How to share apps and purchases with your family
One adult in the family – the family organiser – pays for everyone’s purchases after purchase sharing has been set up. You can share apps, music, books and more.
What is purchase sharing?
When the family organiser turns on purchase sharing, everyone in your family will receive access to apps, music, films, TV programmes and books that family members buy. The family organiser will be billed for family members' purchases. Family members can find shared content on the Purchased page in the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books or Apple TV app. Find out what kinds of content you can and can’t share.
Turn on purchase sharing using your iPhone or iPad
If you haven't set up Family Sharing yet, set up Family Sharing.
Open the Settings app.
Tap Family. If you can't see Family, tap your name, then tap Family Sharing.
Tap Purchase Sharing.
Tap Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
To confirm which payment method will be billed, tap Purchase Sharing again and check the Shared Payment Method information. This will be the family organiser’s default payment method.
Turn on purchase sharing using your Mac
In macOS Ventura or later:
If you haven't set up Family Sharing yet, set up Family Sharing.
Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Family.
Click Purchase Sharing.
Click your name, then turn on Share My Purchases.
To confirm which payment method will be billed, check under Shared Payment Methods. This will be the family organiser’s default payment method.
Turn off purchase sharing and stop sharing a payment method
If you’re the family organiser and you want family members to pay for purchases themselves, turn off purchase sharing.
Go to your Purchase Sharing settings in Settings on your iPhone or iPad or in System Settings on your Mac.
Turn off purchase sharing:
On your iPhone or iPad, tap Stop Purchase Sharing.
On your Mac, click Turn Off, then click Stop Purchase Sharing.
When purchase sharing is turned off, you’ll stop sharing your purchases and lose access to the purchases made by your other family members. However, you can continue to share subscriptions such as Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, but everyone must use their own payment method for purchases.
Find out what to do if you want to leave or disband your family sharing group
Which payment method will be charged for purchases that family members make?
When purchase sharing is turned on, everyone’s purchases will be billed to the family organiser’s payment method.* The family organiser can:
Update their payment method or add a new one if there’s an issue.
Check their purchase history to see purchases made by family members.
Find out which payment methods are available in your region.
When a family member first makes a purchase on their device, the family organiser may need to verify the payment method by entering the CVV.
* If you're in a Family Sharing group, the purchases you make will be charged to your personal Apple Account balance. If you don’t have enough balance in your Apple Account to pay for the purchase, the remainder will be charged to the family organiser if purchase sharing is turned on.
If you want to approve a child's purchases
If you want to see and approve what children download, set up Ask to Buy. When a child asks to buy apps, films or other content, the family organiser will receive a notification and can approve or decline the request directly from their device.
Find out how to turn on Ask to Buy
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