How to Set Up Family Sharing on iPhone and iPad
The person who sets up the Family Sharing group is referred to as the Organizer. Generally speaking, this should be a parent, guardian, or other authority figure or responsible party. Here’s how to set up Family Sharing using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, As people accept invitations to join the group, they appear in the Family Sharing screen of the Settings app.
What Is Apple Family Sharing?
Apple’s Family Sharing lets everyone in the same family or friend group share their purchases from the iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Books. It’s a great feature that makes a ton of sense. If a parent buys an app and their child wants to use it, why should they have to buy the same app twice? They don’t with Apple’s Family Sharing, which is easy to set up and use.
How to Use Family Sharing on iPhone and iPad
After Family Sharing is set up, it is easy to use. Here’s what you need to do:
How to Set Up and Use Family Sharing on a Mac
You can also set up Family Sharing on your Mac. In macOS Catalina, click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and select System Preferences > Family Sharing. In earlier versions of the operating system, select System Preferences > iCloud > Set Up Family Sharing and follow the same basic instructions. In those apps, go to the Purchased section.
In the iTunes Store app, it’s in the More menu.In the App Store app, it’s in Updates or under your photo, depending on the iOS version.In the Apple Books app, it’s in Reading Now > your photo.
Family Sharing works on Macs in the Music app, iTunes, Apple Books, and the Mac App Store, too. Here’s how:
How to Turn Off Family Sharing
There may come a time when you no longer want to use Family Sharing. If you’re in that situation, here’s what you need to do to turn off Family Sharing:
In Music, select iTunes Store in the left sidebar, followed by Purchased in the right column. In Apple Books, click Book Store or Audiobook Store and then select Purchased in the right column. In the Mac App Store, click Discover > your icon. In iTunes, click Account > Purchased.
With that done, Family Sharing is turned off, and no one in the group has access to one another’s purchases any longer. Now, if you want to use any of your family members’ purchased items again, you need to buy them.
The Limits on Setting Up Family Sharing Again
So you stopped Family Sharing and now want to get things set up again? Don’t worry. You can always set up Family Sharing. However, you can only create and delete two Family Sharing groups per year. If you hit that limit, you have to wait before you can set up a new group. So, it’s better to add or remove members from your existing family group than to completely disband the group and start over.
