How to set up Family Sharing on an iPhone

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open Settings, tap your name, then Family, and tap Set Up Your Family or the add button. Invite up to five people by Messages or in person. Then choose what to share, such as subscriptions, purchases, iCloud storage and location.

Family Sharing lets up to six people share App Store purchases, Apple subscriptions and iCloud storage without sharing an account or password. Parents can also approve children's purchases and set screen time limits.

Step by step

  1. Open Settings and tap your name

    Your name is at the top.

  2. Tap Family

    Then Set Up Your Family, and follow the steps. You become the organiser.

  3. Invite people

    Tap the add-member button and invite by Messages, Mail or in person. For a child, tap Create Child Account. The age below which a child account is needed depends on the country.

  4. Choose what to share

    Tap each item on the Family page: Subscriptions, Purchase Sharing, iCloud+, Location Sharing and Screen Time.

  5. Turn on Ask to Buy for children

    Tap the child's name, then Ask to Buy. You receive a request to approve or decline each download or purchase.

Good to know

With Purchase Sharing on, everything family members buy is charged to the organiser's payment method.

Each person keeps their own Apple Account, photos, messages and documents. Nothing private is shared automatically.

An adult can belong to one family group at a time and can switch groups only once a year.

To limit a child's screen time, see how to turn on Screen Time.

In short: Settings, your name, Family, set up, invite, choose what to share.

Sources
  • Apple Support: Set up Family Sharing

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.