The fastest way to share Apple TV with family

You can add family members to your Apple TV account through Family Sharing, which lets up to six people watch on the same subscription without buying separate accounts. The person who owns the Apple TV subscription sets up Family Sharing, then invites others by their email address or phone number. Once someone accepts the invitation, they can sign in on any Apple device and start watching when ready.

Family Sharing also shares other Apple purchases — apps, music, books — across all family members' devices, though you can control what each person sees. The setup takes about five minutes and requires only the account owner's Apple ID and password.

Key Takeaways

  • The account owner starts Family Sharing in Settings on any Apple device and invites up to five other people by email address or phone number.
  • Family members can watch on their own devices once they accept the invitation, without needing a separate Apple TV subscription.
  • You can set parental controls for each family member to restrict content by age rating.
  • Removing someone from Family Sharing stops their access to shared purchases, including Apple TV, within a few minutes.

How to set up Family Sharing on iPhone or iPad

Open Settings and tap your name at the top. Select Family Sharing, then tap Set Up Your Family. You will see a screen asking you to confirm your Apple ID and payment method — this is the account that will be charged for the shared subscription. Tap Continue.

Next, you will see an option to add family members. Tap Add Family Member and choose whether to invite someone with an existing Apple ID or create a new one for a child. If you are inviting an adult, enter their email address or phone number and they will receive an invitation they must accept. If you are creating a child account, you will set a name, birthday, and security questions. Once you finish, Family Sharing is active and your family members can start using Apple TV on their own devices.

How to set up Family Sharing on Apple TV (the box)

On your Apple TV device, go to Settings and select Users and Accounts. Choose Family Sharing and select Set Up Your Family. Sign in with the Apple ID that owns your Apple TV subscription. The device will ask for your payment method to confirm — this is normal and does not charge you again.

After setup, go back to Users and Accounts and select Add Family Member. Enter the email address or phone number of the person you want to invite. They will receive a notification on their Apple device asking them to accept. Once they do, they can switch to their own profile on the Apple TV box and watch their own content.

Inviting family members and managing who watches what

When you invite someone, they receive a notification on their iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. They must accept the invitation within 30 days or it expires. Once they accept, they are part of your Family Sharing group and can watch Apple TV on any of their devices.

You can set different content restrictions for each family member. In Family Sharing settings, select the person's name and choose Parental Controls. You can restrict movies and TV shows by age rating — for example, allowing a child to watch only content rated TV-Y or TV-Y7. You can also prevent purchases without your permission. These controls explore across all shared content, not just Apple TV.

Removing someone from Family Sharing

If you need to remove a family member, open Settings, tap your name, and select Family Sharing. Find the person you want to remove and tap their name. Select Remove from Family, then confirm. They will lose access to Apple TV and all other shared purchases within a few minutes.

The person you remove will not lose their own purchases — apps or music they bought with their own Apple ID stay on their devices. But anything they were using through your Family Sharing subscription will no longer work.

What happens when someone leaves or you cancel Family Sharing

If a family member removes themselves from your Family Sharing group, they keep their own Apple ID and any purchases they made with it. They will no longer see shared content, including Apple TV, on their devices.

If you cancel Family Sharing entirely, all family members are removed and lose access to shared content. You can turn Family Sharing back on later, but you will need to re-invite everyone. Your own Apple TV subscription continues — canceling Family Sharing does not cancel your Apple TV service.

Troubleshooting common problems

If someone does not receive an invitation, check that you entered their email address or phone number correctly. Invitations expire after 30 days, so if they do not accept in time, you will need to send another one. Ask them to check their email spam folder or the Notifications tab on their Apple device.

If a family member can see Apple TV in the App Store but cannot watch, they may not have accepted the Family Sharing invitation yet. Have them check their notifications or email. If they accepted but still cannot watch, sign them out of their Apple ID on their device, wait 30 seconds, and sign them back in. If the problem continues, restart the device.

If you are trying to add someone and get an error message, make sure your payment method is current and valid. Family Sharing requires an active payment method on file, even if you are not being charged. If your payment method is expired, update it in Settings before trying to add family members again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than six people in Family Sharing?

No, Family Sharing is limited to six people total, including the account owner. If you need to add a seventh person, you will need to remove someone first or create a separate Family Sharing group with a different Apple ID.

Do family members need their own Apple ID?

Yes, each family member needs their own Apple ID to join Family Sharing. If someone does not have one, you can create a child account for them during the Family Sharing setup process, or they can create their own at appleid.apple.com.

Can I see what my family members are watching?

You can see who is in your Family Sharing group and manage their content restrictions, but you cannot see their individual watch history. Each person's viewing history is private to their own account.

What if someone in my family has their own Apple TV subscription?

They can keep their own subscription and use it on their devices. When they are signed into Family Sharing, they will see both their own subscription and the shared one. They can choose which to use when they open the Apple TV app.

Does Family Sharing work across different countries?

Family Sharing works best when all members are in the same country, because content availability and pricing vary by region. If family members are in different countries, they may see different shows and movies, and some content may not be available to them.