Apple brings many helpful features to Apple users often. One such feature is Family Sharing. If you want to share access to Apple services such as iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+ and Apple Arcade with your family members, you can make use of the Family Sharing feature. It allows you to share apps and view privileges with five other persons in your family. Further, family sharing lets you do a lot when it comes to custom settings on your user profile, program recommendations, and watch history, giving everyone a unique experience. One person can be a family organizer, and he/she can invite other family members to join the group. Family Sharing works across all your Apple devices. You shall read this article for a detailed procedure on setting up family sharing on Apple TV.
Remember, you cannot initiate Family Sharing directly on Apple TV. Rather, you have to do that on your iPhone, iPad, and on Mac. This way you shall add multiple users on Apple TV and provide them access to different services.
How to Start a Family Group
Family Sharing works in such a way that one person in the family can set up Family Sharing for the entire family from iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. By accepting the invitation, the family members agree to pay for any iTunes and App Store purchases made by any family member.
From your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch
1. On your iOS device, open Settings, and tap on your name.
2. Under that, select Family Sharing and then Set Up Your Family.
3. Further, follow the on-screen instructions to set up and invite your family.
From your Mac
1. Select the Apple menu and tap the System Preferences option.
2. From that, click on Family Sharing.
3. Next, confirm the Apple ID you want to use for family sharing and select the Share My Purchases option.
4. Further, follow the on-screen instructions.
If you use macOS Mojave or an earlier version,
1. Go to Apple menu >> System Preferences and tap iCloud.
2. Confirm your Apple ID and choose the Share My Purchases option.
3. Finally, follow the on-screen instructions.
How to Invite Family Members to Join Your Family
On your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch
1. Open the Settings app on iOS, and tap your name.
2. Next, choose Family Sharing and then Add Member.
3. Provide your family member’s name or email address and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Then, select how you want to send an invitation through Message or invite them in person and follow the on-screen instructions.
On your Mac
1. Select Apple menu and System Preferences.
2. Choose Family Sharing and tap Add Family Member and follow the instructions.
If you are using macOS Mojave or an earlier version,
1. Choose the Apple menu and System Preferences.
2. Under that, select iCloud and then Manage Family.
3. Tap + icon to add a family member and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: If there are multiple Apple IDs in the iTunes Store and App Store, invite each account to the group. So, you can share purchases from other Apple IDs with your family.
How to See If the Family Member Accepted the Invitation
On your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch
1. On the Settings app. Tap on your profile name and then Family Sharing.
2. Now, select the person’s name to see the invitation. If you want to resend the invitation, tap Resend Invitation.
On your Mac
1. Tap the Apple menu and System Preferences and select Family Sharing.
2. Choose the person’s name to see the status. If you want to resend, tap Resend Invitation.
- If you have macOS Mojave, go to the Apple menu >> System Preferences >> iCloud >> Manage Family and select the person’s name to see the status.
How to Join a Family Group
Once the other family members receive the invitation, they can accept or decline the invitation. Let’s see how to join a family group in this section.
On Your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch
1. Go to Settings and tap your name.
2. Under that, choose Invitations.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to accept the invitation. When you join a family, you will be asked to confirm your account information.
On your Mac
Go to the Apple menu >> System Preferences and click Family Sharing on your Mac. If you are using macOS Mojave or earlier select the Apple menu >> System Preferences >> iCloud and click Manage Family. And follow the instructions to accept the invitation.
Note: You can join only one family at a time, and you can switch to a different family group once per year. If you are unable to accept the invitation, check whether someone else joined a family with your Apple ID.
How to Share Apple TV with Family
1. On Apple TV, select iTunes Movies, iTunes TV Shows, or App Store app.
2. Tap the Purchased option.
3. Then, choose Family Sharing.
4. Select a Family Member to see their content.
5. Further, select the family member’s shared movies, TV shows, and apps.
Note: You cannot share music on Apple TV.
Family Sharing Not Working on Apple TV
When Family Sharing is not working on Apple TV, first check your settings and inform your family members to check their settings. You should ensure that all the family members use the same Apple ID for Family Sharing and Purchases. And Purchasing Sharing must be enabled too. You can check the settings on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac. Here are the steps.
On your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch
1. Open the Settings app, and choose your name.
2. Under that, select Family Sharing and tap your name.
3. Note down the Apple ID that is used. You may need that to Sign in later.
4. Now, go back to the Family Sharing to select Purchase Sharing and turn on the Share Purchases with Family option.
5. Again, return and select Apple ID and then Media & Purchases.
6. Further, choose View Account.
7. Now, Sign in with the same Apple ID you have used for Family Sharing.
On your Mac
1. Tap the Apple menu and go to System Preferences >> Family Sharing.
2. Choose the Purchase Sharing option and note down the Apple ID that is used.
3. Ensure that Share My Purchases is enabled and launch the App Store.
4. From there, select Store >> View My Account.
5. Then, tap View Information.
6. Now, check whether the same Apple ID is used for Family Sharing.
It will be the best solution to rectify your problem. If the problem persists still, you can use the other fixes given below.
Sign Out of Media & Purchases and Sign In with the Apple ID used for Family Sharing
You must sign in to all the Apple services with the same Apple ID for Family Sharing. You are needless to sign out from other services which use your Apple ID.
On your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch
1. Go to Settings and select your name.
2. Choose Media & Purchases and tap the Sign Out option.
3. Once again, select Media & Purchases and choose Not [your name] and sign in with the Apple ID which you use for Family Sharing.
On your Mac
1. Open the App Store, select Store from the menu bar, and tap Sign Out.
2. Again, select Store and then Sign In.
3. Now, Sign in with the same Apple ID that is used for Family Sharing.
On Apple TV
1. Launch the Settings app, and select Users & Account >> tap your name.
2. Choose Store and tap Sign Out and then Sign In.
3. Enter the Apple ID credentials that you used for Family Sharing.
Check whether the App is Sharable
Some apps may not be applicable for Family Sharing. So first, you have to check the availability of the apps for Family Sharing.
1. Go to the App Store and select the App that you want to use for Family Sharing.
2. Move to the Supports section and ensure that Family Sharing is listed.
Other Solutions
If any family member is hiding any one of their purchases, other family members cannot access it. So, ask them to unhide the purchase.
Finally, check the system requirements on the device you use. Your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch should run on iOS 8 or later, and Mac should have OS X Yosemite or later. Family Sharing will now work on old devices.
That was all about sharing Apple TV with Family Sharing. In this article, you have learned to share Apple TV with your family and loved ones. With Family Sharing, you share Apple Books and Apple subscription, App Store purchases, and a family photo album. Furthermore, you can also help locate each other’s missing devices.
Frequently Asked Question
Family Sharing does not cost any money. However, you should have a valid subscription plan to share the paid services.
Yes. You can set up Family Sharing to share Apple TV+.
Open the Apple TV app to choose Library and select Family Sharing. Choose your family member, and you can see their shared movies and TV shows.