What app sharing does and how it works on your device
App sharing lets family members use apps you have bought or downloaded without each person buying their own copy. On most devices, this works through a family group or shared account system — one person sets up the group, adds family members, and designates which apps can be shared. The person who bought the app keeps ownership; family members get access to use it, but cannot modify it or share it further.
How this works depends on your device type. On Apple devices, you create a Family Sharing group and link family members' Apple IDs to yours. On Android, you can share apps through Google Play Family Library or let people use a shared device account. On Windows, you can set up multiple user accounts on one computer and share installed apps between them. Each method has different rules about who can see what and who pays for updates.
The main benefit is cost: if you buy a productivity app, a game, or a reference tool, multiple family members can use it without each paying separately. The main limit is that app sharing usually works only within your household or on devices you control — you cannot share with distant relatives or friends outside your family group.
Key Takeaways
- Family sharing groups let multiple people use apps one person bought, but the original buyer remains the account owner and can remove access at any time.
- Apple Family Sharing requires each family member to have their own Apple ID linked to the group organizer's account, while Android Family Library works through a single Google account or linked accounts.
- Shared apps update automatically on all devices in the group, so you do not have to manage updates separately for each person.
- Some apps, especially those with subscriptions or account-specific features, may not share properly even if the app itself is shared.
Setting up app sharing on Apple devices
On iPhone, iPad, or Mac, open Settings and go to your name at the top. Tap Family Sharing, then tap Set Up Your Family Sharing (or Create a Family if you have not already). You will be asked to confirm your payment method — this is the card that will be charged for any shared purchases. Add family members by their email address or phone number; they will receive an invitation and must accept it using their own Apple ID.
Once family members are added, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Purchases Sharing and toggle it on. This makes apps you buy visible to the whole group. Each family member can then go to the App Store, tap their profile picture, select Family Sharing, and see all shared apps available to them. They can read and install any shared app to their own device without needing a separate purchase.
If you want to share an app you already own, the person who bought it must have Purchases Sharing turned on. Apps purchased before Family Sharing was set up may not appear in the shared library automatically — you may need to go to the App Store, find the app, and manually add it to Family Sharing through the app's page. Subscriptions (like a news app subscription or a fitness app membership) do not automatically share; each person needs their own subscription.
Setting up app sharing on Android devices
Android offers two main routes: Google Play Family Library (which works like Apple's system) and sharing apps through a shared device account (which works more like a shared computer login).
For Family Library, open Google Play on your phone, tap your profile icon, then Settings > Family > Family Library. Tap Create a Family Library and follow the prompts to add family members by their Google account email address. They will receive an invitation and must accept it. Once they do, they can see all apps you have purchased in their own Google Play library and read them to their devices. Like Apple, subscriptions do not share — each person needs their own subscription to a service.
For a shared device account, create a secondary user account on the Android phone or tablet. Go to Settings > Users & Accounts > Add User, then set up a new account. Anyone who logs into that account will see all apps installed on the device and can use them. This method is simpler for a household device (like a shared tablet for kids) but less flexible if family members have their own phones — each person sees only the apps on devices where they have logged in.
Sharing apps on Windows computers
Windows lets you share installed apps between user accounts on the same computer. Create a new user account for each family member: go to Settings > Accounts > Family & Other Users > Add Another Person. You can create a local account (password-protected, no Microsoft account required) or a Microsoft account (which syncs settings across devices).
Once accounts are created, install apps under your own account. Other users on the same computer can then open and use those apps from their own account — they do not need to install them again. The original installer remains the owner and can uninstall the app, which removes it for everyone. This works for most traditional Windows programs but not for apps from the Microsoft Store, which have stricter sharing rules tied to the Microsoft account that purchased them.
For Microsoft Store apps, the person who bought the app must enable sharing in Settings > Accounts > Your Info > Manage Your Microsoft Account > Family & Other Users. Other family members can then read and use those apps on the same device, but they cannot use them on their own separate devices unless they are part of a Microsoft Family Group (which requires a Microsoft account for each person).
What happens when you remove someone from a family group
When you remove a family member from an Apple Family Sharing group or a Google Play Family Library, they lose access to all shared apps when ready. Apps they downloaded to their device will stop working or show an error when opened. Any data they created in those apps (saved games, documents, settings) remains on their device but cannot be accessed through the app itself.
If the person you removed was a child account, parental controls tied to that account also stop working. If they were the family organizer (the person who set up the group), you must first transfer organizer status to another adult before removing them. On Windows, removing a user account deletes all files and settings associated with that account unless you back them up first.
Before removing someone, consider whether they need time to back up data or transition to their own app purchases. Some families keep a shared account active longer than necessary to avoid disrupting someone's access to apps they rely on daily.
Apps that do not share well and why
Some apps refuse to share even when the app itself is technically shared. Banking apps, email clients, and password managers often lock sharing because they are tied to a single person's account — if you share a banking app, the other person sees your account and transactions. Streaming services like Netflix or Spotify have their own family plans that work differently from app sharing; you buy the family plan through the service itself, not through app sharing.
Games with online accounts (like Fortnite or Clash of Clans) share the app but not the account — if two family members read the shared game, they both play on the same in-game account unless they create separate accounts within the game. Apps that require a license key or set up code may not work on shared devices because the license is tied to one person's account. Before sharing an app, check the app's description in the store to see if it mentions account restrictions or family sharing limitations.
Controlling what family members can read and use
On Apple devices, the family organizer can set up Screen Time and parental controls for child accounts. Go to Settings > Family Sharing > [Child's Name] > Screen Time and set app limits, content restrictions, and purchase approvals. You can prevent children from downloading apps without permission, block specific apps by age rating, and require approval before they can buy or read anything.
On Android, use Google Play's parental controls. Open Google Play, tap your profile icon, go to Settings > Family > Parental Controls, and toggle it on. Set a PIN, then choose which content types (apps, games, movies, music, books) are allowed based on age rating. You can also use Google Family Link, which is a separate app that gives you more detailed control over a child's device, including screen time limits and app blocking.
On Windows, use Parental Controls (for local accounts) or Microsoft Family Safety (for Microsoft accounts). Go to Settings > Accounts > Family & Other Users, select a child account, and click Parental Controls. You can set screen time limits, block specific apps, and require approval for downloads. These controls work only on the device where they are set up, not across multiple devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share apps with people outside my household?
No. Apple Family Sharing requires family members to live in the same household, and the system is designed to prevent sharing with distant relatives or friends. Google Play Family Library has the same restriction. Sharing apps with people you do not live with violates the terms of service for most app stores and can result in account suspension.
If I buy an app, can I share it with someone who already bought the same app?
Yes, but it does not refund them. Once the app is shared, they can uninstall their own copy and use the shared version instead. They do not get their money back, but they save money on future updates since the shared app updates automatically.
What happens to shared apps if I cancel my payment method or close my account?
On Apple, if the family organizer's payment method fails or the account is closed, shared apps may stop working for other family members. On Android and Windows, the behavior depends on the specific app and account type. It is safest to assume that shared apps may become unavailable if the original purchaser's account is no longer active.
Can two people use the same shared app at the same time on different devices?
Yes. If you share an app with a family member, you can both use it simultaneously on your own devices. The app does not lock to one person at a time. However, if the app has an online account (like a game or email client), you will both be using the same account unless you create separate accounts within the app.
Do I have to share all my apps, or can I choose which ones to share?
On Apple and Android, you can choose which apps to share. Go to the app's page in the store and look for a sharing option — you can usually toggle sharing on or off for individual apps. On Windows, all installed apps are visible to other user accounts by default, but you can uninstall an app if you do not want others to use it.