I have a subscription to Paramount + but when I signed into my iCloud account on my wife’s MacBook, I was charged for an episode of Castle that should have been covered by my account. How can I avoid this in future?
MacBook Air (M3, 2024)
Apple Family Sharing is not available for many third party streaming services; same for Paramount+ through the Paramount+ app. (For some services, Family Sharing requires changing the subscription plan to a higher tier.)
As Mac doesn’t have an Paramount+ app, you would be using web access instead — but only if you subscribed with Paramount+ directly. Paramount+ app subscriptions can be billed through Apple (through your Apple ID), or can be billed through Paramount+ directly, depending on how you signed up.
Apple Family Sharing should be available for Apple TV app in-app Channels. Such would list as “[service X] tv channel” in your subscriptions overview. Access the in-app Channels through the listed activated/added channels in the sidebar of the TV app on Mac. “Connected apps” do not apply to the Mac edition of the TV app; that only applies to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV box, where those separate apps are available.
Finding TV shows through Search may lead to the Store (buy) version instead.
I can’t check if Paramount+ offers their service as in-app channel in the UK at this time.
How can I avoid this in future?
When the app prompts you to pay for content, and you agree to that, then expect the resulting billing. Not sure why you expected a different outcome. In-app channels that are shared wouldn’t prompt you for a payment.
Apple Family Sharing is not available for many third party streaming services; same for Paramount+ through the Paramount+ app. (For some services, Family Sharing requires changing the subscription plan to a higher tier.)
As Mac doesn’t have an Paramount+ app, you would be using web access instead — but only if you subscribed with Paramount+ directly. Paramount+ app subscriptions can be billed through Apple (through your Apple ID), or can be billed through Paramount+ directly, depending on how you signed up.
Apple Family Sharing should be available for Apple TV app in-app Channels. Such would list as “[service X] tv channel” in your subscriptions overview. Access the in-app Channels through the listed activated/added channels in the sidebar of the TV app on Mac. “Connected apps” do not apply to the Mac edition of the TV app; that only applies to iPhone, iPad, Apple TV box, where those separate apps are available.
Finding TV shows through Search may lead to the Store (buy) version instead.
I can’t check if Paramount+ offers their service as in-app channel in the UK at this time.
How can I avoid this in future?
When the app prompts you to pay for content, and you agree to that, then expect the resulting billing. Not sure why you expected a different outcome. In-app channels that are shared wouldn’t prompt you for a payment.
Don’t buy episodes of tv shows.
Stream them through the service they are available from.
Also, Family sharing has nothing to do with non-Apple services like Paramount+.
Castle is available through Hulu, which also isn’t available in family sharing.
Thanks, but I’m in the UK. Most of what I want to watch isn’t available to stream. Hulu isn’t available here. According to Paramount, family sharing is supposed to work. It doesn’t.
It’s an in-app channel, but I’m finding your confrontational replies unhelpful, so I’ve lost interest.
Charged for a show shared on Family Sharing
