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Guide to Apple’s Family Sharing: Sharing Apps, Music, and Storage

Guide to Apple’s Family Sharing: Sharing Apps, Music, and Storage

Apple’s Family Sharing feature is a convenient way to share your purchases, subscriptions, and services with your family members. Whether you want to share apps, music, or iCloud storage, Family Sharing makes it easy for up to six people to enjoy the benefits of an Apple ecosystem without the need for multiple accounts. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up and make the most of Family Sharing for your household.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction to Family Sharing
  2. Setting Up Family Sharing
  3. Sharing Purchases and Subscriptions
  4. Sharing iCloud Storage
  5. Using Family Sharing for Location Tracking
  6. Sharing Apple Music and Other Services
  7. Managing Family Members and Permissions
  8. Troubleshooting Family Sharing Issues
  9. Conclusion

Introduction to Family Sharing

Family Sharing allows you to share Apple services with up to six family members, each having their own Apple ID but benefiting from shared subscriptions and purchases. It enables a smooth and secure experience where everyone in the family can access shared content, track purchases, and maintain individual privacy. Additionally, Family Sharing allows parents to manage kids' accounts and control access to content.

Setting Up Family Sharing

Setting up Family Sharing is simple and can be done directly from your Apple device. Here’s how to set it up:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
  2. Tap your name at the top of the screen to access your Apple ID settings.
  3. Tap Family Sharing, then tap Get Started.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to invite family members. You can send an invitation via email or text message.
  5. Each invited family member will need to accept the invitation by following the instructions provided.

Once set up, the organiser (the person who sets up Family Sharing) can manage purchases, subscriptions, and other shared services.

Sharing Purchases and Subscriptions

One of the key benefits of Family Sharing is the ability to share purchases made from the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Books.

1. Sharing App Store Purchases

Once you’ve set up Family Sharing, everyone in your family can access the apps purchased by the organiser or other family members. To share purchases:

  • iPhone/iPad: Go to the App Store > tap your profile picture in the top-right corner > Purchased. Here, you’ll see a list of apps purchased by your family members, which you can re-download for free.
  • Mac: Open the App Store, click your name in the bottom-left corner, and select Purchased to view shared apps.

2. Sharing iTunes and Apple Books Purchases

  • To share music, movies, and books, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Purchase Sharing, and enable the feature. This will allow everyone to access shared content.

3. Managing Shared Payments

The organiser can set up a payment method for all purchases made by family members. This payment method will be used for any shared purchases, while each family member can use their own Apple ID for personal purchases.

Sharing iCloud Storage

Family Sharing also makes it easier to share iCloud storage. Instead of each family member having their own individual iCloud plan, you can share a single storage plan across all members.

  1. Choose an iCloud Storage Plan:
    • Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage or iCloud Storage.
    • Select a plan (e.g., 200GB or 2TB) that you’d like to share with your family.
  2. Share Storage with Family:
    • In the iCloud Storage section, tap Share with Family to enable sharing. Family members will then be able to use the shared storage space.

Using Family Sharing for Location Tracking

Family Sharing also includes the ability to track the location of your family members through Find My. This feature is helpful for ensuring the safety of your family and can be particularly useful for parents with younger children.

  1. Share Your Location:

    • Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Share My Location.
    • Choose the family members you want to share your location with.

  2. View Family Members’ Locations:

    • Open the Find My app to see where your family members are located on a map.

Parents can also set up location notifications, such as being alerted when their child arrives or leaves a specific location.

Sharing Apple Music and Other Services

If you have an Apple Music subscription, you can share it with your family members, so everyone gets their own personalised music experience. Family Sharing also allows you to share other Apple services, such as Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+.

  1. Share Apple Music:

    • If you have an Apple Music Family Plan, each member can have their own individual music library, playlists, and recommendations.
    • Simply go to Settings > Music > Subscriptions, and select Family to enable sharing.

  2. Share Other Apple Subscriptions:

    • Subscriptions to Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and other services can be shared through Family Sharing as long as you have a Family Plan for the service.
    • To share, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions and select the family plan you want to share.

Managing Family Members and Permissions

As the organiser, you can manage all family members and their permissions within the Family Sharing setup. Here’s what you can do:

1. Add or Remove Family Members

  • Open Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing.
  • Tap Add Family Member to invite new members or Remove Family Member to remove someone.

2. Set Up Parental Controls

For children under 13, you can set up a child account with restrictions on purchases, app usage, and access to content. You can also control the child’s screen time through the Screen Time feature.

  • Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Add Family Member, then choose Create a Child Account.

You can then set age-appropriate content restrictions and limit purchases or app downloads.

Troubleshooting Family Sharing Issues

If you encounter issues with Family Sharing, here are some common solutions:

1. Family Member Can’t Access Shared Content

  • Ensure that Purchase Sharing is enabled under Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Purchase Sharing.
  • Check that the family member is signed in with their Apple ID.

2. Apple Music Not Shared

  • Ensure that the family member has accepted the invitation to Apple Music and is using the correct family subscription.

3. iCloud Storage Not Shared

  • Confirm that you’ve chosen a shared iCloud plan and that each family member has accepted the invitation.

4. Payment Issues

  • Verify that the organiser’s payment method is up-to-date and that there are no billing issues with your Apple ID.

Conclusion

Apple’s Family Sharing is a powerful feature that allows you to share your Apple services and content across multiple family members without the need for multiple accounts. From sharing apps, music, and iCloud storage to tracking family members’ locations and controlling parental permissions, Family Sharing makes managing your family’s digital life more streamlined and efficient. With these tips, you can maximise the benefits of Family Sharing and ensure a seamless experience for everyone involved.