What Family Sharing does and why you might use it

Family Sharing is an Apple feature that lets up to six people in your household share purchases, subscriptions, and storage without sharing passwords. When you set it up, everyone in the group can use apps, books, music, and movies that any one person bought — without needing to know each other's Apple ID passwords. You can also see where family members are located on a map, set screen time limits for children, and manage what content kids can read.

The person who starts Family Sharing becomes the organizer. That person's payment method covers shared purchases unless you set up a family budget that lets other adults pay their own way. If you have kids with iPhones or iPads, Family Sharing is the standard way to control what they can install and how long they can use their devices.

Key Takeaways

  • The organizer starts Family Sharing in Settings > [their name] > Family Sharing and invites up to five other people by email or by having them accept an invitation in person on their device.
  • Everyone in the group shares purchases and subscriptions made through the Apple App Store, Apple Music, and iCloud storage, but not text messages or email.
  • The organizer's payment method pays for shared purchases unless you set up a family budget and add another adult's payment method.
  • You can turn on location sharing, screen time controls, and purchase approvals for children without needing to know their passwords.
  • Any family member can leave the group at any time, and the organizer can remove people, but removing someone deletes their access to shared content.

How the organizer starts Family Sharing

Open Settings on the iPhone you want to use as the organizer account. Tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. If you do not see this option, make sure you are signed in with an Apple ID and that your device is running iOS 16 or later (check Settings > General > About > Software Version).

Tap get your free guide, then follow the prompts. Apple will ask you to confirm your payment method — this is the card that will be charged for any shared purchases unless you set up a family budget. You can change this payment method later in Family Sharing settings, but the organizer's card is the default.

Inviting family members to join

After you set up Family Sharing, tap Add Family Member in the Family Sharing menu. You have two ways to invite someone: by email or in person.

By email: Enter their email address or phone number. Apple sends them an invitation. They tap the link in the email or notification, sign in with their own Apple ID, and confirm they want to join. This works for anyone over 13 with their own Apple ID.

In person: Have the other person unlock their iPhone and hold it next to yours. Apple uses the camera to pair the devices and add them to the group without needing an email. This is faster and works even if they do not have an Apple ID yet — you can create one for them during the process.

Children under 13 cannot have their own Apple ID in Family Sharing. Instead, you create a child account through Family Sharing, and that account is linked to the organizer's payment method and subject to parental controls.

What gets shared and what does not

When someone joins Family Sharing, they when ready gain access to all apps, books, music, movies, and TV shows that anyone in the group has bought from the Apple App Store or iTunes Store. They also share iCloud storage — if the organizer pays for 200 GB of iCloud+, all six family members can use that storage for their photos, documents, and backups.

Subscriptions to Apple services are shared: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News+, and Apple Arcade all work for everyone in the group. If one person pays for Apple One (a bundle of multiple services), the whole family gets access.

Text messages, email, photos in the Photos app, and browsing history are not shared. Each person keeps their own private accounts and data. Location sharing is optional — you turn it on separately in Family Sharing settings if you want to see where family members are.

Setting up parental controls for children

If you add a child under 13, or if you add a teenager and want to set limits, go to Family Sharing settings and tap the child's name. You can turn on Screen Time to set daily time limits, restrict which apps they can use, and block certain types of content (like movies rated R or higher).

You can also require approval for purchases. Turn on Ask to Buy and the child's device will send you a notification whenever they try to read an app or make a purchase. You can approve or decline from your own phone without needing to unlock theirs.

These controls work through the child's device settings — you do not need their password. If a child forgets their password, you can reset it from Family Sharing settings without losing their data.

Managing payment and budgets

By default, all shared purchases charge the organizer's payment method. If you have another adult in the family who wants to pay for their own purchases, you can add their payment method and set up a family budget.

Go to Family Sharing settings, tap Family Purchases and Subscriptions, then Purchase Sharing. Turn it on or off — if you turn it off, each person pays for their own purchases with their own payment method. If you keep it on, you can choose whether each family member's purchases go to the organizer's card or their own.

Subscriptions always charge whoever owns the subscription. If you buy Apple Music, it charges your card. If someone else in the family buys it separately, it charges theirs.

Leaving Family Sharing or removing someone

Any family member can leave at any time. Go to Settings > [their name] > Family Sharing and tap Leave Family. They will lose access to shared apps and subscriptions, but their own purchases and data stay on their device.

The organizer can remove someone by going to Family Sharing settings, tapping their name, and selecting Remove. This also removes their access to shared content. If the person being removed bought apps or subscriptions that others in the family are using, those purchases stay on the shared devices but the removed person cannot update them.

If the organizer wants to step down, they have to remove themselves and choose another adult to take over. That new organizer will then control the payment method and family settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Family Sharing if we do not live in the same house?

Yes. Family Sharing works as long as everyone has an Apple ID and an Apple device. You do not have to live together. Location sharing is optional — you can turn it on or off in settings. The main limitation is that only one person can use the organizer's payment method, so if you live separately, you may want to set up a family budget so each adult can pay their own way.

What happens if someone leaves Family Sharing?

They lose access to shared apps, books, music, movies, and subscriptions. Apps they downloaded through Family Sharing stop working unless they buy their own copy. Their own purchases and personal data stay on their device. If they rejoin later, they regain access to the shared library.

Can a child have their own payment method in Family Sharing?

Children under 13 cannot have their own Apple ID or payment method — they use the organizer's payment method. Teenagers 13 and older can have their own Apple ID and payment method, but you can still set screen time limits and require approval for purchases if you turn on Ask to Buy.

Does Family Sharing share passwords or email?

No. Each person keeps their own Apple ID, password, email, and iCloud account. Family Sharing only shares purchases, subscriptions, and storage. You do not need to know anyone else's password, and they do not see your email or messages.

Can I change who the organizer is?

The organizer cannot transfer the role directly. Instead, the current organizer removes themselves from Family Sharing, and another adult in the group becomes the new organizer. The new organizer will then control the payment method and family settings going forward.