new here, and new to iphone

[unonad]

Hi everyone,
I recently purchased 3 new iphone 4s for myself and family.
One issue it seems one phone controls the others. one family member downloads a app or adds a contact or deletes it, it happens on the other phones. As i stated before we are all new to the apple family.
I would welcome any questions, help or advice.

Thank you sincerly

[rockmyplimsoul]

A couple things contributing to this ...

- If you're all using the same Apple ID, and each device is set to automatically download items purchased by the account (apps, books, music) then each device will get a copy of each purchase. This can be managed by-device, go into Settings/Store and change your preferences accordingly on each iPhone. I think iTunes itself has a similar setting such that a device purchase can trigger an automatic download to the computer. But in any case, any purchase made on a device will transfer to the computer on the next sync to iTunes.

- An iCloud account can use your Apple ID, but you don't have to use the same ID for iCloud. It sounds like you're all using the same iCloud account, so any changes one one device will be pushed to all others. If you don't want this behavior, set up separate iCloud accounts for each user (you can still share the same Apple ID for purchases if you want). Alternatively, each user can use a separate e-mail account (like Yahoo, GMail, etc.) to manage their contacts instead of iCloud.

[cjmnews]

Also you can turn off the ability to automatically download apps.

We have 4 phones with the same Apple ID/Cloud ID.
Settings->Store, slide Automatic Downloads for Apps to Off.

[unonad]

Thank you thank you, your exactly right all phones where under the same account after signing out of icloud and making new e-mail and apple id accounts, all phones are up and running without affecting each other.

Troubles aside we all like our new iphones very much. Thank you again.

[AkashBR]

Having different Apple IDs helps you keeping a backup safe. Otherwise, all the info in your iPhones be merged and you won't be able to track your contacts and other info.

[cjmnews]

Sorry AkashBR you are incorrect. My 4 phones (1 Apple ID) have individual backups (iTunes physical connection backups) that are not merged.

We also have 3 individual calendars, that we can choose to share over iCloud or not.

Data is not merged. Maybe if we were using the iCloud backup there could be some merging, but I doubt it. I would guess that it would be unique to each phone like the physical backups.

[williamsmithh]

Exactly Data is not merged at all. Maybe sometime when we were using the iCloud backup there could be some merging.

[unonad]

I actually set up a call back from apple and they had my family create 3 individual i cloud accounts ( the free 5g ) along with 3 individual apple id accounts. All phones where under one email address which is where they all linked when we hooked them up to our families itunes account and synced them from that account.
But after a couple frustrating days and the help we recieved here we are all good.
Thanks again.

[williamsmithh]

That's very nice.You have received the solution.