AppleID photo keeps getting confused

[Howard Brazee]

Every week or so, my Mac or my wife’s Mac confuses our UserID photos. Right now, when I went to log on, I saw her photo. The other day, I got a text from her that had my photo (I then corrected her photo in the contacts app).

Sometimes the photos get confused in Contacts, but right now they aren’t. I mention that because Most all of our contacts are in her appleID, and I see both her card and mine as “My Card”. I’ve tried eliminating photos from my AppleID, but that doesn’t resolve this issue.

I go to System Preferences/AppleID and change the photo for me to my photo and it will be correct for a week or so. She’s the family organizer. On my computer the family organizer has my photo, on her computer it has no photo.

Sometimes my two-factor-ID goes to my phone, sometimes to hers.

Sometimes I notice it in Messages.

My Contacts includes her account, which has her name assigned to “My Card” when I click on her account. When I click on “All Contacts”, it shows two “My Card” entries, hers and mine. When I click on “iCloud”, there is just my own “My Card”

Right now iCloud has my photo in it.

What can I do to get rid of this confusion (and still share our contacts)?

 

[MacInWin]

About all I can think of is to log into AppleID at apple.com ( Apple ID ) and check to see what devices are "trusted" for each account and make sure that your phone is NOT on her list and vice versa. Ditto for any Macs you may have.

As for sharing contacts, I don't think you can do that and keep things separate. You may have to find another way to share contacts, like AirDrop, and do it manually, not through the system. What I think is happening is that your setups have all your devices in both accounts, so any change on one ripples to the other.

 

[Howard Brazee]

I don't see where to see trusted devices in apple.com. I do know that sometimes I will go to a page like iCloud, and the two-factor authentication goes to her iPhone instead of mine. (Why does it keep forgetting that I log on to that page every week with the same browser on the same mac?)

 

[MacInWin]

It's not just apple.com, it's appleid.apple.com, and it is the link I provided.

 

[Howard Brazee]

Thanks. I went to that site, logged on, and went over to my wife's Mac to get the 2-factor ID code. Earlier today when I went to icloud.com, the 2-factor ID code displayed on my Mac. I see the devices that site knows about are my iMac, Pat's iMac, my iPhone, and Pat's iPad. Not shown are my iPad, my wife's iPhone and our Apple Watches. I removed her devices from my account. I went to her computer and logged onto Apple ID and removed my devices (including my previous Mac) from her account.

I'll have to wait to see if this gets rid of my face confusion.

How do I add my iPad and Apple Watch as devices associated to my account?

 

[MacInWin]

Sign in to your AppleID on the iPad and it should ask if you want to add the iPad to your trusted devices. The  Watch is connected by your iPhone, doesn't have a separate login, AFAIK. Open the Watch app on the iPhone, tap General, then scroll down to Apple ID and provide the login there.

 

[Howard Brazee]

Interesting, when I logged on using my iPad, it showed my old Mac (now my grandson's), that I removed, my iPhone, my AirPods, my watch, my HomePod, and my TV. Logging onto that site with my iPhone had my old computer with a different name. I removed it there too. My watch app showed it already there.

I logged off and to Apple ID on my iMac and it still only showed those 2 devices. Maybe it takes a day to catch up. I'll check my wife's iPad and iPhone to see what they see.

Thanks.

 

[Howard Brazee]

Apple ID still only shows two devices if I go there with Chrome on my iMac. But 7 devices if I go there with Safari. Odd. My ID photo was wrong when I logged in this morning though.

 

[MacInWin]

The contents of a website should not vary based on the browser. Layout, maybe, but actual content, no. Can you purge Chrome/Safari of history and try again? (Doing that will clean out any cache of previous versions of the site and force a download of what is there NOW. It also will clear out some login information, so you might want to think about it a bit.)

The photo is set on your iPhone or iPad. Go to Settings, tap on your name, to get to the Apple ID settings, tap the image there and then either take a photo, or select a photo to be your image. That selection will sync up to the appleid website after a bit.

 

[Howard Brazee]

I found the problem with the browser, it was logging onto my (very) old AppleID. I should have noticed.

I change my photo from my wife to me about weekly on my Mac's System Preferences. I just changed it on my iPad. Right now, my iPhone has the same picture of me as my iMac does, but my iPad has a different photo of me.

 

[ferrarr]

You may need to connect your iPad to your Mac with a cable to get the "Trust this Device" setup options. After that it should be connected to your AppleID.

 

[Howard Brazee]

It is plugged in and trusted. (I have always found wi-fi connections unreliable between my devices and my Mac). The two-factor "trusting" doesn't seem to last, either with devices or going to Apple's sites.

 

[IWT]

Although coming to this late, I have followed and read the previous correspondence.

Certain things concern me.

I mention that because Most all of our contacts are in her appleID, and I see both her card and mine as “My Card”

Herein lies a problem. Howard's Apple ID and his wife's are unrelated as far as Apple is concerned. "My Card" identifies the owner of the Apple ID. Thus in Howard's Contacts, only his name should have "My Card".

Similarly, in his wife's Contacts, only her name should show as "My Card" - never Howard's (and vice versa).

I was involved in a lengthy correspondence in our Forums a number of months ago where a husband & wife shared the husband's Apple ID. This is not uncommon amongst couples and, in fact, until fairly recently, this was the case with my wife and I. We now have separate Apple IDs, but share my diary (but not contacts or anything else).

I seems to me that although Howard and his wife have separate Apple IDs, their method of sharing contacts is flawed - which explains the "My Card" issues and the differing photos.

Sometimes the photos get confused in Contacts,

I go to System Preferences/AppleID and change the photo for me to my photo and it will be correct for a week or so

She’s the family organizer.

On my computer the family organizer has my photo, on her computer it has no photo.

All of these comments speak to me of considerable confusion about Apple IDs, how to keep them separate; how to share Contacts properly. And things could get worse.

Let me assure you, Howard, that I mean no offence, only the best for you and your wife. I think we need to start over??

Ian

 

[Howard Brazee]

Start over, how?

This morning I got a window wanting me to log into my wife's AppleID. I canceled out. I don't know what prompted that window.

 

[IWT]

Start over, how?

This morning I got a window wanting me to log into my wife's AppleID. I canceled out. I don't know what prompted that window.

What prompted that "window" is that you and your wife Apple IDs are "overlapping" because of the way you've set things up. See my earlier post where I did my best?? to explain things.

Ian

 

[IWT]

Right, Howard. This is what you both need to do.

For you: Sign into your Apple ID. Look for all the devices that you own and delete any devices that your wife owns.

Make sure that in Contacts, you are shown as the owner ie "Me" is shown against your name AND your wife's name is listed the same as any other person.

On your iPhone, when you open Settings Your Name is shown at the top alongside - Apple ID, iCloud, Media & Purchases.

Your Wife: Ask her to do exactly the same. Signs into HER Apple ID. She deletes any device you own and keeps the devices she owns. Same again with Contacts. "Me" must be shown against her name and you must be listed like all the other contacts. And again, she checks her iPhone and opening Settings, shows her name alongside - Apple ID, iCloud etc.

That's what I meant when I said start over. You and your dear lady have moved things around so much that your Apple IDs have almost become entwined. That's why you got an invitation to log into your wife's Apple ID on YOUR iPhone.

When you've done all that, then you can Share things - but this must be done correctly. I can help you with that if needed.



Ian

 

[Howard Brazee]

I've deleted all of each other's devices that our Macs, phones, and pads see as described in your post.

On her contracts, she just sees one "me". She doesn't have my iCloud account visible. On my contacts preferences, I have both of our iCloud accounts. (Hers has contacts & calendar checked). When I just checked it, I found the window that asked for her password. (I do everything on my iMac if I can, that's where I got that window this morning. I don't know what disconnected me).

In contacts, "All Contacts" shows both of our cards. Her account shows her card, my iCloud shows my card. Maybe this is the way it's supposed to be.

 

[IWT]

On her contracts, she just sees one "me". She doesn't have my iCloud account visible.

Of course not; that's how it should be.

On my contacts preferences, I have both of our iCloud accounts. (Hers has contacts & calendar checked)

That's not right. You should never have another person's iCloud account on any device you own. That fact that it's your dear wife is, in this case, irrelevant.

Your Apple ID and her Apple ID should be never been seen on the other person's Contacts or anywhere else.

In contacts, "All Contacts" shows both of our cards. Her account shows her card, my iCloud shows my card. Maybe this is the way it's supposed to be.

As long as your Contacts show you as "Me" and your wife is shown as a contact, that's okay - and equally, on her iPhone, her Contacts show her as "Me" and you as a contact, that's okay.

But what should never happen is that you or she should have access to each other's Apple ID.

If you followed my recommendations, your two Apple ID accounts should be completely separate.

Try to forget your relationship and think that you and I, strangers, could share things (Contacts, Photos, Calendar), but neither you nor I would have any access to each other's Apple ID.

Sorry about this, I really am, because more and more difficulties are heading your way unless you can break the Apple ID association.

Next, you might end up getting each other's texts.

I'll continue to do my best for you both. Please don't give up.

Ian

 

[Howard Brazee]

My need is that we share contacts and calendars. I have them set up to see them in System Preferences/Internet Accounts, where they are checked off in her account on my computer.

 

[IWT]

My need is that we share contacts and calendars. I have them set up to see them in System Preferences/Internet Accounts, where they are checked off in her account on my computer.

That's not the proper way to do that; but hey, if you and she are happy with the status quo and don't mind the ongoing confusion, who am I to argue.

Ian