One adult in the family—the family organizer—can set up Family Sharing for the group from their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. If you turn on purchase sharing, you'll be asked to confirm that you agree to pay for purchases initiated by the family members you invite and that you have a valid payment method on file. Valid payment methods for setting up Family Sharing include credit cards and debit cards.*
As long as you both use iOS 8 and later or OS X Yosemite and later, you can add anyone who has an Apple ID to your family. If you have children, use these steps to create their Apple ID and add them to your group. Use the steps below to add someone who already has an Apple ID.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
- Go to Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing. If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Family.
- Tap Add Family Member.
- Enter your family member's name or email address and follow the onscreen instructions.
- If you’re using iOS 11 or later, choose whether you’d like to send an invitation via Messages or to invite them in person. Then follow the onscreen instructions.
On your Mac:
If you're using macOS Catalina:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Click Family Sharing.
- Click Add Family Member, then follow the onscreen instructions.
If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier:
- Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
- Click Manage Family.
- Click the add family member button (+), then follow the onscreen instructions.
If your family member is with you, they can enter their Apple ID password on your device to accept the invitation. You can also send them an invitation, and they can accept from their device. If you have multiple Apple IDs in the iTunes Store and the App Store, you can invite each of your accounts to the group, so you can share purchases from your other Apple IDs with your family.
See if your family member accepted the invitation
After you send the invitation, you can check its status under the person's name.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
Go to Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing. If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Family.
On your Mac:
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud, then click Manage Family.
Then select that person's name to see the status of the invitation. If you need to resend the invitation, select Resend Invitation
Join a family group
Accept or decline an invitation to join a family directly from your device. You'll get an invitation sent to you by email or in a text message. Then you can respond right from the invitation. If you miss the email or text invitation, no problem. You can respond from your device Settings or System Preferences:
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
Go to Settings > [your name] > Invitations. If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Invitations.
On your Mac:
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing. If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud, then click Manage Family.
To accept an invitation, follow the onscreen instructions. When you join a family, you might be asked to confirm your account information and to opt-in to any features or services your family set up.
If you can't accept the invitation, see if someone else joined a family with your Apple ID or is sharing purchased content from your Apple ID. Remember, you can only join one family at a time, and you can only switch to a different family group once per year.
Start sharing
After your family members join, the features of Family Sharing are set up on everyone’s devices. Here's what you can do:
- Download eligible music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps from the iTunes & App Store.
-
Get an Apple Music family subscription, then invite family members to join.
- Share family photos and videos. Open the Photos app, tap the Albums tab, find Family in Shared Albums, and add what you want to share.
- Use the Family calendar. Open the Calendar app to add, view, or change events and reminders in the Family Calendar.
-
Share an iCloud storage plan to give everyone enough space for their photos, videos, documents, and more.
- Find your family with the Find My app. Choose when to share your location with your family members.
- Help find family members' devices with the Find My app.
-
Manage your child's account, turn on Ask to Buy, or use Screen Time with Family Sharing. Children under 13** must join a Family Sharing group to use Game Center.
If you don't want to share the family photo album, calendar, or reminders, unsubscribe from them on your device, or on iCloud.com.
Get help
Family Sharing requires a personal Apple ID signed in to iCloud. If your family has purchase sharing turned on, music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers. iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite or later are required to set up or join a Family Sharing group. Not all content is eligible to be shared. Content can be hidden by family members; hidden content is not available for download. Content downloaded from family members or acquired via redemption codes is not subject to Ask to Buy.
Still Haven't Found Your Answer?
Please contact our ICT Helpdesk by emailing helpdesk@corpus.wa.edu.au or by calling us on (08) 6332 2574