(Credit: René Ramos / Apple)
Those of you who own an iPhone, iPad, or Mac have probably already bought content or subscribed to services through your device. But if other members of your family also use Apple devices, you can share certain content and services with them. Under Apple’s Family Sharing plan, you and up to five others can share any of the following:
- Purchases from iTunes, Apple Books, and the App Store
- Individual subscriptions to Apple services, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Apple Arcade, as well as the Apple One bundle
- Apple Card purchases and payments
- iCloud storage space
- A shared photo album
- A shared calendar
- Location sharing and the ability to find each other’s lost devices
Any family member who wants to participate must have an Apple account. One person in the household acts as the family organizer to manage access. That person then invites other family members to join. Upon accepting the invitation, each family member gets immediate access to all the subscriptions, purchases, and other items eligible for sharing.
Each adult included in the family sharing will still use their own individual Apple account to access the shared content. For children under 13 years of age, you can create a child account for them to access certain content. The family organizer (and one other adult) can then control the content the child can access.
To share iCloud space with other family members, you'll need an iCloud subscription with at least 200GB of storage ($2.99 per month). Otherwise, you'll need an Apple One Family plan ($22.95 per month) or Premier plan ($32.95 per month). If you have the free 5GB iCloud plan or $0.99 50GB plan, you'll be prompted to upgrade before adding iCloud to family sharing.
Invite Adult Family Members
To get started as the family organizer, you can set up Family Sharing from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. On an iPhone with iOS 18 or higher or an iPad with iPadOS 18 or higher, go to Settings, select your name, and tap the Family option. At the Family Sharing screen, tap Continue.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)On a Mac with macOS Sequoia, go to System Settings and select your name at the top of the screen. Click Family or Family Sharing, and then select Set Up Family. The next steps are similar on all devices, but we'll use an iPhone for this process.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)You may see suggestions for people to invite to your family. To contact one of them, click the Invite button next to the person’s name. Apple will populate a text message with a notice asking them to join the family and a list of the items that can be shared. Add a comment if you wish and send the text. The person who receives the message can confirm the invitation by tapping the Accept button. Tap Invite Others to invite more people.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)At the Family screen, tap the Contact icon on an iPhone or the Add Member link on an iPad. If you see the person you wish to invite on the Family Invitation screen, tap their icon to send them a text. Otherwise, select another option, such as Messages or Mail. Enter the person’s phone number or email address and then send the message.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)If the person you wish to invite is nearby, you can also use AirDrop. Another in-person method is to tap the Invite in Person option at the invitation screen. The other person can then sign in with their Apple account and password (on your device) and enter the two-factor authentication code sent to them.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Invite Child Family Members
You can invite a child who has an existing Apple account by tapping the Invite Others option at the Family screen and then sending the invitation to the child via Messages, Mail, or another method.
If you need to create an Apple Account on the fly, select Create Child Account. Enter the child’s name and birthday. You’re then asked to give parental consent by verifying that you’re an adult via Face ID or Touch ID.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)After agreeing to the terms and conditions, you’re asked if you want to use an iCloud address for the child. If so, tap Continue. If an email address already exists for the child, choose the Already have an email address link. Enter the address, then enter the verification code, and add the child's password.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)You can decide whether verification codes for this child’s account should be sent to your phone or to the child’s own device. You’re asked if you want to set up Parental Controls now or after you've finished adding all the family members. Tap Continue to confirm that purchases or downloads made by the child must be approved by a parent or guardian.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)The next screen asks if you want your child’s location to be shared with the family. Finally, turn on the switch for any adult whom you want to be able to manage the parental controls and approve purchases for the child. When finished, tap Done.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Manage Family Sharing Access
After you've added all your family accounts, you can manage the overall settings. To help you with this process, Apple offers a checklist of to-do items. At the Family screen, tap Family Checklist. Select each item in the checklist to customize its settings.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)You can also review the subscriptions, purchase sharing, and location sharing options at the bottom of the screen. Tap each item to confirm the current status or make any necessary changes.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Each family member can view the other members as well as the settings for each account. Select the Subscriptions option to see which services are available. By choosing Purchase Sharing, members can confirm that any media, books, and apps purchased by another family member are automatically shared among the entire family.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Manage Family Members
You can manage each family member from the Family screen. Tap the name of an adult in the family to add or remove the person as a parent/guardian, enable or disable purchase sharing, and turn location sharing on or off.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)If you tap the name of a child at the Family screen, you can manage subscriptions, purchases, and location sharing, and also control their screen time, purchasing approval, and Apple Cash availability.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)