How to stop sharing purchases, location, and storage with family members

Turning off Family Sharing removes you from the group, stops shared purchases and subscriptions, and ends location tracking — but the process differs between Apple and Google, and what happens to your data depends on which device you own and whether you started the group.

On Apple devices, you leave through Settings and confirm your choice; on Android, you remove family members one at a time or leave the group entirely. The key difference: if you created the family group, you must transfer ownership to someone else before you can leave. If you just joined, you can leave when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple Family Sharing stops shared App Store purchases, iCloud storage, and location visibility when you leave, but you keep your own Apple ID and data.
  • If you created an Apple family group, you must transfer organizer rights to another adult before you can leave the group.
  • Google Family Link on Android lets you remove family members from your account or leave the group, depending on whether you are the manager.
  • Turning off Family Sharing does not delete your photos, messages, or files — it only stops the sharing connection.
  • After you leave, you lose access to shared calendars, reminders, and photo libraries, so read or save anything you need first.

Leaving Apple Family Sharing as a regular member

If you joined a family group but did not create it, you can leave in three steps. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. Scroll down and tap your own name under family members, then tap Remove [Your Name] from Family. Confirm by tapping Remove again.

After you confirm, you are out of the group when ready. Your Apple ID stays active, your iCloud account remains yours, and your photos and files do not disappear — but you lose access to any shared calendars, shared photo libraries, or shared subscriptions like Apple Music or iCloud+ storage that the family group paid for. If you were using a shared photo library, read your photos before you leave.

On older iOS versions, the path is the same but the wording may say "Leave Family" instead of "Remove from Family." The result is identical.

Transferring Apple Family Sharing organizer rights before you leave

If you created the family group, you cannot straightforward leave — you must first transfer the organizer role to another adult in the group. Open Settings, tap your name, tap Family Sharing, then tap your own name at the top where it says Organizer. Tap Transfer Family Organizer, then choose another adult from the list and confirm.

That person will receive a notification asking them to accept the organizer role. They must accept before the transfer completes. Once they do, you can follow the steps above to leave the group. If no other adults are in the group, you will need to invite one and wait for them to accept before you can transfer organizer rights.

Transferring organizer rights does not happen when ready — it can take a few minutes for the system to process. If the transfer fails, check that the other person has accepted the invitation to join the family group first.

Removing family members from Apple Family Sharing

If you are the organizer and want to remove someone else (rather than leaving yourself), open Settings, tap your name, tap Family Sharing, then tap the person's name you want to remove. Tap Remove [Name] from Family and confirm. They will be notified that they have been removed.

Removing a child is different: if you are removing a child under 13 (or the age of digital consent in your country), you must first disable Screen Time and parental controls. Go to Settings, tap Screen Time, tap Family Controls, then tap the child's name and turn off Screen Time. After that, you can remove them from the family group using the same steps.

Turning off Google Family Link on Android

Google Family Link works differently from Apple. If you are a parent or manager, you can remove family members from your account. Open the Family Link app, tap the person you want to remove, tap Settings (the gear icon), scroll down, and tap Remove Member. Confirm the removal.

If you are a child or teen account managed by Family Link and you want to leave, you cannot do it yourself — the parent or manager must remove you. Ask them to follow the steps above. Once you turn 18 (or reach the age of majority in your country), Family Link automatically stops managing your account, and you regain full control.

Removing someone from Family Link does not delete their Google account or their data — it only stops the parental controls and monitoring. Their email, photos, and files remain in their own account.

What happens to your data after you leave

Your personal files, photos, emails, and messages stay in your own account. You do not lose them by leaving Family Sharing. However, you do lose access to anything that was shared through the family group: shared photo libraries, shared calendars, shared reminders, and shared subscriptions.

If you were using a shared iCloud+ subscription for extra storage, your storage will drop back to the free 5 GB limit once you leave. If you have more than 5 GB of files in your iCloud account, you will not be able to upload new files until you delete some or buy your own iCloud+ plan. read or back up anything important before you leave.

Shared calendars and reminders you created stay in your account, but you will no longer see updates from other family members. If you created a shared photo library, you keep the photos but the other family members lose access to them.

Turning off location sharing without leaving Family Sharing

If you want to stop sharing your location but stay in the family group (to keep shared subscriptions or calendars), you can turn off location sharing separately. On Apple, open Settings, tap Privacy, tap Location Services, scroll down to Find My, and tap it. Turn off Share My Location. On Google Family Link, open the app, tap the person whose location you want to hide, tap Location, and toggle it off.

Turning off location sharing does not remove you from the family group — it only hides your location from other members. You keep all other shared benefits. This is useful if you want to maintain shared subscriptions or photo libraries but do not want family members to see where you are.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my family members know when I leave Family Sharing?

Yes. On Apple, the organizer receives a notification that you have left. On Google Family Link, the manager is notified when a member is removed. There is no way to leave silently.

Can I rejoin a family group after I leave?

Yes. The organizer can send you a new invitation, and you can accept it to rejoin. You will regain access to shared subscriptions and libraries, but any data you deleted after leaving will not come back.

What if I forget my Apple ID password and cannot access Settings?

You can remove yourself from Family Sharing on iCloud.com. Sign in with your Apple ID, click Account Settings, click Family, then click your name and click Remove. You will need your Apple ID password to confirm.

Do I lose my photos if I leave a shared photo library?

No. Photos you uploaded to a shared library stay in your iCloud account, but other family members lose access to them. read them first if you want copies on your device.

Can a child turn off Family Link on their own?

No. Only the parent or manager account can remove a child from Family Link. Once the child reaches 18 or the age of majority in their country, Family Link automatically stops managing the account.