With almost everyone owning a smartphone or tablet these days, these mobile devices have become more than just individual, private experiences but sometimes even familial ones. Realizing that families would sometimes want to manage their mobile experience as, well, a family, Amazon and Apple have revealed features in their new operating systems that makes all that not only easy but even more engaging as well.
Yesterday, Amazon announced the arrival of new Kindle Fire HD and HDX tablets, which came with an also brand new Fire OS 4, codenamed “Sangria”. Of the many new features that are arriving with this version, one is marked as still Coming Soon but is also probably the most interesting in this context. Amazon’s Family Library service does just what its name implies. It pools together the apps, games, audiobooks, books, and Prime Instant Video content that family members have purchased in order to make the available to each and every member of the family or device, without having to switch user accounts just to download them. It definitely makes sharing a lot easier, though Amazon has yet to detail the privacy features Family Library will, or should, have.
iOS 8’s new Family Sharing feature does the same but admittedly adds a few more touches that are definitely desirable for families. Aside from getting access to others’ music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps, you can also create a shared family album. But iOS 8 family sharing goes beyond media content. For example, you can have a shared family calendar. You can even locate each family member or their device, should the latter get lost, Of course, you can opt to remain hidden from that family map if you wish to (but better have a good excuse ready for Mom or Dad). And lastly, Apple might have finally solved the problem with “accidental” purchases made by kids. Family Sharing lets you set a single credit card for making iTunes purchases. It also lets you configure connected Apple IDs to ask permission before making a purchase, which you, as the parent, can allow or deny anywhere, any time.
Of course, here at Android Community, we root for Android naturally. Sadly, Google has been left out of the family party, at least for now. It has yet to implement any sort of family sharing feature in Google Play Store, much less curb in-app purchases beyond the simple password requirement. That said, there might still be hope. Android L, 5.0 or Lemon Meringue Pie, is expected to finally arrive next month. Google could very well be working on such a similar feature behind closed doors. Or hopefully it has been for some time now and isn’t just going to haphazardly slap on such a feature in such short a time just because its competitors have.
I have a shared family google calendar, my chromebox and nexus 7 has a profile for each family member, i share google docs with my family. I am confused by your comment that google doesn’t have family sharing features.
I second that. I have been doing all the article talks about with Google and Android for years. And not only sharing with family but also separately for business and more. What is that what Apple and Amazon are really bringing to the table? For years I has been utilizing “Family Library” for my family with Amazon Kindle app using my family gmail account and multi-login on Android. I really do not get it. The only thing I see is that Google never advertised those features as “Family something” and they are truly not only for the family but for any type of collaboration.
In addition why should everybody be trying to find what/something Google should be catching up with when pretty much always is the other way around. I guess actually this is the exact reason why.
You have to take into consideration the average user. Most people are not going to be tech savvy enough to set all of these things up. What makes Apple and Amazon currently stand out from Google in this aspect is that it is a simplified part of their OS. While yes, you can do these things in Android, you have to manually set everything up yourself. With a shared family library, everyone can maintain separation in their own accounts, but still be able to access certain items from other family member’s accounts.
Sorry if my comment may sound like an argument but not trying to offend anybody just cannot agree that you need to be any more tech savvy to use Google features than to use other services. What more tech savvy-ness you need to press a share button in order to share Google doc with family or anybody else than to press share in Facebook or else. What manual set up you need for that? How much more tech savvy-ness you need to create second google account and add it to all devices in the family same as you did with the first account. Really I understand that it is in the human nature to resist change but if someone do not like to change does not mean that the tech writes have to capitalize on that and write inaccurate articles just to get more interest and hits. Instead may be the TECH SAVVY authors may point how easy even though may be different is to use both systems and help the less tech savvy to overcome the fear of change. And such promote interoperability instead of flame wars.
With android/google, each person has their own individual account. Under apple’s plan, IDs are under one umbrella, and linked to one main account. Therefore parents have the ultimate say so. Android does not allow you to share app purchases, music, movies, etc.
Taken from google play music: While you can use multiple devices with the same account, you can only play music using one device at a time.
Maybe Google will implement this soon but it is not available at the moment.