When you try to ask the organizer to make a purchase you might see one of these messages:
- "Unable to Ask Permission. You can’t ask permission, because you have signed in with iCloud and iTunes accounts that are not associated with each other."
- "Unable to Ask Permission. To ask permission for this item, you must finish setting up Family Sharing in iCloud."
- "Unable to Ask Permission. To ask permission for this item, you must finish setting up Family Sharing on a supported device or computer."
Make sure that you're signed in to the iTunes Store using the same Apple ID that you selected for sharing content with your family.
To check which Apple ID you selected for Family Sharing on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > iCloud > Family and tap your name. Then go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and make sure that you're using the same Apple ID in the iTunes Store.
To check which Apple ID you selected for Family Sharing on your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud > Manage Family, then click your name. Then open iTunes, go to the Store, and make sure that you’re using the same Apple ID in the iTunes Store.
Even if your iCloud account has Family Sharing and Ask to Buy enabled, you might need to finish setting up Family Sharing or confirm your iTunes Store account.
You can select Set Up in the "Unable to Ask Permission" message, or you can confirm your account on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac:
- In iOS 8, go to Settings > iCloud > Family and tap your name. If you see Confirm Account under Family Purchases, tap it and follow the onscreen instructions.
- In OS X Yosemite, go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud > Manage Family and click your name. If you see a Confirm button, click it and follow the onscreen instructions.
iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are required to set up or join a Family Sharing group and are recommended for full functionality. When you try to initiate a purchase on an unsupported device, you'll still be asked to request permission. However, you won't get a notification when the family organizer makes or declines the request. If the family organizer makes the purchase and your content doesn't download automatically, you can tap the price again to download the item.
If you're asked to finish setting up Family Sharing from a supported device, use an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that's using iOS 8 or a Mac using OS X Yosemite, then follow the above steps. You can use these steps to update to the latest version of iOS.
You can't initiate purchases for these items if Ask To Buy is enabled for your account:
- iTunes Match
- iTunes Gifts
- iTunes Allowances
- In-App Purchases on Apple TV
- iMixes playlists
- Donations
If you try to request one of the above items, you might see one of these messages:
- "Unable to Ask Permission. Ask to Buy isn't available for this item."
- "Unable to Send iTunes Gifts. This iTunes account is not currently allowed to send gifts."
Family Sharing requires a personal Apple ID signed in to iCloud and iTunes. Music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers. Not all content is eligible for Family Sharing. Content can be hidden by family members; hidden content is not available for download. Content downloaded from family members or acquired via redemption codes is not subject to Ask to Buy.