Family Sharing lets one adult manage purchases, subscriptions, and screen time across up to six family members' devices

Family Sharing is an Apple feature that links up to six people under one payment method and lets the organizer (called the family organizer) control what gets bought, what apps appear on kids' devices, and how much time people spend on their phones. One adult sets it up, adds family members, and then manages their purchases, subscriptions, and device restrictions from a single place. It's not mandatory — you can use an iPhone without it — but it's the main way Apple lets parents oversee what their children access.

The organizer pays for everything: apps, in-app purchases, subscriptions, iCloud storage, and Apple Music. Family members can't make purchases without approval unless the organizer turns that off. The organizer also decides which apps appear on children's devices, sets screen time limits, and can see where family members are located (if they choose to share that). Everyone keeps their own Apple ID and their own data — Family Sharing just connects the billing and the oversight.

Key Takeaways

  • One adult (the family organizer) sets up Family Sharing and pays for all purchases, subscriptions, and apps for up to five other family members.
  • The organizer can approve or deny app purchases and in-app spending for children, and can hide apps from their devices entirely.
  • Screen time limits and app restrictions are set on each child's device, not from the organizer's phone, so you need access to the child's device to change them.
  • Family members can see each other's location if location sharing is turned on, and the organizer can remotely lock or erase a lost family member's device.
  • You can leave Family Sharing at any time, but a child's account cannot leave without the organizer's permission until they turn 18.

Who sets it up and what they control

The family organizer is the person who creates the Family Sharing group. This is usually a parent or guardian, and it's the only role that can add or remove family members. The organizer's Apple ID becomes the payment method for everyone in the group — their credit card or Apple Account balance covers all purchases.

The organizer can see a list of all family members, their devices, and their locations (if location sharing is on). They can also remotely lock or erase a lost device, change screen time limits, and approve or deny app purchases. However, the organizer cannot see the content of messages, emails, or photos — Family Sharing is about controlling access and spending, not reading private data.

How to set up Family Sharing on your iPhone

Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. If you're the first person setting it up, tap "Create a Family" and follow the prompts. Apple will confirm your payment method and ask you to set a Screen Time passcode — this is separate from your device passcode and controls whether family members can change their own restrictions.

Once Family Sharing is created, you can add family members by tapping "Add Family Member" and choosing whether they're an adult or a child. If they're a child under 13 (or the age of digital consent in your country), you'll create a child Apple ID. If they're an adult or older teen, they can use their existing Apple ID. Everyone needs to be in the same iCloud Family group, and Apple will send them an invitation to accept.

After someone joins, their device automatically links to your payment method. You can then set up Screen Time and app restrictions on their device by going to Settings, tapping Screen Time, and choosing the family member's name. The restrictions you set — app limits, content filters, and purchase approvals — explore only to that device, so you'll need to configure each family member's phone separately.

What you can and cannot control with Family Sharing

You can control which apps appear on a child's home screen, set daily time limits for specific apps or app categories, block purchases and in-app spending, and require your approval before any app is downloaded. You can also set content restrictions (blocking explicit music, movies rated above PG-13, and so on) and turn off features like AirDrop or the ability to delete apps.

You cannot see what someone is texting, emailing, or searching for. You cannot read their photos, notes, or calendar events. You cannot monitor their web browsing history in detail — Screen Time shows which apps they used and for how long, but not what they did inside those apps. If you need that level of oversight, you would need a separate monitoring tool, which comes with its own privacy and legal questions.

Location sharing is optional. If a family member turns it on, you can see their location in the Find My app. They can turn it off at any time, and you'll no longer see where they are. This is useful for finding a lost phone or checking that a child made it to school, but it's not a hidden tracker — the person being tracked knows they're sharing their location.

Screen time limits and app restrictions

Screen Time is the tool that enforces time limits and content blocks. You set it up on each family member's device by going to Settings > Screen Time and choosing their name. You can set a daily limit for the entire device (for example, two hours per day), set limits on specific app categories (social media, games, entertainment), and choose which apps are always allowed even when time runs out (like Phone and Messages).

