Family Sharing lets one adult manage purchases and screen time for up to five other family members from a single account

Family Sharing is Apple's system for linking up to six iPhones, iPads, or Macs under one payment method and parental controls. One person — the organizer — pays for apps, music, and subscriptions for everyone in the group. Parents can see where their children are, set screen time limits, and approve purchases before they go through. Everyone keeps their own photos, messages, and personal data separate.

You need an Apple ID to set it up, an iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or later (or a Mac running macOS 13 or later), and a valid payment method on file. The organizer must be at least 18 years old. Once it is running, adding a family member takes about five minutes, and they can start using shared purchases when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • The organizer sets up Family Sharing in Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing and adds family members by their Apple ID or by inviting them via email.
  • Children under 13 need a managed Apple ID created by the organizer; older family members can use their own existing Apple ID.
  • All purchases from the App Store, Apple Music, and iCloud+ subscriptions charge to the organizer's payment method unless you set up a separate allowance.
  • Parents can turn on Ask to Buy so children must request permission before downloading anything, and purchases are approved or declined from the parent's device.
  • Location sharing, screen time limits, and app restrictions are controlled separately from the purchase settings and can be adjusted per family member.

How to start Family Sharing as the organizer

Open Settings on your iPhone and tap your name at the top. Scroll down and tap Family Sharing. If you have not set it up yet, you will see a button that says "get your free guide" or "Create Family Group." Tap it. Apple will confirm your age and payment method — you must be 18 or older to organize a family group.

Next, you will see a screen asking whether you want to add family members now or later. You can do both right away or wait and add them one at a time. If you add them now, you will need their Apple ID and password, or you can send them an invitation link via email or iMessage and they can accept it themselves. The second option is easier if they are not in the room with you.

Once you confirm, Family Sharing is active. Your payment method is now the default for all family purchases unless you set up individual allowances or Ask to Buy rules.

Adding family members and creating accounts for children

To add someone who already has an Apple ID, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Add Family Member. Enter their Apple ID email address, or tap "Invite via Email" to send them a link. They will receive an invitation and can accept it on their own device. Once they accept, they are part of the family group.

If you are adding a child under 13 who does not have an Apple ID, tap "Create a Child Account" instead. You will enter their name and birthdate. Apple will create a managed Apple ID for them — you control the password and all their settings. They can use this account on their device right away, and you can adjust parental controls from your phone.

Children aged 13 and older can use their own existing Apple ID or create one themselves. If they create their own, you will still be able to set Ask to Buy and screen time limits on their account, but you will not see their passwords or be able to change their settings directly.

Setting up Ask to Buy so you approve purchases first

Ask to Buy is the feature that stops family members from downloading anything without your permission. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > [Family Member's Name] and toggle on Ask to Buy. From now on, when that person tries to read an app, song, movie, or subscription, the request goes to your device instead.

You will see a notification on your iPhone asking you to approve or decline. Tap it, review what they want to read, and choose "Approve" or "Decline." You have up to 24 hours to respond — if you do not, the request expires. This works for children of any age, but it is most useful for younger kids or to control spending on expensive apps or in-app purchases.

If you want to let someone read things without asking, turn Ask to Buy off for that person. They will still be charged to your payment method unless you set up a separate allowance for them.

Managing screen time and app restrictions

Screen Time is a separate tool from Family Sharing, but it works alongside it. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Family Controls and tap "Add Family Member" to set limits for someone in your family group. You can set downtime (hours when the device locks), app limits (30 minutes of social media per day, for example), and content restrictions (blocking explicit music or mature movies).

Screen Time limits explore to that person's device only — if they have an iPad and an iPhone, you set limits on each one separately. You can also require them to ask for permission to install apps, separate from Ask to Buy for purchases. This is useful if you want to let them buy things but control which apps they can use.

All family members can see their own screen time data in Settings > Screen Time, but only the organizer can see everyone else's usage and change the rules.

Sharing subscriptions and purchases across devices

Once Family Sharing is active, any app, music, movie, or subscription the organizer buys appears in the App Store, Apple Music, and other Apple apps for all family members. They do not have to buy it again — they just read it. This includes iCloud+ storage plans, Apple Music subscriptions, and Apple TV+ memberships.

If you buy an app and later want to share it with the family, it is already shared automatically. If a family member buys something with Ask to Buy turned off (because you approved it or because you turned the feature off), it is also shared with everyone. The only exception is content bought with a separate allowance — that stays on that person's account.

Shared purchases work on any device signed in with that person's Apple ID. If your child signs into an iPad at school with their managed Apple ID, they can read any shared app without needing to buy it again.

Setting up allowances so family members can spend their own money

If you want a family member to have their own spending budget, set up an allowance. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > [Family Member's Name] and tap "Allowance." Choose an amount and how often it renews (weekly or monthly). Apple will add that amount to a gift card balance on their account automatically on the day you choose.

Once they have an allowance, their purchases come out of that balance first. When the balance runs out, they cannot buy anything until the next allowance payment. This is useful for teenagers who want independence but need a spending limit, or for any family member who prefers not to ask permission for small purchases.

You can change or cancel an allowance at any time. If you turn it off, future purchases go back to charging your payment method (unless Ask to Buy is on, in which case you have to approve them).

Viewing location and managing family members

Family Sharing includes a location-sharing feature. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing and tap "Location." You can see where each family member is on a map in real time, as long as they have location services turned on and are signed into iCloud. This is optional — family members can turn off location sharing for themselves in their own Settings.

To remove someone from Family Sharing, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tap their name, and scroll down to "Remove from Family." They will lose access to shared purchases and subscriptions, but their own apps and data stay on their device. If they are a child with a managed Apple ID, removing them from Family Sharing does not delete their account — you can still manage it separately if needed.

The organizer can also change who manages screen time and purchases for each family member. Tap their name in Family Sharing settings and look for "Parental Controls" or "Ask to Buy" to adjust who has authority over what.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than one organizer in a family group?

No. Only one person can be the organizer, and they control the payment method and can remove anyone from the group. However, you can set another adult as a "parent" or "guardian" for screen time and Ask to Buy purposes, giving them some control without making them the organizer. That person still cannot change the payment method or remove the organizer.

What happens to shared purchases if someone leaves the family group?

They keep the apps and subscriptions they downloaded while in the group, but they cannot read them again if they delete them. New purchases will not be shared with them. If the organizer's payment method is the only one on file, they may lose access to subscriptions like Apple Music or iCloud+ when they leave.

Can a family member use Family Sharing on an Android phone or Windows computer?

No. Family Sharing only works on Apple devices — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Android and Windows devices cannot join a family group, though you can still share purchases with them through other Apple services like iCloud.com.

How do I stop someone from seeing my location in Family Sharing?

Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and turn it off, or turn off location sharing just for the Find My app. You can also go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Location and toggle off "Share My Location." The organizer cannot force you to share your location.

What if I forget the organizer's password?

You will need to reset it using your Apple ID recovery options (email or phone number). Go to iforgot.apple.com and follow the steps to reset your password. You will not lose access to Family Sharing during this process, but you will need the new password to make changes to family settings.