What is Family Sharing?

With Family Sharing, you and up to five other family members can share access to amazing Apple services like iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and Apple Arcade. Your group can also share iTunes, Apple Books, and App Store purchases, and a family photo album. You can even help locate each other's missing devices.

Five smiling family members are shown with icons of iCloud, photos, Apple TV+, and other Apple products and services.

One adult in your household — the family organizer — invites your family members. When family members join, they get instant access to the group's subscriptions and content that are eligible for sharing. Each family member uses their own account, so everyone's experience stays personalized and private.

Set up Family Sharing.

Share purchases, subscriptions, iCloud+, and more

Share purchases from the App Store and more

When you set up purchase sharing, everyone in the family gets access to the apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books that family members buy. The content automatically appears on the Purchased page in the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, or Apple TV app. Some items can't be shared.

Turn on purchase sharing.

Share Apple subscriptions

Whether it's music, TV and movies, news, games, or fitness, Apple subscriptions have something for everyone. And with iCloud+, you can share storage and features like iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video support with your family.

When you use Family Sharing, your whole family can share access to the same Apple subscriptions. With Apple One, you can bundle everything together for one low monthly price. You can also share some other subscriptions that you sign up for in apps from the App Store.

Learn how to add a family member to your subscription.

Everyone's personal files and preferences stay private

When you share iCloud+, family members can't see each others' photos, files, or documents. And when you share other subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, or Apple TV+, each person sees their own preferences and recommendations — not the whole family's.

Want to keep purchases private? You can hide individual items.

If your family includes children

Parents can create Apple IDs for kids under 13* in their family. With an Apple ID, a child can use their own account on their own device — and even make their own purchasing decisions. But with integrated parental control features, parents can still set limits.

* Age varies by country or region.

Approve what kids buy or download

If you want to see and approve what kids download, set up Ask to Buy. When a child asks to buy apps, movies, or other content, an alert is sent to the family organizer, who can approve or decline it right from their device.

Set up Ask to Buy.

Kids can use Apple Cash

With Apple Cash Family, your child or teen can send or receive money in Messages and make purchases with Apple Pay. Parents can send allowance or spending money directly to children. And parents can see and limit kids' spending. Family members under 18 can also participate in Apple Card Family.

Set up Apple Cash Family.

Limit how much time kids spend on their devices

With Screen Time, you can keep an eye on how much time your kids spend using apps, visiting websites, and on their devices overall. Review your kids' activity reports and set time limits for specific apps right from your own device. You can also name another family member as a parent/guardian so that you're always on the same page when it comes to your kids and their screen time.

Use Screen Time.

Kids can stay connected with an Apple Watch

Set up Apple Watch for a school-aged child who doesn't have their own iPhone. Kids can use their Apple Watch to make phone calls, send messages, and share their location with you. And parents can help kids stay distraction-free during school hours with Schooltime.

Set up a child's Apple Watch with Family Setup.

Share locations and find devices

To help you stay coordinated, people in your family group can share locations. And you can help other family members find their devices if they are missing.

Keep track of where everybody is

Find a missing device

Your family members' devices appear in the Find My app. So it's easier than ever to track down a missing or stolen iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac.

Published Date: