I’m helping girlfriends parents with some family sharing and apple watch issues. I’m pretty sure we know the answers but maybe you have some insight.
They are both older (late seventies) and can use basic tech features. The mother is more savvy. She has an iPad and MacBook plus “runs” the tech. She likes her flip phone.
He is not into tech but has an iMac and the critical iPhone (mostly for audible while walking).
She got herself an apple watch because she sometimes falls at home and likes the idea of tracking her fitness while taking long walks (alone). She got an apple watch SE with the goal of using it with cell service for fall protection and some other features. We are having trouble setting it up. Does she have to cede her Apple ID to child to make this work? She currently is the “admin”, she switched him to parent from adult. When they enter their apple ID credentials it just pops back to the Apple ID screen. No error message, no explanation.
Certainly family sharing was geared to parents/children but is there anyway for adults to familyshare with standalone watch? I couldn’t figure it out and it seems like a huge missed opportunity . I can think of many adult children that would love this for their parents? I would get one for my dad in a heartbeat. Even just among an elderly couple that shares one iPhone . Most 70+ I know, share one line since they are more or less together and if one goes out alone they take the phone.
Any outside the box thinking? They can’t register the watch to his iPhone since they do have separate messaging accounts etc. I guess getting her an iphone (probably apple’s goal all along) would be the only option. Have we heard anything that they might expand family sharing or apple watch independence ? I don’t quite understand why an apple watch needs an iPhone anyway. I get the “offloading” argument but why limit basic functionality for certain people?
I assume one cannot setup an apple watch and then go into settings afterwards and manually change apple IDs after the fact? So setup with his ID (with his phone) and then switch to hers afterwards (seems to obvious).
Thanks for indulging my rant and maybe having workarounds that you have used.
Philly
