What Family Sharing actually does
Family Sharing lets you and up to five other people in your household share apps, books, music, and movies that one person has bought — without giving anyone your password or access to your personal files. When you set it up, each person keeps their own account and their own private data. The person who bought an app can let others read it to their devices, and those people can use it without paying again.
This is different from straightforward logging into the same account on multiple devices. With Family Sharing, you stay logged into your own account on your own device, but you can still use apps that someone else in the family paid for. The original buyer can turn off access anytime, and each person's photos, messages, and documents stay private.
Key Takeaways
- Family Sharing works on Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) or Google devices (Android, Chromebook), but you cannot mix the two — your family group must all use the same type of device ecosystem.
- The person who set up Family Sharing becomes the organizer and controls which apps are shared, though each family member can choose not to read a shared app.
- Shared apps update automatically on everyone's device, so if the organizer updates an app, everyone gets the new version whether they want it or not.
- You can remove a family member from the group at any time, and any apps they downloaded through Family Sharing will stop working on their device.
Setting up Family Sharing on Apple devices
On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, open Settings (or System Settings on a Mac), tap or click your name at the top, then tap "Family Sharing." Tap "get your free guide" or "Create a Family Group." You will be asked to add a payment method — this is where purchases will be charged if a family member buys something and you have purchase approval turned on.
Next, you invite family members by their email address or phone number. They will get an invitation and can accept it from their own device. Once they accept, they appear in your Family Sharing group. You can add up to six people total, including yourself. If you want to share apps you have already bought, they will now be able to see those apps in their App Store and read them.
If a family member is under 13 (the age varies slightly by country), you will need to set up a child account instead of inviting an existing account. Apple will ask you to be their parent or guardian, and you will control what they can read.
Setting up Family Sharing on Android and Google devices
On an Android phone or tablet, open Settings, scroll down to "Google," then tap "Manage your Google Account." Go to the "Family" tab and tap "Create a family group." You will add family members by their email address, and they will get an invitation to join.
Once someone accepts the invitation, they can see apps you have bought in the Google Play Store under "My apps & games" — specifically in a section that shows shared apps. They tap the app and read it to their device. Unlike Apple, Google does not automatically update shared apps on everyone's device; each person can update on their own schedule.
Google Family Sharing also includes other features like shared YouTube Music subscriptions and the ability to set screen time limits for children, but the app-sharing part works the same way: one person buys, others read.
What happens when you share an app
When someone in your Family Sharing group downloads an app you bought, they get the full version — not a limited trial or a separate "family" edition. They can use all the features you can use. If the app has in-app purchases (like extra levels in a game or a premium subscription within the app), those are separate and each person buys their own.
On Apple devices, if you update an app, everyone in the family who has downloaded it will get the update automatically the next time their device checks for updates. On Android, each person controls when they update. If you delete an app from your own device, it stays on everyone else's device — you are not removing it from the family, only from yourself.
If you remove someone from Family Sharing, any apps they downloaded through the group will stop working on their device. They will see a message saying the app is no longer available. If they want to keep using it, they would have to buy it themselves.
Who can see what in Family Sharing
Family members can see which apps other people in the group have shared, but they cannot see your photos, messages, email, or browsing history. Each person's device stays completely private. The organizer (the person who set up the group) can see a list of who is in the family and what devices they have, but not what they are doing on those devices.
On Apple devices, you can turn on "Ask to Buy" for any family member, which means their purchases go to you for approval before they go through. On Android, you can set spending limits and require approval for purchases over a certain amount. These controls are about purchases, not about what apps people are using.
When Family Sharing does not work the way you expect
Some apps cannot be shared, even though you bought them. Apps made by certain companies (often banks or medical apps) are locked to the person who bought them for security reasons. You will not see an option to share these apps with family members. The App Store or Play Store will show you whether an app can be shared before you read it.
If someone leaves your family group and you want to add them back later, there is usually a waiting period — typically 30 days on Apple devices. During that time, you cannot re-invite them. This is a security measure to prevent someone from being added and removed repeatedly.
Shared apps also do not work if the original buyer cancels their subscription to a service. For example, if you share an app that requires a paid subscription and you cancel that subscription, the app will stop working for everyone in the family, even though they can still see it on their device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share apps between an iPhone and an Android phone in the same family?
No. Apple and Google have separate app stores and separate Family Sharing systems. If your family uses both types of devices, you would need to set up Family Sharing separately on each ecosystem. An app bought on Apple cannot be shared to Android devices, and vice versa.
What happens to shared apps if I stop paying for Family Sharing?
Family Sharing itself is free — there is no subscription to maintain. However, if you remove someone from the group or the group dissolves, shared apps stop working on their device. The apps themselves do not have a separate cost beyond the original purchase.
Can a family member share an app they bought with the rest of the group?
Yes. Any member of the Family Sharing group can share apps they have bought. The organizer does not have to be the only person sharing. Each person's purchases are available to the whole group automatically.
Do shared apps use the same login and data across devices?
Not necessarily. If an app stores data in your personal account (like a game that saves your progress), each person in the family will have their own separate save file and their own login. Sharing the app does not mean sharing the account inside the app.
Can I prevent certain family members from downloading a specific shared app?
On Apple devices, you can hide apps from family members by going to your Family Sharing settings and managing each person's access. On Android, there is no built-in way to hide individual apps — family members can see and read anything you have shared. You would need to remove them from the group entirely if you do not want them accessing certain apps.