You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

What happens to data stored in iCloud storage if you switch from your own storage to shared family storage?

If a family member with their own, pre-existing iCloud storage is added to the shared family storage, are the contents of the previous individual storage copied to the shared family storage?

Posted on Dec 15, 2019 10:40 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 15, 2019 10:46 AM

Think of it as a shared billing arrangement; they still have their own private storage and access it the same way as they always have. See the following from Share an iCloud storage plan with your family - Apple Support


When you share a storage plan, your photos and documents stay private and everyone keeps using their own accounts with iCloud—just like when you have your own storage plan. You simply share the space available in the iCloud storage plan with your family members, so you only have one plan to manage.]

and

When you share your iCloud storage, any family members using the free 5GB plan are added to your family plan automatically.


If a family member is already paying for their own iCloud storage plan, they can choose to switch to your plan or keep their own and still remain part of the family. When they switch to the shared family plan, they get a refund for the remainder of their personal plan. They can't keep their current plan and use the shared family plan at the same time.




1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 15, 2019 10:46 AM in response to drdreric17

Think of it as a shared billing arrangement; they still have their own private storage and access it the same way as they always have. See the following from Share an iCloud storage plan with your family - Apple Support


When you share a storage plan, your photos and documents stay private and everyone keeps using their own accounts with iCloud—just like when you have your own storage plan. You simply share the space available in the iCloud storage plan with your family members, so you only have one plan to manage.]

and

When you share your iCloud storage, any family members using the free 5GB plan are added to your family plan automatically.


If a family member is already paying for their own iCloud storage plan, they can choose to switch to your plan or keep their own and still remain part of the family. When they switch to the shared family plan, they get a refund for the remainder of their personal plan. They can't keep their current plan and use the shared family plan at the same time.




What happens to data stored in iCloud storage if you switch from your own storage to shared family storage?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.