Did you know you can easily share your purchases, subscriptions, storage space, and even your family's location from your iPhone? If you have multiple Apple devices at home and want to centralize management, avoid duplicate payments, or, above all, maintain some control over what your kids download, the "Family Sharing" option is your best friend.
Setting up and using Family Sharing lets you enjoy a more convenient, secure, and connected digital experience, whether you're a parent, guardian, or just want to take full advantage of the benefits Apple offers for your home. In this article, I explain in detail what it is, how it works, how to configure it, and all the available options so you can get the most out of it from any Apple device, especially the iPhone.
What is Apple Family Sharing and why might you care?
The service Family It is Apple's proposal to share a large part of its digital ecosystem within the family environment. Allows up to six people, each with their own Apple account, to enjoy app purchases, music, movies, subscriptions, iCloud storage, and various other features without having to use a single shared account., which provides comfort and privacy to each member.
The administrator or 'family organizer' You will be responsible for creating the group, sending invitations, and deciding and managing what is shared and under what conditions. This is key to avoiding duplicate payments, centralizing charges into a single method, setting up age-appropriate parental controls, and ensuring that minors have their own profile and restricted access. In addition, Family makes it easy to share calendars, photo albums, location, and helps find lost devices within the group..
Main benefits of using "In Family"
- Sharing purchases and subscriptions: Anything you purchase (music, apps, movies, books) with this option enabled will automatically be available to everyone in the group. Plus, services like Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music (with the Family Plan), Apple News, and extra iCloud storage can be shared.
- Centralized payment management: The family organizer defines a common payment method. All charges for shared purchases, subscriptions, or storage upgrades go to that card or bank account.
- Privacy and independence: Each member maintains their own Apple account, and personal information such as playlists, favorites, messages, or photos (except those uploaded to shared albums) are not automatically shared.
- Robust parental controls: If there are minors, you can require authorization for any purchase (free or paid), set usage limits, block apps, or adjust age-based restrictions.
- Additional tools: Family calendar, shared photo album, group reminders, and location of members and devices using the Find My app.
What can you share with "In Family"?
The benefits of Family Sharing go beyond sharing app payments. The family group can access (if enabled by the organizer) the following resources:
- Purchases on the App Store, iTunes, and Apple Books
- Service subscriptions: Apple TV+, Apple Music (family plan), Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, iCloud+
- Additional iCloud storage (200 GB or 2 TB, starting with family plans)
- Shared photo album, family calendar y common reminders
- Sharing location between members and locate lost devices
- Apple Cash y Apple Watch for Kids (in supported countries)
Eye: Some subscriptions require specific plans to be shared. For example, for Apple Music, you'll need the family version, which is slightly more expensive than the individual version. iCloud storage must also be in family mode to be shared among members.
How to Organize Your Family Group: The Role of the Organizer
Someone has to take the initiative and become the 'organizer' of the group. This role will be responsible for creating the digital family, inviting members, choosing what to share, and managing invitations and authorizations. (especially if there are minors). Additionally, they will be the owner of the primary payment method. It's important to know that the organizer can delegate certain permissions to another adult in the group (such as managing parental controls).
Step by step: How to set up Family Sharing on your iPhone
I'll explain how you can quickly and easily launch the "Family Sharing" feature from your iPhone. This process is similar on the iPad and very similar on the Mac, although we'll focus on mobile here.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap your name (Apple ID) at the top.
- Find the "Family Sharing" option and click "Set up your family."
- Follow the on-screen instructions to add members. You can send them the invitation via iMessage, AirDrop, or email.If the person is nearby, you can even invite them in person and have them enter their username and password on your device for faster access.
- Choose the services and purchases you want to share, along with other settings (location, photo album, calendar, etc.)
- For children who don't have an Apple ID, you can create a child account directly within this process.You'll only need their personal information and date of birth, which will be used to set age-appropriate content restrictions.
Each member who receives the invitation must accept it. From that moment on, they will be part of the family group and can use all shared resources according to the settings defined by the organizer. For more information, certain aspects of Family Sharing were already enhanced in iOS 16, which we cover in this article: iOS 16 incorporates new features in the En Familia ecosystem
What if one of the members already has an Apple account?
