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How to Share Apple Services and Content with Family Using Family Sharing

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If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’ve likely purchased content or subscribed to services through your device. But did you know you can share some of this content and services with other members of your family?

To join Family Sharing, each participant needs their own Apple account. One family member, designated as the family organizer, manages access and invites others to join. Once accepted, all family members immediately gain access to the shared subscriptions, purchases, and other items.

Adults in the group retain their own Apple accounts to access the shared content. For children under 13, you can create a child account that allows access to specific content, with the organizer (and one other adult) overseeing what the child can view.

If you want to share iCloud storage, you’ll need an iCloud subscription with at least 200GB of storage ($2.99 per month) or an Apple One Family plan ($22.95 per month) or Premier plan ($32.95 per month). The free 5GB iCloud plan and the $0.99 50GB plan won’t support family sharing of iCloud, so you’ll be prompted to upgrade if you wish to add this feature.

How to Invite Adult Family Members

To get started as the family organizer, set up Family Sharing on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. On an iPhone with iOS 18 or higher or an iPad with iPadOS 18 or higher, go to Settings, tap your name, and select the Family option. At the Family Sharing screen, tap Continue.

On a Mac running macOS Sequoia, go to System Settings, click your name at the top, and select Family or Family Sharing, then choose Set Up Family. The process is similar across devices, but we’ll walk through it using an iPhone.

You may see suggestions for people to invite to your family. Click the Invite button next to a name to send a text message inviting them to join the family. You can add a comment if you wish before sending. The recipient can accept the invitation by tapping the Accept button. Tap Invite Others to add more people.

At the Family screen, tap the Contact icon on an iPhone or the Add Member link on an iPad. If the person you want to invite appears on the Family Invitation screen, tap their icon to send a text. Otherwise, choose another option, like Messages or Mail, enter their phone number or email address, and send the invitation.

If the person is nearby, you can use AirDrop or invite them in person. The invitee can sign in with their Apple account and password on your device and enter the two-factor authentication code sent to them.

How to Invite Child Family Members

To invite a child with an existing Apple account, tap Invite Others at the Family screen and send the invitation via Messages, Mail, or another method.

If you need to create an Apple account for the child, select Create Child Account. Enter the child’s name and birthday, then verify your parental consent using Face ID or Touch ID.

After agreeing to the terms and conditions, you can choose to create an iCloud email address for the child or use an existing email. Enter the email address, verify it, and set up the child’s password.

You can decide whether verification codes for the child’s account should go to your phone or the child’s device. You can also set up Parental Controls now or later, ensuring that any purchases or downloads made by the child require approval from a parent or guardian.

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