Adding family members to your iCloud services is accomplished through Apple's Family Sharing feature, which allows you to share an iCloud+ subscription, App Store purchases, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and more with up to five other family members. This streamlines digital life by centralizing shared resources and simplifying management.
Understanding iCloud Family Sharing
Family Sharing is a convenient way for up to six family members to share Apple services and subscriptions, including a single iCloud+ storage plan, without sharing Apple IDs. This ensures privacy while providing access to shared benefits. The organizer of the family group invites members, who can then access shared content and services.
Key benefits of Family Sharing include:
- Shared iCloud+ Storage: Consolidate your family's storage needs under one plan.
- App Store & iTunes Purchases: Share eligible apps, music, movies, and books.
- Apple Subscriptions: Share Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+.
- Location Sharing: Optionally share locations to easily find family members.
- Screen Time Management: Monitor and manage children's device usage.
- Ask to Buy: Parents can approve or decline children's purchases directly from their own device.
Setting Up Family Sharing and Sharing iCloud+
Setting up Family Sharing is the prerequisite for sharing your iCloud+ subscription. The process can be initiated on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
On Your Mac (macOS Ventura or Later)
If you're using a Mac with macOS Ventura or later, setting up Family Sharing and enabling iCloud+ sharing is straightforward:
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Initiate Family Setup:
- Choose Apple menu (located in the top-left corner of your screen).
- Click System Settings.
- In the sidebar, click Family.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your family group, invite members, and configure settings.
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Share iCloud+ with Family:
- Once your family group is established or as part of the setup process, within the Family settings, click Subscriptions.
- Choose iCloud+.
- Click Share with Family.
- Follow any additional onscreen instructions to confirm sharing your iCloud+ plan with your family group. This enables all members to utilize the shared storage and premium features like iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email.
- Information last updated: 16-Sept-2024
On Your iPhone or iPad
You can also set up Family Sharing directly from your iOS or iPadOS device:
- Open Settings: Tap the Settings app.
- Tap Your Name: Tap your name at the very top of the settings menu.
- Select Family Sharing: Tap Family Sharing.
- Set Up Your Family: Tap Set Up Your Family or Add Member and follow the prompts to invite family members using their Apple IDs.
- Enable iCloud+ Sharing: Once Family Sharing is active, tap iCloud+ (or Subscriptions then iCloud+) within the Family Sharing menu to ensure it's shared with your family group.
Benefits of Sharing iCloud+ with Your Family
Sharing your iCloud+ subscription offers significant advantages for your entire household.
| iCloud+ Feature | Benefit for Family Members |
|---|---|
| Shared Storage | All family members contribute to and draw from a single shared storage pool (e.g., 200GB, 2TB), eliminating the need for individual storage upgrades. |
| iCloud Private Relay | Helps obscure IP address and browsing activity in Safari for enhanced privacy. |
| Hide My Email | Generate unique, random email addresses for online forms to keep personal email private. |
| Custom Email Domain | Use a personalized email domain with iCloud Mail for all family members. |
| HomeKit Secure Video | Connect a greater number of security cameras (up to 5 for 200GB plan, unlimited for 2TB plan) without impacting your iCloud storage limit. |
Managing Your Family Group
As the Family Organizer, you have full control over the group:
- Adding Members: You can invite individuals with an Apple ID to join your family. For children, you can create an Apple ID directly through the Family Sharing settings.
- Removing Members: If a family member no longer needs to be part of your group, you can easily remove them.
- Roles: Assign roles like Parent/Guardian to other adults in the group, allowing them to manage Screen Time and Ask to Buy requests.
By leveraging Family Sharing, you can effectively add your family to your iCloud ecosystem, providing them with shared access to valuable services and ensuring a seamless Apple experience for everyone.
