# Problems with book archives showing up on all registered devices to one acct.



## Tabatha (Oct 4, 2009)

My niece purchased tabs for her 3 grandkids. Because they were under 13, we had to set them up with gmail using the mothers account. Used separate gmail names so each would have their own coded account. We also used the mothers account on Amazon to be able to send apps & books to their tabs, registering each device separately. Unfortunately, Amazon now sends all the archive books to the device now, since they recently upgraded the appstore and kindle apps for android, showing/listing them on each kids tab. How can I get these or Amazon to remove the mother's book archives from the kids tabs?? Should I call CS?  Also, if using parental controls, how would each child get/sync books or apps that have been sent to each device? 
Any help would be appreciated.


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## Cyanide5000 (Aug 30, 2010)

Id contact CS, or maybe they would all link up to the same account anyway, regardless of email addresses?


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## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

You can't get rid of the archive if they are all using the same account for Amazon, it is what they do. If the devices can use the Free Time setup then only the books designated should show up. I'm not sure at all how that works because I don't have access to a device to try it on. I saw an area in "Manage My Kindle" on the website for it - it told me to go buy one! LOL!!

But it is a valid issue... and they were always able to SEE the entire archive if they went into it.

I can't think of anything to avoid it...


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## Tabatha (Oct 4, 2009)

TraceyC/FL said:


> You can't get rid of the archive if they are all using the same account for Amazon, it is what they do. If the devices can use the Free Time setup then only the books designated should show up. I'm not sure at all how that works because I don't have access to a device to try it on. I saw an area in "Manage My Kindle" on the website for it - it told me to go buy one! LOL!!
> 
> But it is a valid issue... and they were always able to SEE the entire archive if they went into it.
> 
> I can't think of anything to avoid it...


Thank you for the reply. Is it possible to have more than 1 Amazon account? 1 for you, and a different one for the kids only?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Tabatha said:


> My niece purchased tabs for her 3 grandkids. Because they were under 13, we had to set them up with gmail using the mothers account. Used separate gmail names so each would have their own coded account. We also used the mothers account on Amazon to be able to send apps & books to their tabs, registering each device separately. Unfortunately, Amazon now sends all the archive books to the device now, since they recently upgraded the appstore and kindle apps for android, showing/listing them on each kids tab. How can I get these or Amazon to remove the mother's book archives from the kids tabs?? Should I call CS? Also, if using parental controls, how would each child get/sync books or apps that have been sent to each device?
> Any help would be appreciated.


It sounds like they're all registered to the same amazon account. So, yeah, they'll be able to see all the books/apps.

There are parental controls, however, on the newer kindles. . .i admit I've not played with them much, not realy needing them since it's just me and my brother on my account, but it might provide some help.

But if you really want to isolate the kiddies from _anything_ the mother might buy, there needs to be a separate account. You can have as many as you want. . .heck, you might want to make one account for each kid, 'cept then you might end up having to buy 3 copies of everything. But you can CERTAINLY open a second account at Amazon just for them.

Note, however, that you won't be able to transfer any already purchased content from one account to the other. It is worth a call to Kindle CS, however. If there haven't been too many thing purchased for the kids -- that mom also doesn't want -- Amazon may authorize returns on those items, and refund the prices via gift certificate credit. Then they can be repurchased on the other account.

Also note, that returns of books are dead easy if it's not been a week. . .but, theoretically, apps are non-returnable. Though members have had refunds given if purchased apps failed to work properly on their devices. And people have also reported Amazon being fairly understanding in these 'account mix up' situations for books even if they were bought more than a week before. It certainly can't hurt to ask.


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## Tabatha (Oct 4, 2009)

Thanks Ann. Will call mother and have her set up new account for herself. Since there are only 5-6 books in her archive that really need to be removed I don't think it will be a great loss to delete them from her library and keep that account for the kids only. This should do the trick and keep them all happy.

Does this mean she would have to also deregister her kindle on the first account and re-register it to the second account?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Tabatha said:


> Thanks Ann. Will call mother and have her set up new account for herself. Since there are only 5-6 books in her archive that really need to be removed I don't think it will be a great loss to delete them from her library and keep that account for the kids only. This should do the trick and keep them all happy.
> 
> Does this mean she would have to also deregister her kindle on the first account and re-register it to the second account?


Yes. . . the kindle can only access books in the archive/cloud of the account to which it is registered.

If she wants to keep those six books, she might want to contact Amazon to see if they'll let her return and re-buy them. If not, she can download them to her kindle and then back them up on her own computer. And then, if she wishes, delete them from the kids account. She'll only ever be able to read them on that specific device. But they should not go away when she registers it to the new device. And if they do, she can re-copy them from the computer back up.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Family account management and parental controls have long been ignored by our mobile device developers. Amazon and Google are just now taking notice, but they are a ways away from getting it right.  My grandson is 7 and I long ago advised my daughter to get him a Google and amazon account so that his books could be in his name.  Because what is she going to do with a bunch of kids books or his music on her kindle account?  We thought of this idea when I was trying to find some of my childhood favorites for Kindle and she joked that if I had had a Kindle as a kid, they would still be on my account.

Since we are increasingly in a digital online state, hopefully parents will be able to 'attach' an account, then release control when needed.  I feel your pain and hope that something comes along sooner rather than later to address this.


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## Jecca (Feb 27, 2010)

I'm confused. Is this issue happening within FreeTime? My understanding is that FreeTime will not allow children to see/have access to content that is not specified. Is this not the case? I'm thisclose to buying Fires for my three kids and would prefer not to create a new account for their use, but of course don't want them having access to my archives. Can someone please clarify this point?


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

Amazon would clean up if it would develop a way to create a "sub-account" under another account. That way, parents could set up a child's account and control content (and payment) while keeping the adult's account invisible to the sub-account.


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## jruschme (Dec 1, 2012)

Jecca said:


> I'm confused. Is this issue happening within FreeTime? My understanding is that FreeTime will not allow children to see/have access to content that is not specified. Is this not the case? I'm thisclose to buying Fires for my three kids and would prefer not to create a new account for their use, but of course don't want them having access to my archives. Can someone please clarify this point?


The problem is that FreeTime is now always the correct or desirable solution. FT is premised on the idea of the parent controlling specifically what the child can read/access and is a proactive process. This is probably fine for people with younger children, schools and control freaks.

Personally, I would prefer something similar to the V-chip where I could say "this Kindle can only display content up to PG-13", then have it filter the archive before display/download. Amazon probably has more than enough information on each of its books (category, keywords, etc.) to implement such a scheme. I just needs to put in the effort to do controls right.

One more rant, I really hate that the Carousel displays content which was purchased on another device on the same account. We have enough books that the "edge cases" can get lost in the noise, but not when they are in your face when you hit the Home button.

-- JR


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## TraceyC/FL (Mar 23, 2011)

HappyGuy said:


> Amazon would clean up if it would develop a way to create a "sub-account" under another account. That way, parents could set up a child's account and control content (and payment) while keeping the adult's account invisible to the sub-account.


This.


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