Hey everyone! My parents have been using the same Apple ID on their iPhones for a while now, but they've just upgraded from iPhone 13 Pros to 17 Pros and want to finally set up separate Apple IDs. What's the best way to manage this transition so they don't lose any important data? Also, are there any crucial points we should keep in mind for things that won't transfer no matter what?
2 Answers
The first step is to create separate Apple IDs for them. It's best if they do this on their current phones before switching to the new ones. For the parent who is creating a new Apple ID, make sure that their photos are set to download and keep originals. You can find this setting under their account in iCloud and then Photos. Once everything is downloaded, sign out of the old account, create the new one, back up everything on the device, and then go ahead with setting up the new phones. Just a heads up, the new Apple ID will prompt for the old account's password when trying to download previously purchased apps. They can delete and redownload those apps if they want to avoid entering the old password.
For a smooth transition, I recommend that while setting up the new phones, they back up important data like contacts and notes to iCloud or through iTunes first. As long as photos are downloaded, they should be good to go. One thing to keep in mind is that shared purchases might prompt for the old Apple ID password. So, deleting some apps and redownloading them under the new ID could save the hassle.
That's a solid plan! Alternatively, they might consider creating a family group with both accounts. That way, they can share purchases and won't have to enter the old password during updates.