Family Sharing lets one person buy apps once and share them with up to five other family members on the same account
Family Sharing is a feature built into both Apple and Google devices that lets you buy an app, game, or subscription once and let other people in your household use it without buying it again. You set up a family group, add people to it, and they can download shared purchases to their own devices. The person who sets up the group — the organizer — controls what gets shared and can remove people or turn off sharing for specific items.
The main catch is that everyone in the group shares a payment method. When someone buys something, it charges the organizer's card. You can set spending limits for children and require approval for purchases over a certain amount, but you cannot give each person their own separate payment method within the group.
Key Takeaways
- Family Sharing on Apple devices lets up to six people (the organizer plus five others) share apps, books, music, and subscriptions purchased by the organizer.
- Google Play Family Library works the same way on Android devices, with the same six-person limit and shared payment method.
- The organizer's payment card is charged for all purchases, but you can set spending limits and require approval for children's purchases.
- Shared apps stay on a person's device even if they leave the family group, but they stop receiving updates once they leave.
- Subscriptions like Apple Music or Google Play Pass are shared across the whole group, so everyone gets access with one purchase.
How to set up Family Sharing on Apple devices
On an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, go to Settings (or System Settings on Mac), tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. Tap "Create a Family" and follow the prompts. You will be asked to confirm your Apple ID and payment method — this is the card that will be charged for all family purchases.
Once the group is created, you can invite family members by their email address or phone number. They will get an invitation and can accept it on their own device. Children under 13 (or the age of digital consent in your country) need a parent or guardian to create an Apple ID for them first, and that ID is automatically added to the family group.
After someone joins, they can see all the apps, books, music, and subscriptions the organizer has bought. They tap the cloud icon next to an item to download it to their own device. They can also buy their own things, which will charge the organizer's card.
How to set up Family Library on Google Play
On an Android phone or tablet, open Google Play, tap your profile icon in the top right, then tap Settings. Scroll down to Family and tap Family Library. Tap "Create a family group" and follow the steps. Like Apple, you will set up a payment method that charges for all purchases.
Invite family members by their email address. They need to have their own Google account. Once they accept the invitation and add the family group to their device, they can download any app or game the organizer has bought. Subscriptions like Google Play Pass are shared the same way.
Google also lets you set up a supervised account for children, which gives you more control over what they can download and how much they can spend. This is separate from Family Library but works alongside it.
What happens to shared apps when someone leaves the group
If a person leaves the family group, any app they downloaded through Family Sharing stays on their device and continues to work. However, they stop receiving updates for those apps. If the app is removed from the device and then reinstalled, they cannot download it again unless they buy it themselves.
Subscriptions work differently. If the family group had a shared subscription like Apple Music or Google Play Pass, that person loses access to it immediately when they leave the group. They would need to buy their own subscription to keep using the service.
Setting spending limits and purchase approval for children
Both Apple and Google let you set a spending limit for each family member and require approval before purchases go through. On Apple, go to Family Sharing settings, tap the child's name, and turn on "Ask to Buy." Any purchase they try to make will send a notification to the organizer, who can approve or decline it from their device.
On Google, you can set a monthly spending limit in the Family Library settings. When a child tries to buy something, the purchase is blocked if it would exceed the limit. You can also require a PIN or fingerprint to approve purchases, which gives you control without needing a notification each time.
These controls only work if the child's account is set up as a supervised account (on Google) or a child account (on Apple). A regular adult account in the family group can buy anything without approval.
Apps and content that cannot be shared
Not everything bought through the app store can be shared. Some apps are tied to a single account and cannot be downloaded by other family members — this is usually because the app requires a subscription or login to the developer's own service. For example, if you buy an app that requires you to log in with your own account, other family members cannot use it without their own login.
Games with in-app purchases can be shared, but the in-app purchases themselves are not shared. If you buy a game and unlock something inside it, other family members get the game but not the unlocked content. They would need to make their own in-app purchases to unlock the same things.
Some apps are region-locked, meaning they are only available in certain countries. If you buy an app in one country and then move to another, you may not be able to share it with family members in the new country.
Removing someone from the family group
The organizer can remove any family member at any time. On Apple, go to Family Sharing settings, tap the person's name, and tap "Remove from Family." On Google, open Family Library settings, tap the person's name, and tap "Remove from family group."
When you remove someone, they keep any apps they downloaded, but they lose access to shared subscriptions immediately. If they were using a child account, that account is not deleted — it just stops being part of the family group. The person can still use the account and buy their own apps if they set up their own payment method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share apps with people who don't live in my house?
Technically yes, but both Apple and Google's terms of service say Family Sharing is meant for people in the same household. If you share with someone far away, you are using it against the terms. Both companies can disable the group if they detect misuse, though enforcement is inconsistent.
What if someone in the family group buys something I don't want to pay for?
Turn on "Ask to Buy" for that person so you approve purchases before they go through. If they already made a purchase, contact Apple or Google support to request a refund. Refunds are usually granted once per person per year, but there is no may provide.
Can I use Family Sharing on both iPhone and Android at the same time?
No. Family Sharing is separate on each platform. You can have an Apple Family Sharing group and a Google Family Library group, but they do not talk to each other. Apps bought on Apple cannot be shared to Android devices and vice versa.
Do I need to give my password to family members?
No. They do not need your password to download shared apps. They use their own account to sign in to their device, and the app store shows them what the organizer has bought. They tap download and it works.
What happens to the family group if the organizer deletes their account?
The family group is deleted. Everyone loses access to shared subscriptions immediately. Apps they downloaded stay on their devices but stop receiving updates. You would need to set up a new family group with a different organizer if you want to continue sharing.