If you and your family use Apple devices but have never set up Apple Family Sharing, you might be paying more than you need to.
A lot of households sign up for Apple services individually. One person pays for iCloud storage, someone else pays for Apple Music, another person might subscribe to Apple Arcade or Apple TV+. The result is that everyone is paying separately for services that could easily be shared.
Apple Family Sharing allows up to six people to share subscriptions, purchases and useful features across their Apple devices. Once it is set up, it also unlocks a number of tools that make it easier to coordinate family life and manage devices.
In the video below, I walk through how Apple Family Sharing works and why it is worth setting up if your household is already in the Apple ecosystem.
Save Money on Apple Subscriptions
One of the biggest reasons to create an Apple Family is simply the potential cost savings.
If multiple people in your household are paying for Apple services individually, combining those subscriptions into a family plan can reduce the total monthly cost.
For example, one person might be paying for a 200GB iCloud storage plan while another person pays for a smaller plan. By creating an Apple Family, the larger plan can be shared so everyone can use the same storage.
The same idea applies to services like Apple Music. Instead of each person paying for an individual subscription, a family plan allows multiple users to access the service under a single subscription.
Consider an Apple One Family Plan
If your household uses several Apple services, Apple One can simplify things even further.
Apple One bundles several services together under one subscription. Depending on the plan, this can include things like:
- Apple Music
- Apple TV+
- Apple Arcade
- Apple Fitness+
- iCloud storage
- Apple News+
For families who already use several of these services, combining them into a single Apple One family plan can often make financial sense.
Share Purchases Across the Family
Another benefit of Apple Family Sharing is the ability to share purchases.
For example, if someone in the family buys a movie, audiobook or app using their Apple account, other members of the family can access that purchase on their own devices.
This means you do not need to buy the same content multiple times across different accounts.
In the video, I share an example of listening to a Harry Potter audiobook that had originally been purchased on my son's device. Because we are in the same Apple Family, I was still able to access it on my own phone.
Use the Family Calendar
Once Family Sharing is enabled, Apple automatically creates a shared family calendar.
Anyone in the family can add events and everyone else will see those events appear on their own devices.
This is particularly useful for coordinating things like:
- School pickups and drop offs
- Family events
- Appointments
- Activities involving multiple people
Instead of sending calendar invitations back and forth, you can simply add the event to the family calendar.
Shared Reminders Lists
Another practical feature is shared reminders lists.
Many families use these lists for things like:
- Weekend chores
- Household tasks
- Shared shopping lists
Anyone in the family can add items to the list, which makes it easy to keep track of what needs to be done or what needs to be picked up from the store.
Use Find My to Locate Devices
Family Sharing also integrates with the Find My app.
This allows you to see the location of family members if they choose to share it. You can also help locate devices that belong to other members of your Apple Family.
For example, if someone in your household loses their phone, another family member can use their device to locate it or trigger a sound to help find it.
Manage Kids’ Devices with Screen Time
For families with children, Apple Family Sharing also makes it easier to manage device usage.
Using Screen Time, parents can:
- Set downtime schedules
- Limit how long apps can be used
- Control communication settings
- Manage restrictions on devices
Parents or guardians can be assigned within the Apple Family so that more than one person can manage these settings.
Set Up a Legacy Contact
One final feature that is worth setting up is a legacy contact.
A legacy contact is someone who can request access to your Apple account after your death. This allows them to access important information such as photos, documents or emails.
This can make it much easier for family members to manage important digital information if something happens.
Final Thoughts
If your household is already using Apple devices, setting up Apple Family Sharing is one of the easiest ways to get more value from the Apple ecosystem.
Not only can it reduce the cost of subscriptions, it also introduces features that make it easier to share content, coordinate schedules and manage devices across the family.
If you are already paying for multiple Apple services, it is definitely worth taking a few minutes to check whether setting up an Apple Family would make sense for you.