The standard advice given online under such circumstances is what opened this very story: Torch the accounts and start again, losing purchases, memories, and digital identities in the process. It’s simple, when presented with the alternative, but hardly a satisfactory fix. Fortunately, Kate’s tale has a happier ending. Her children wore down her ex by repeating a single refrain every time he contacted them: Disband the family group. Eventually, he gave in, and Kate could set up a new family group with the original accounts. “Finally, we could all exhale,” she says. “But kids should not have to parent their own parent because tech companies are severely lacking in policies for cases like ours.”
I mean im’ not so sure this is a tech issue as it a trust one. This idea that we have to have one continuous relationship with Apple with one ID I think is more a problem.
but regardless, yes so much of the happy path is built over nuclear family dynamics.
I guess inspiration just hit me. When you update your status on Facebook to single does apple update?
Quote Citation: Craig Grannell, “Apple’s Family Sharing Helps Keep Children Safe. Until It Doesn’t | WIRED”, 2025-10-29, https://www.wired.com/story/apples-family-sharing-helps-keep-children-safe-until-it-doesnt/