With Apple Family Sharing you can share purchases, subscriptions and more with up to five family members. It also offers extensive parental controls. In this article we explain how to set up Family Sharing and get the most out of it for your family.

What is Apple Family Sharing?

Family Sharing is a free Apple feature that lets family members share content and features. You can share apps, music, movies and books that a family member has bought. You can also share iCloud storage, see each other's locations and set up parental controls for children.

Benefits of Family Sharing

  • Share purchases from the App Store, iTunes and Books
  • Share Apple subscriptions such as Apple Music, Apple TV+ and iCloud+
  • One shared iCloud storage plan for the whole family
  • See family members' locations in Find My
  • Screen Time and parental controls for children
  • Ask to Buy for purchases made by children
  • Create an Apple ID for children

Setting up Family Sharing

The family organizer sets up Family Sharing and invites the other family members.

Step 1: Create a family group

Open Settings on your iPhone and tap your name at the top. Select 'Family Sharing' and tap 'Set Up Your Family'. You now become the family organizer. Follow the steps to choose the features you want to share.

Step 2: Invite family members

Once the group is created, you can invite family members. Tap 'Add Member' and choose how you want to invite them: via AirDrop, Messages or in person. The family member receives an invitation that they need to accept. For children under 13 you can create an Apple ID through 'Create Child Account'.

Step 3: Set up a payment method

The family organizer pays for all purchases made by family members, unless a family member has their own payment details. Check that you have a valid payment method set up. Purchases by children are automatically charged to the organizer.

Sharing purchases with your family

One of the most important features of Family Sharing is sharing purchases from the App Store, iTunes Store and Apple Books.

How sharing works

When a family member buys an app, movie or book, other family members can download it for free. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture and select 'Purchased'. Tap 'Family Purchases' to see what other family members have bought.

Not all content can be shared

Please note: not all apps and content can be shared. Some apps do not support Family Sharing; this is decided by the developer. In-app purchases and subscriptions inside apps are usually not shared either, unless the app explicitly supports it.

Hiding purchases

If you don't want certain purchases to be visible to your family, you can hide them. Go to the App Store, open your purchases, swipe left on the item and tap 'Hide'. Hidden items are only visible to you.

Sharing Apple subscriptions

Many Apple subscriptions can be shared with your family, which saves money.

Apple Music Family plan

With the Apple Music Family plan, up to six family members can stream unlimited music. Everyone gets their own library and recommendations. The family organizer pays the monthly fee.

Apple One

Apple One bundles several Apple services into one subscription. The Family plan includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+ and more. All family members get access to these services.

Sharing iCloud+ storage

With iCloud+ you can share storage space with your family. Everyone keeps their own files and photos, but the total storage comes from a shared pool. As the family organizer, you can see how much space each family member uses.

Parental controls with Family Sharing

Family Sharing offers powerful parental control tools when you add children to your family group.

Ask to Buy

With 'Ask to Buy' you get a notification whenever your child wants to download or buy something. You can approve or decline the request directly from your iPhone. It is turned on by default for children under 13 and can be set up for teens.

Screen Time for children

Through Family Sharing you can set up Screen Time for your children. Go to Settings, select 'Screen Time' and choose your child under 'Family'. You can now set downtime, app limits and content restrictions as described in our article about Screen Time.

Location sharing with Find My

Family members can share their location through the 'Find My' app. This is optional but handy for parents who want to know where their child is. Children cannot turn off location sharing without the parent getting a notification.

Creating an Apple ID for your child

Children under 13 can get an Apple ID through Family Sharing that is managed by their parents.

Creating a child account

Open Settings, tap your name and go to 'Family Sharing'. Tap 'Add Member' and choose 'Create Child Account'. Enter your child's details and confirm with your payment method. The new Apple ID is automatically linked to your family group.

Management options for child accounts

As a parent you have full control over the child account. You can:

  • Set Screen Time and app limits
  • Approve all purchases
  • Configure content restrictions
  • See their location and set communication limits
  • Reset the password if needed

Managing family members

As the family organizer you can add and remove members and assign roles.

Adding and removing members

You add new members through 'Family Sharing' in Settings. To remove a member, select them and tap 'Remove [name] from Family'. The removed member loses access to shared content and subscriptions but keeps their own purchases.

Assigning the parent/guardian role

You can give another adult family member the parent/guardian role. That person can then also use parental controls and approve requests. Select the family member and turn on 'Parent/Guardian'.

Transferring the family organizer role

If you want to hand the family organizer role over to another adult family member, you first need to leave the current group. The other member then has to create a new family group and invite everyone again. This is a deliberate limitation by Apple.

Tips for using Family Sharing effectively

Get the most out of Family Sharing with these practical tips.

Discuss the rules

Make clear agreements about what can and cannot be bought. Explain that Ask to Buy means you approve every purchase, and why that matters.

Check shared subscriptions

Not all subscriptions support Family Sharing. Before you sign up for a subscription, check whether it can be shared. Apple's own subscriptions always support it, but with third-party apps it varies.

Plan your storage

If you share iCloud+, keep an eye on how much space everyone uses. You can see the breakdown in Settings under iCloud. Upgrade to a larger plan when your storage is running out.

Use shared albums

With Family Sharing you can also create a shared photo album that all family members can add photos to. This is ideal for vacations or special occasions. Open Photos, create a new album and share it with your family.

Apple Family Sharing is a versatile feature that makes it easier to share content and protect children. By choosing the right settings and staying actively involved, your whole family benefits from what Apple has to offer.

Frequently asked questions

How many people can join Family Sharing?

A Family Sharing group can have up to six people, including the family organizer. This applies to all shared features: purchases, subscriptions and iCloud storage. Each member has their own Apple ID.

Can family members see my personal photos and files?

No, every family member keeps full privacy over their own photos, files and data. Family Sharing only shares purchases and subscriptions. If you share iCloud storage, everyone has their own space within the shared plan and cannot see each other's files.

What happens to purchases if I leave the family group?

If you leave the family group, you keep all the purchases you made yourself. However, you lose access to purchases made by other family members and to shared subscriptions. Apps bought by others can no longer be opened.

Can my child turn off Ask to Buy?

Children under 13 cannot turn off Ask to Buy themselves. For teens (13 to 17), you as a parent can choose to turn the feature on or off. When it is on, only a parent or guardian can turn it off, not the teen.

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