how to share family storage

Share a storage plan with your existing family

If you already use Family Sharing, you can set up shared storage for your existing family members from your device Settings or System Preferences.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Go to Settings > [your name].
2. Tap Family Sharing.
3. Tap iCloud Storage.
4. Follow the steps to share your existing plan, or if necessary, upgrade to a 200GB or 2TB plan.
5. Use Messages to let any family members with an existing paid storage plan know that they can now switch to your shared storage plan.

On your Mac

1. If necessary, upgrade to a 200GB or 2TB storage plan.
2. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing. 
3. Click iCloud Storage. 
4. Click Share. 
5. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If you’re using macOS Mojave or earlier:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
2. Click Manage Family.
3. Go to My Apps & Services.
4. Choose iCloud Storage.
5. Click Start Sharing.
6. Click Done.

If a family member already has an iCloud storage plan, learn what to do. 

Set up a new family and share a storage plan

Not using Family Sharing yet? No problem. You can choose to share your iCloud storage when you first set up Family Sharing.

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

1. Go to Settings > [your name].
2. Tap Set Up Family Sharing, then tap Get Started.
3. Choose iCloud Storage as the first feature to share with your family.
4. If necessary, upgrade to a 200GB or 2TB storage plan.
5. When prompted, use Messages to invite up to five additional people to join your family and share your storage plan.

On your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing.
2. Click iCloud Storage. 
3. Click Share.

If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
2. Click Manage in the lower-right corner.
3. Click Change Storage Plan.
4. Upgrade to a 200GB or 2TB storage plan.
5. Go back to your iCloud preferences and click Set Up Family. Follow the onscreen instructions.
6. When you're done, go to the My Apps & Services tab and choose iCloud Storage.
7. Click Start Sharing.

If a family member already has an iCloud storage plan, learn what to do. 

Manage your family's iCloud storage

Use the steps below to see how much storage your family is using and upgrade if you need more. 

If your family is low on iCloud storage, all members get a notification. Then the family organizer or family member that purchased the plan can buy more—up to 2TB—at any time.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Go to Settings > [your name].
2. Tap Family Sharing.
3. Tap iCloud Storage.

On your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing.  
2. Click iCloud Storage.

If you’re using macOS Mojave or earlier:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
2. Click Manage Family.
3. Go to My Apps & Services.
4. Choose iCloud Storage.

If you need help

To share your storage plan, you need iOS 11 or later, iPadOS, or macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later. For the best experience, make sure your family members' devices meet these requirements, too. 

If you already had an iCloud storage plan

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.

Follow these steps to switch to the shared family plan on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Go to Settings > [your name].
2. Tap Family Sharing, then tap iCloud Storage.
3. Tap Use Family Storage. 

Follow these steps to switch to the shared family plan on a Mac:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Family Sharing.  
2. Click iCloud Storage.
3. Click Use Family Storage. 

If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier:

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
2. Click Manage Family. 
3. Go to My Apps & Services. 
4. Click Use Family Storage. 

If your family stops sharing storage or you leave Family Sharing

If you leave a family that shares an iCloud storage plan and you're using more than 5GB of storage, you can buy your own plan to continue using iCloud storage.

If you choose not to buy your own plan and the content that you’re storing in iCloud exceeds your available storage, new photos and videos won’t upload to iCloud Photos, files will no longer upload in iCloud Drive, and your iOS devices will stop backing up.

Learn more

• With Apple One, you can bundle your iCloud storage with Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and more for a low monthly price. Learn how to get Apple One.
• If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, just buy more storage or make space available.
• Learn about iCloud storage prices in your region.