What Family Sharing does and how it works
Family Sharing is an Apple feature that lets up to six people in your household share apps, music, books, and subscriptions without sharing passwords or Apple IDs. When you set it up, one adult becomes the organizer — the person who manages the group — and can see what other family members read, set spending limits for children, and control which content they can access.
The way it works: each person keeps their own Apple ID and their own device. When a family member buys an app from the App Store, they can choose to share it with the family group instead of keeping it private. That app then appears on everyone else's devices without them having to buy it again. Subscriptions like Apple Music or iCloud+ can also be shared across the group, so you pay once and everyone benefits.
This is different from sharing a single Apple ID across multiple devices, which is what many families do by accident and which creates real problems — you lose privacy, can't set limits on children's spending, and if one person changes the password, everyone gets locked out. Family Sharing solves that problem while keeping everyone's data separate.
Key Takeaways
- Family Sharing requires one adult organizer and works with up to six people, each with their own Apple ID and device.
- Apps purchased by any family member can be shared with the whole group, so you buy once instead of six times.
- The organizer can set spending limits for children and prevent them from downloading apps without permission.
- You set up Family Sharing in Settings on iPhone or iPad, or in System Settings on Mac, under your name at the top of the menu.
- Family members can turn off app sharing for individual apps if they want something to stay private.
Setting up Family Sharing on your device
Start on the device belonging to the person who will be the organizer — usually a parent or the account holder. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name at the very top, then tap Family Sharing. On Mac, open System Settings, click your name in the sidebar, then click Family Sharing.
Tap or click get your free guide. You will see a screen asking you to confirm your Apple ID and password — this is the organizer's account, and it will be the one that manages the group. After you confirm, you can add family members. You can invite them by their email address or phone number, and they will get a notification asking them to join. They accept the invitation on their own device, and their Apple ID gets linked to the family group without sharing any passwords.
If you are adding a child under 13 (or under 18 in some countries), you can create a new Apple ID for them during this process instead of inviting an existing account. That child's account will be managed by the organizer, meaning the organizer can see what they read and set spending limits.
Inviting family members and managing the group
Once Family Sharing is set up, the organizer can add more people by going back to the Family Sharing screen and tapping or clicking Add Family Member. You will enter their email address or phone number, and they will receive an invitation. They do not need to be in the same house — Family Sharing works across any distance, as long as everyone has an Apple device and an Apple ID.
The organizer can see who is in the group and remove people if needed. If someone leaves the family group, they keep their own Apple ID and any apps they personally bought, but they lose access to shared apps and subscriptions. Any apps they were using that came from the shared library will stop working on their device.
If the organizer changes, you need to set up Family Sharing again with a new organizer. This is not automatic, so if the current organizer wants to step down, they should tell the person taking over before leaving the group.
Sharing apps with your family
When you buy an app from the App Store, you will see an option that says Share with Family or Add to Family Library — the exact wording depends on your iOS or macOS version. Tap or click that option, and the app becomes available to everyone in your family group. They will see it in their App Store under a Family or Shared section, and they can read it to their own device with one tap.
Not all apps can be shared. Some developers opt out of Family Sharing, usually because their app is tied to a subscription or a single-user license. If an app cannot be shared, the App Store will tell you that when you try to buy it. In that case, each person who wants the app has to buy their own copy.
If you change your mind about sharing a specific app, you can turn off sharing for just that one app. Go to your Apple ID account settings, find the app in your purchase history, and look for an option to remove it from Family Sharing. The app will stay on devices where it is already installed, but no one else will be able to read it going forward.
Setting spending limits for children
If you have added a child to Family Sharing, the organizer can set a monthly spending limit on their account. Go to Family Sharing settings, select the child's name, and look for Spending Limit or Ask to Buy. You can set a dollar amount per month, and once the child reaches that limit, they cannot make any more purchases until the next month resets.
Alternatively, you can turn on Ask to Buy, which means every time the child tries to read or buy anything — even a free app — the organizer gets a notification and has to approve it. This gives you more control but requires you to respond to requests. Most families use a combination: a spending limit for older children and Ask to Buy for younger ones.
The organizer can also restrict what content the child can see and read by setting up Screen Time restrictions. This is a separate feature from Family Sharing but works alongside it. You can block apps by age rating, prevent purchases, and set time limits on device use.
Troubleshooting common problems
If a family member is not seeing a shared app on their device, first check that they are signed into the App Store with the Apple ID that is part of the family group. Then go to the App Store, search for the app, and look for a Get button or a cloud icon with a read arrow. If you see Buy instead, the app is not shared with your family — ask the person who bought it to turn on sharing for that app.
If an app stops working after someone leaves the family group, it is because that app was shared and the person no longer has permission to use it. The only way to keep using it is for that person to buy their own copy. If the app was free, they can read it again at no cost.
If you are having trouble inviting someone, make sure you have the correct email address or phone number associated with their Apple ID. If they have never set up an Apple ID before, you may need to create one for them first — you can do this during the Family Sharing setup process for children, but for adults, they usually need to create their own ID at appleid.apple.com.
Sharing subscriptions and other content
Family Sharing also covers subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, and iCloud+ storage. When the organizer subscribes to one of these services, everyone in the family group gets access automatically. They can use the same subscription on their own device without needing a separate account or password.
Books and audiobooks purchased from Apple Books can also be shared, as well as movies and TV shows bought from the iTunes Store. The rules are the same: the person who buys it can choose to share it with the family, and then everyone can read it to their own device.
Photo sharing is separate from app sharing. Family Sharing includes a shared photo album where family members can upload photos and see what others have uploaded, but this is optional and works independently of app sharing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share apps if I do not have an organizer set up?
No. Family Sharing requires one person to be the organizer. If you want to share apps with family members, someone needs to set up Family Sharing first and become the organizer. After that, everyone else can join the group and start sharing.
What happens if the organizer leaves the family group?
If the organizer leaves, the entire Family Sharing group breaks up. Everyone loses access to shared apps and subscriptions. A new organizer can set up Family Sharing again with a fresh group, but it requires starting over.
Can I share apps between iPhone and Mac?
Most apps can be shared across both platforms if the developer supports it, but not all. Some apps are iPhone-only or Mac-only. When you buy an app, the App Store will tell you which devices it works on. If it is available on both, it will be shared to both when you turn on Family Sharing.
Do family members see my personal data when I share apps?
No. Sharing an app does not share your personal data, photos, messages, or anything else on your device. Each person's device stays completely private. The organizer can see what apps family members have downloaded and their spending, but not their personal files or activity.
Can I turn off Family Sharing after I set it up?
Yes. The organizer can go to Family Sharing settings and choose to stop Family Sharing. This removes everyone from the group and stops all app and subscription sharing. People keep the apps they already downloaded, but they cannot read new shared apps.