Apple Music Family Sharing lets up to six people listen on separate accounts from one subscription

Apple Music Family Sharing is a feature built into your Apple Music subscription that lets you add up to five other people to your account. Each person gets their own Apple Music login, their own library, and their own recommendations — they are not listening to what you listen to. You pay one subscription price (currently $10.99 per month for the family plan, though this varies by region and changes over time) instead of buying individual subscriptions for each person.

The catch is that everyone in the family group must be in the same country, and you need an Apple ID for each person. If someone in your household does not have an Apple ID yet, you will need to create one for them first. The person who sets up the family group becomes the organizer and can remove people or change settings later.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Sharing requires switching to the Apple Music Family plan, which costs more than an individual subscription but less than six separate ones.
  • Each family member needs their own Apple ID, and everyone must be in the same country to join the group.
  • The organizer (the person who sets up the group) can remove members or change settings, but cannot see what other people are listening to.
  • Family members can use Apple Music on any device where they sign in with their own Apple ID — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or HomePod.
  • If someone leaves the family group, they lose access to Apple Music unless they have their own individual subscription.

Switching from an individual plan to the family plan

You cannot add family members to an individual Apple Music subscription. You have to switch to the Family plan first. On an iPhone or iPad, open the Music app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap "View Account" and select "Subscriptions." You will see your current plan listed. Tap it and choose "Change Plan" or "Upgrade Plan" — the exact wording depends on your device and region.

Select the Family plan from the options shown. Apple will show you the price difference and ask you to confirm. Once you upgrade, you will be charged the family plan rate instead of your individual rate. The upgrade takes effect when ready, and you can start adding family members right away.

If you are on a free trial of Apple Music, you will not be able to switch to the family plan until the trial ends. Wait for the trial to expire, then upgrade to the family plan before adding people.

Adding family members to your group

After you upgrade to the family plan, go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, then tap "Family Sharing." If you have not set up Family Sharing before, you will see an option to "Create a Family." Tap it. You will be asked to confirm your Apple ID and set up a family organizer — this is you.

Once Family Sharing is active, tap "Add Family Member" and choose whether to invite someone with an existing Apple ID or create a new Apple ID for them. If you are inviting someone who already has an Apple ID, enter their email address or phone number. They will receive an invitation and can accept it from their own device. If you are creating a new Apple ID for someone (usually a child), you will enter their name and birthdate, and Apple will walk you through the setup.

Each person you add will automatically have access to the family Apple Music subscription once they accept the invitation and sign into their Apple ID on their device. They do not need to do anything else — the subscription is already included.

What each family member can and cannot do

Each family member has a completely separate Apple Music experience. They can create their own playlists, follow their own artists, and get recommendations based only on what they listen to. Your listening history does not affect their recommendations, and theirs does not affect yours. You cannot see what other family members are listening to, and they cannot see your library.

Family members can use Apple Music on any device where they sign in with their own Apple ID — this includes iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and HomePods. If someone in your family uses an Android phone or a non-Apple device, they can still access Apple Music through the Apple Music app or website, but they will need to sign in with their own Apple ID.

The organizer (the person who set up the family group) has one special power: they can remove members from the group. Removing someone cuts off their access to Apple Music when ready, unless they have their own individual subscription. Regular family members cannot remove other members or change any settings for the group.

Managing your family group over time

If someone needs to leave the family group, the organizer can remove them from Settings > Family Sharing on an iPhone or iPad. Tap the person's name, then tap "Remove from Family." They will lose access to Apple Music right away. If they want to keep listening, they will need to buy their own individual subscription.

If the organizer wants to step down and let someone else manage the family group, you have to remove everyone from the current group and create a new one with the new organizer. This is a limitation of how Apple Music Family Sharing works — you cannot straightforward transfer organizer status to another person.

If you cancel your Apple Music subscription entirely, everyone in your family group loses access. If you downgrade from the family plan back to an individual plan, the family group is automatically deleted and all members are removed.

Troubleshooting common problems

If someone is not seeing Apple Music after you add them to the family group, ask them to sign out of their Apple ID on their device and sign back in. Sometimes the subscription does not sync when ready. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Their Name] > Sign Out, then sign back in with the same Apple ID.

If you are trying to add someone but you get an error saying they are already in another family group, they will need to be removed from that group first. Only one person can manage the removal — the organizer of the group they are currently in. If you do not know who that is, the person being added can go to Settings > Family Sharing and leave the group themselves.

If someone in your family is in a different country, they cannot join your family group. Apple Music Family Sharing requires everyone to be in the same country. If someone moves, you will need to remove them and they can create their own family group in their new country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see what my family members are listening to?

No. Each family member's library and listening history is private. You cannot see what they listen to, and they cannot see yours. The only thing the organizer can see is who is in the family group and when they last used Apple Music.

What happens if someone leaves my family group?

They lose access to Apple Music when ready. Their playlists and library stay on their device, but they cannot stream new music or read songs unless they buy their own individual subscription. Any music they downloaded while in the family group remains on their device.

Can I have more than six people in a family group?

No. Apple Music Family Sharing is limited to six people total, including the organizer. If you need more subscriptions, each additional person would need their own individual plan.

Do family members need to be related to me?

No. Family Sharing is just a name — you can add anyone you want to your family group, whether they are related to you or not. Apple does not verify relationships.

Can I use Apple Music Family Sharing on Android phones?

Yes. Family members can read the Apple Music app on Android and sign in with their Apple ID. They will have full access to the family subscription on Android devices just like on Apple devices.