Saturday, December 31, 2022

What is Family Sharing?


One adult in your household — the family organizer — invites your family members. When family members join, they get instant access to the group’s subscriptions and content that are eligible for sharing. Each family member uses their own account, so everyone’s experience stays personalized and private.

Share Apple subscriptions

Whether it’s music, TV and movies, news, games, or fitness, Apple subscriptions have something for everyone. And with iCloud+, you can share storage and features like iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, and HomeKit Secure Video support with your family.

When you use Family Sharing, your whole family can share access to the same Apple subscriptions. With Apple One, you can bundle everything together for one low monthly price. You can also share some other subscriptions that you sign up for in apps from the App Store.

Share purchases from the App Store and more

When you set up purchase sharing, everyone in the family gets access to the apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books that family members buy. The content automatically appears on the Purchased page in the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, or Apple TV app. Some items can't be shared.

Everyone's personal files and preferences stay private

When you share iCloud+, family members can't see each others’ photos, files, or documents. And when you share other subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, or Apple TV+, each person sees their own preferences and recommendations — not the whole family’s.

If your family includes children

With just a few simple steps, parents or guardians can create Apple IDs for kids in their family under 13*. With their own Apple ID, a child can use their own account on their own device — and even make their own purchasing decisions. But with integrated parental control features, a parent or guardian can easily set up an account with age appropriate content access, Screen Time settings, and more.

Approve what kids buy or download

If you want to see and approve what kids download, set up Ask to Buy. When a child asks to buy apps, movies, or other content, a notification is sent to the family organizer, who can approve or decline it right from their device.

Kids can use Apple Cash

With Apple Cash Family, your child or teen can send or receive money in Messages and make purchases with Apple Pay. Parents can send allowance or spending money directly to children. And parents can see and limit kids' spending. Family members under 18 can also participate in Apple Card Family.

Limit how much time kids spend on their devices

With Screen Time, you can keep an eye on how much time your kids spend using apps, visiting websites, and on their devices overall. Review your kids’ activity reports and set time limits for specific apps right from your own device. You can also name another family member as a parent/guardian so that you’re always on the same page when it comes to your kids and their screen time.

Kids can stay connected with an Apple Watch

Set up Apple Watch for a school-aged child who doesn’t have their own iPhone. Kids can use their Apple Watch to make phone calls, send messages, and share their location with you. And parents can help kids stay distraction-free during school hours with Schooltime.

Apple.com