How to share apps and purchases with Family Sharing on your iPhone or iPad
With Family Sharing set up, the family organiser can turn on Purchase Sharing for the entire family group, so everyone can share apps, music, books and more.
How Purchase Sharing works
When the family organiser turns on Purchase Sharing and the members enable the feature for their devices, they will get access to each other’s shared content. The family organiser pays for everyone’s purchases unless they turn off Purchase Sharing or other adult family members use their own payment method to make purchases.* When a family member makes a purchase on their device, the family organiser may need to verify the payment method by entering the CVV.
The family organiser can also:
Check purchase history to see purchases made by family members.
Require that children in the family group request approval for purchases and free downloads.
Find out what kinds of content you can share
Turn on Purchase Sharing on your iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings app, then tap Family.
Tap Purchase Sharing.
Tap your name, then turn on Share My Purchases and follow the onscreen instructions.
To confirm the payment method, tap Purchase Sharing again and check the Shared Payment Method information. This will become the family organiser’s default payment method.
Find out how to share purchases with your Family Sharing group on your Mac
Turn off Purchase Sharing on your iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings app, then tap Family.
Tap Purchase Sharing.
Tap Stop Purchase Sharing, then tap Stop Sharing to confirm.
When you turn off Purchase Sharing, you stop sharing your purchases and lose access to the purchases made by other members in your family group. However, you can still share subscriptions such as iCloud+, Apple TV and more. Find out more about sharing subscriptions with Family Sharing.
Approve a child’s purchases and downloads
To see and approve what kids purchase and download, set up Ask to Buy. When a child asks to buy apps, films or other content, the family organiser or parent/guardian will receive a notification and can approve or decline the request from their device.
Find out how to turn on Ask to Buy
* If you’re in a Family Sharing group, your purchases will be charged to your Apple Account balance. If you don’t have enough balance for the purchase, the remainder will be charged to the family organiser if Purchase Sharing is turned on, or you can add your own payment method.
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