Content restrictions let you block apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books based on their rating. For example, you can hide all games rated 12+ or all movies rated PG-13 and above. You can also restrict web content to age-appropriate sites. These restrictions explore to the App Store, Apple Books, and Safari, so a child cannot read a blocked app or visit a blocked website on that device.

Downtime is a separate feature that turns off most apps during set hours — for example, 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. — while keeping Phone and Messages available. You set the hours on the child's device, and they cannot change them without your Screen Time passcode. If a child tries to use a blocked app during downtime, they see a message saying the app is unavailable and can request more time, which sends a notification to you.

Purchases and subscriptions under Family Sharing

When a family member tries to read a paid app or make an in-app purchase, a request goes to the organizer's device. The organizer sees the app name, the price, and who is requesting it, and can approve or deny it. If you approve, the purchase charges to your payment method when ready. If you deny it, the family member gets a notification that you declined.

You can turn off purchase requests entirely by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > [Family Member] > Ask to Buy. If you turn this off, the family member can make purchases without your approval, and they'll charge to your account. This is useful for adults in the family but risky for children — most parents leave it on.

Subscriptions (like Apple Music, iCloud+ storage, or Apple TV+) are shared across the family. If you subscribe to Apple Music, all family members can use it on their devices. If you cancel the subscription, everyone loses access. You can see which subscriptions are active in Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions, and you can cancel any of them from there.

Location sharing and finding lost devices

Family Sharing includes access to the Find My app, which shows the location of all family members' devices if they have location sharing turned on. Each person controls whether their location is visible — they can turn it off in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Find My. If someone turns it off, you won't see their location, but you can still see their device's last known location if it's offline.

If a family member's device is lost or stolen, you can use Find My to play a sound on it, put it in Lost Mode (which locks it and displays a message), or erase it remotely. Lost Mode prevents anyone from using the device without your passcode, and remote erase deletes all data on it. These actions work even if the device is offline — they'll take effect the next time it connects to the internet.

Leaving Family Sharing or removing a family member

An adult can leave Family Sharing at any time by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tapping their own name, and choosing "Leave Family". Their purchases and subscriptions stay with them, but they lose access to shared subscriptions and the family organizer loses the ability to manage their device.

A child cannot leave Family Sharing without the organizer's permission until they turn 18. At that point, they can leave on their own. The organizer can remove a family member by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tapping the person's name, and choosing "Remove". When someone is removed, they lose access to shared subscriptions and the organizer can no longer see their location or manage their device.

If the family organizer leaves, Apple asks them to choose a new organizer from the remaining adults. If there are no other adults, the family group dissolves and everyone is removed. This is why it's important to have at least two adults in Family Sharing if you're relying on it for parental controls — if the organizer's account is compromised or deleted, the family group disappears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child see what I'm buying with Family Sharing?

Yes. Family members can see the purchase history for the shared account in Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases > Purchase History. They'll see what apps, music, movies, and subscriptions have been bought, but not the payment method details. If you want privacy around your purchases, you would need a separate personal Apple ID.

What happens to Family Sharing if I change my payment method?

Family Sharing continues to work. All future purchases charge to your new payment method. You can update your payment method in Settings > [Your Name] > Payment & Shipping, and the change applies when ready to the family group.

Can I set different screen time limits for different days of the week?

No. Screen Time limits are the same every day. You can set downtime for specific hours (which can vary by day), but daily app limits explore to every day of the week. If you need different limits on weekends, you would have to manually change them each week.

Does Family Sharing work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac?

Yes. Family Sharing is tied to Apple IDs, not devices, so a family member's restrictions and purchases follow them across all their Apple devices. Screen Time limits set on their iPhone also explore to their iPad and Mac, though you configure them separately on each device.

What if my child's device is lost and location sharing is off?

You can still see the device's last known location in Find My, but you won't get real-time updates. If the device is offline, you can put it in Lost Mode or erase it remotely, and those actions will take effect when it connects to the internet again. You can also contact Apple Support or your carrier to report the device as lost or stolen.