signs out—so unless you want a ton of frustration, I wouldn't recommend it!
iPadOS isn't really set up for multiple users, so switching accounts like that could definitely lead to complications. Each time you log out of one account and into another, you might end up needing to erase the iPad, which is a hassle and could risk losing data.
It's not meant to work this way. If you really want to switch accounts, expect to sign out and erase the iPad beforehand, which is inconvenient and not ideal.
Yeah, it's just not worth the trouble. Better to keep it simple with one user.
Exactly! It's designed for a single account to be used at a time, so messing with that can get messy pretty fast.