Family Sharing
Also known as: shared iCloud storage, iCloud family plan, share iCloud+ storage
Family Sharing lets up to six people share purchases, subscriptions, and an iCloud+ storage plan while keeping separate accounts. Shared iCloud+ storage is pooled across the family, but each person’s photos and files stay private and count toward the shared total.
- Up to six members share purchases and a storage plan
- iCloud+ storage is pooled; libraries stay private
- Managed in Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing
Shared iCloud+ storage
When a family uses iCloud+, the storage plan can be shared so everyone draws from one pool instead of each buying their own. You manage it under Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing, and the organizer can see how much each member is using.
Sharing the plan does not merge libraries — each member’s backups, iCloud Photos, and iCloud Drive remain private. It just means one large clog (a giant backup or photo library) can eat into everyone’s available space.
What is and isn’t shared
Family Sharing covers App Store purchases, an Apple One or iCloud+ plan, and subscriptions, plus features like Location Sharing and Screen Time. Personal data — messages, passwords, and individual photo libraries — stays separate and private to each Apple ID.