iCloud on Mountain Lion: One Account Per Mac or Per User?

icloudmacos

Before installing Mountain Lion and using iCloud for the first time, I would like to know how it can be configured.

My iMac has three standard user accounts and one admin account. If I understand correctly the John Siracusa review, the install procedure asks for an Apple ID for iCloud. Here are my questions:

  • Does that Apple ID apply for the whole Mac, for the admin account alone or for one standard account to be specified?

  • Is it possible to assign a distinct Apple ID to each user account?

Best Answer

That apple ID applies only to the user account that is created during the setup process. If you look in System Preferences, you'll notice the following option called "Apple ID", under a test account I created:

Setting an iCloud account

Additionally, when logging into the new test account, I was presented with the iCloud login screen which you saw during initial setup of the OS install on your Mac.

If you restored your iMac from a backup, or installed Mountain Lion over Lion, you will already have access to those accounts without seeing the iCloud setup screen. In that case, open System Preferences, click on Users & Groups, and set up your iCloud account as you wish.

So, one iCloud account per local account. This would appear to be the case on Lion as well.

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