No problem, You can invite anyone who already has an Apple account.They will receive the invitation and, if they accept, they will only have to enter their password and they will join the group. It is key to keep in mind that An Apple account can only be in one family group at a time.If you want to change families, you'll have to leave your current one, and you're only allowed to do so once a year, so you'll have to think carefully before moving.
How to add more members later
If you start the family group with two or three people, You can add up to six whenever you wantThe process is just as simple. Go to Settings > your name > Family and tap the "Add Member" button at the top. Invite them by text, email, or in person. You can choose to create an account for minors or invite adults.
Managing children: creating child accounts and setting parental controls
If you have children under 13 years old, They cannot create an Apple account themselves: you will have to do it as the organizer or guardian.This is done from the Family section itself. Once you have your account, it will allow you to define access limits, what they can see, download, purchase and control. its use remotely using the “Screen Time” function.
- Request to purchase: When enabled, any download by a minor will require your permission. You'll receive a notification on your device, and the purchase or free download will only proceed if you authorize it.
- Content restrictions: Adjust what types of apps, movies, music, and books can be downloaded, based on their age ratings.
- Communication and Screen Time Limits: You can decide who they can talk to, how long they can use the device or certain apps, and limit usage during school hours or at night.
- Share location: If you set it up, you'll be able to see where your child's device is at all times from the Find My app.
Set up devices for children: iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch
Apple allows you to not only manage accounts, but also Set up a new device directly for a child using your own iPhone with the Quick Start featureSimply place both devices close together, follow the instructions, and select the child's profile or create a child account if they don't already have one. This way, the device will be ready with all the necessary restrictions and settings from the start.
Even if the child doesn't have an iPhone, You can set up a child's Apple Watch so you can only make calls, send messages, and share your location, limiting usage to avoid distractions at school, thanks to Class mode.
What happens to privacy and personal information?
One of the common concerns is privacy. Peace of mind: each family member retains their own private digital environmentNo one has automatic access to other people's photos, messages, files, or favorites. Only the resources you choose are shared (subscriptions, purchases, location if enabled, shared albums/photos, etc.). If you want to hide an app, book, or movie from others, you can do so easily from your profile.
How do purchases and billing work?
The organizer will be the one who pays for all shared purchases and subscriptionsIf someone purchases an app or movie, or upgrades storage, the charge goes to the card designated by the organizer. Alternative payment methods can be added, but it's generally best to centralize everything. It's essential to remember this point if you're sharing the group with friends, as it's intended for use by close and trusted people.
iCloud storage is also shared among all members, although each member keeps their files private. If you need more storage, you can upgrade your plan, and the others can use it at no extra cost (and without seeing your stuff).
What happens if you receive or send an invitation?
When you receive an invitation to a "Family Sharing" group, You'll receive a notification via text, email, or in your Settings. You can accept or decline it, but you can only be part of one group at a time.If you've lost your invitation, follow these steps:
- Open Settings and tap your name
- Look for the Invitations section
- From there you can accept or reject and confirm your account information.
If for some reason you can't accept, please check that your account isn't already in another family group or hasn't been previously used for it.
Additional options: calendar, family album, reminders and more
When you set up Family Sharing, you also get access to a shared family calendar (to organize events, tasks, appointments, etc.), a common photo album where you can upload whatever you want (with notifications when there are new images) and group reminders so as not to forget anything important.
The Find My app also allows group members to share their location, making it easier to locate family members or even help you recover a lost device.
What if I want to leave or remove members?
At any time, both the organizer and the members can leave the group (except for minors, who require management by the organizer). To do so, go to Settings, go to the Family section, tap your name, and select the option to leave the group. The organizer can also remove members, and if they decide to leave the group, all members will be unlinked.
Key Recommendations and Things to Know
- The member limit is six (including the organizer)
- You can only change family groups once a year.
- The plan is designed for families or cohabitants, not for individual friends, since you will share payment details.
- The privacy of each member is guaranteed, except for what is explicitly uploaded to shared albums or activated by the group.
- The organizer can delegate permissions to another adult, ideal if there are multiple parents or guardians.
Managing your family's digital ecosystem can be very simple if you make good use of the "Family Sharing" feature. Sharing purchases and subscriptions, controlling your little ones' device usage, keeping everyone private, and having tools to locate your people (and their teams) is possible with just a few steps in the iPhone. Having everything centralized and under control is one of those things that, once you try it, you won't want to stop using.
