Apple TV+ lets you share your subscription through Family Sharing or by giving someone your account password

Apple TV+ subscriptions come with one of two sharing methods. The first is Family Sharing, which lets up to six people in your household watch on separate devices at the same time using their own Apple IDs—no password sharing needed. The second is sharing your account password directly with someone, which works but limits you to one person watching at a time across all devices.

Family Sharing is the official method Apple designed for this purpose. It keeps everyone's viewing history separate, lets each person have their own profile, and doesn't require you to give out your password. If you want someone outside your household to watch, or if they don't have an Apple ID, password sharing is your only option—though Apple's terms say this is meant for people in your home.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Sharing is the built-in way to let up to six people watch Apple TV+ at once on different devices, each with their own Apple ID and profile.
  • To set up Family Sharing, you go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name, select Family Sharing, and invite people by email or phone number.
  • The person you invite must accept the invitation and have their own Apple ID; they do not need to know your password.
  • If someone does not have an Apple ID or is not in your household, you can share your password instead, but only one person can watch at a time.
  • You can remove someone from Family Sharing at any time through the same Settings menu where you added them.

Setting up Family Sharing on iPhone or iPad

Open Settings and tap your name at the top. Select Family Sharing, then tap get your free guide if this is your first time, or Add Family Member if you already have a group set up. You will see options to invite people by email address or phone number. Enter their contact information and send the invitation.

The person you invite will receive a notification on their device. They tap Accept and sign in with their own Apple ID. Once they accept, they can open Apple TV+ on any of their devices and start watching when ready. Their viewing history and preferences stay separate from yours.

You can add up to five other people this way, for a total of six in your Family Sharing group. Everyone needs their own Apple ID—you cannot add someone who does not have one through Family Sharing.

Setting up Family Sharing on Mac or Apple TV

On a Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), click your name in the sidebar, then select Family Sharing. Click the plus sign to add a family member and enter their email or phone number. The process is the same as on iPhone.

On an Apple TV device, go to Settings, select Users and Accounts, then Family Sharing. You will see an option to invite family members. Enter their contact information and send the invitation. They will receive a notification and can accept from their own device.

Sharing your password instead of using Family Sharing

If the person you want to share with does not have an Apple ID, or if they live outside your household and you still want to share, you can give them your Apple TV+ password. They sign into Apple TV+ on their device using your email address and password.

The main limitation is that only one person can watch at a time. If you are watching on your phone and they try to watch on their tablet, one of you will be kicked out. This is different from Family Sharing, where multiple people can watch simultaneously on different devices.

To stop sharing your password, change your Apple ID password. This will sign everyone out of Apple TV+ on all devices, and they will need the new password to sign back in. You will also need to sign back in on your own devices.

Managing who can watch and removing people

To see who is in your Family Sharing group, go to Settings, tap your name, select Family Sharing, and look at the list of members. You will see everyone's name and their role (organizer or member).

To remove someone, tap their name in the Family Sharing list and select Remove from Family Sharing. They will lose access to Apple TV+ and any other services shared through your family group. This does not delete their Apple ID or affect their personal account.

If you are the organizer of the family group and want to leave, you must first transfer the organizer role to another adult member. Tap your name, select Change Family Organizer, and choose someone else. Then you can remove yourself.

Troubleshooting common sharing problems

If someone you invited is not receiving the notification, check that you entered their email address or phone number correctly. Ask them to check their email spam folder or look in their Apple ID settings to see if there is a pending invitation. They may need to restart their device before the invitation appears.

If multiple people are trying to watch at the same time and getting kicked out, you are likely using password sharing instead of Family Sharing. Switch to Family Sharing so everyone can watch on separate devices simultaneously. If you are already using Family Sharing, restart the Apple TV+ app on each device.

If someone accepted the invitation but cannot see Apple TV+ on their device, make sure they are signed in with the Apple ID they used to accept the invitation. They may also need to open the App Store, go to their account, and refresh their subscriptions.

What happens to viewing history and recommendations

In Family Sharing, each person has their own profile with separate viewing history and personalized recommendations. When you open Apple TV+, you see your own profile by default. Other family members see theirs. This means your watch history does not affect what shows up in someone else's recommendations.

If you are sharing your password instead of using Family Sharing, everyone sees the same viewing history and recommendations because you are all using the same account. This can make it harder to find shows you want to watch if other people are using the account too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share Apple TV+ with someone who does not have an Apple ID?

No, not through Family Sharing. You would need to share your password instead. However, creating an Apple ID is free and takes just a few minutes. If the person is willing to set one up, Family Sharing is a better option because it keeps viewing histories separate and lets multiple people watch at once.

How many people can watch Apple TV+ at the same time?

With Family Sharing, up to six people can watch on different devices at the same time. With password sharing, only one person can watch at a time. If a second person tries to watch while the first is still watching, the first person will be signed out.

Does the person I share with need to pay anything?

No. Once they are added to your Family Sharing group or have your password, they can watch Apple TV+ at no additional cost. The subscription covers everyone in the group.

What if I want to stop sharing with someone?

If you are using Family Sharing, go to Settings, tap your name, select Family Sharing, tap their name, and choose Remove from Family Sharing. If you are sharing your password, change your Apple ID password and they will be signed out. You will need to sign back in on your own devices with the new password.

Can I use Family Sharing if I live in a different house from the other people?

Technically yes, but Apple's terms say Family Sharing is meant for people living in the same household. If you want to share with someone who lives elsewhere, password sharing is the intended method, though only one person can watch at a time.