YouTube family plans allow you to share YouTube Premium (or YouTube Music Premium) benefits with up to five family members living at the same residential address. Think of it as a subscription that covers your entire household.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
1. The Family Manager:
- Who they are: The family manager is the primary account holder and pays for the YouTube family plan. They are essentially in charge.
- What they do: They create a Google family group and invite family members to join. They also manage the family's Google services.
2. Creating a Google Family Group:
- The family manager needs a Google account to create a Google family group. This is a separate entity from just having a YouTube account.
- During setup, the family manager will be prompted to invite family members.
3. Inviting Family Members:
- Who can be invited: Up to five family members can be invited to join the family group.
- Requirements: They must have their own Google account and reside at the same residential address as the family manager. YouTube may periodically ask family members to confirm their address.
- How to invite: The family manager sends invitations via email or other methods provided by Google.
4. Accepting the Invitation:
- Invited family members receive an invitation and must accept it to join the family group.
- Once accepted, they gain access to YouTube Premium (or YouTube Music Premium) benefits.
5. Benefits of YouTube Premium (or YouTube Music Premium) Shared with Family:
- Ad-free viewing: Family members can watch YouTube videos without advertisements.
- Background playback: Videos continue playing even when the screen is off or another app is open (mobile devices).
- Offline downloads: Download videos to watch later without an internet connection (mobile devices).
- YouTube Music Premium benefits (if included): Ad-free listening, background playback, and offline downloads within the YouTube Music app.
- YouTube Originals Access: Access to YouTube Original series and movies.
6. Restrictions and Considerations:
- Age Restrictions: Each family member must have a Google account. Children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in their country) will have supervised Google accounts managed by a parent.
- Location: All family members must reside at the same residential address. YouTube may periodically verify this.
- Family Group Switching: An individual can only be part of one family group at a time, and there are restrictions on how often you can switch family groups.
- Leaving a Family Group: A family member can leave a family group at any time. They will lose access to the shared YouTube Premium benefits. The family manager can also remove family members from the group.
- Payment Method: The family manager is responsible for paying for the YouTube family plan using their linked Google account payment method.
In summary, YouTube family allows one person to pay for a subscription and share the benefits with up to five other household members, providing a cost-effective way for families to enjoy YouTube Premium features.
