Parental Review of Apple Family Sharing and Alternatives When It’s Not Working

The Apple Family Sharing is one of the highly sought-after parental tools that gives parents the opportunity to monitor and gain control of their child’s digital life on iOS devices. With Family Sharing, parents can review content and download histories from the App Store and iTunes Store, check recent activity on iCloud, and even locate devices with Find My iPhone.

Yet, despite its popularity, Apple Family Sharing has its limitations, notably its inability to discreetly track a child’s phone. Consequently, parents seeking comprehensive oversight may find themselves wanting, particularly if they wish to clandestinely monitor their child’s whereabouts, messages, or app usage.

In situations necessitating surreptitious tracking, a viable alternative exists in the form of third-party tracking solutions. These solutions empower parents to monitor nearly every aspect of their child’s digital activity without their awareness. Read further to find such Family Sharing alternatives or read their review in our HeyLocate blog.

What Is Apple Family Sharing

Apple Family Sharing is an innovative way for families to easily access and share content with each other. From apps and games to music, movies, and books, family members can access one another’s content on their devices, all without needing separate accounts or logins.

With just a few clicks, everyone in the family has the same range of apps, films, books even audiobooks at their fingertips. Plus, parents have the peace of mind that comes with knowing what their children can access and when.

How Does Family Sharing Work

Family Sharing offers a range of functionalities that make it easier for family members to share digital content, manage subscriptions, and exercise parental control over their children’s device usage. Here’s how family sharing works.

1. Setting Up a Family
   One family member acts as the organizer. This individual creates a family group and becomes the administrator of the group. The organizer’s Apple ID is typically used to pay for shared app store purchases and subscriptions.
2. Inviting Family Members
   The organizer sends out invitations to other family members through their email addresses. These invitations can also be sent directly from device settings. Once invited, family members can accept the invitation to join the family group.
   
3. Sharing Purchases
   With Family Sharing in place, family members can share their purchases from various Apple services. This includes sharing apps, music, movies, TV shows, books, and more from the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, and Apple TV. This sharing allows family members to access these items without needing to make individual purchases.
   
4. Shared iCloud Storage
   Another significant feature of Family Sharing is the ability to share an iCloud storage plan. This simplifies the process of storing and sharing photos, videos, documents, and other data across all family members’ devices.
   
5. Parental Controls with Screen Time
   For families with children, Apple Family Sharing offers powerful family sharing parental controls option through Screen Time. Parents can set app usage limits, schedule screen downtime, filter web content, and monitor their children’s app and website activity.
   
6. Location Sharing
   Apple family location sharing includes the “Find My” app, which allows family members to share their locations with each other. This can be valuable for parents who want to keep track of their children’s whereabouts or for locating missing devices.
   
7. Shared Subscriptions
   Certain subscriptions, such as Apple Music’s Family plan, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+, can be shared among family members. Each family member maintains their individual account while sharing the subscription cost.
   

How to Set Up Apple Family Sharing

To set up Apple Family Sharing, you first need to designate an organizer and then follow these steps:

1. On the organizer’s iOS or iPadOS device, go to “Settings.”
2. Tap on the Apple ID at the top, select “Family Sharing,” and tap “Get Started.”
3. Tap on the + sign to “Invite Family Members”.
4. Confirm payment method and decide what to share (in app purchases, iCloud storage, etc.).
5. Set parental controls if needed, such as “Ask to Buy” for children.
6. Set up a family calendar.
7. Decide on sharing subscriptions like Apple Music.
8. Review and confirm settings, then invitations are sent.
9. Family members accept invitations to join the family group.

iCloud Family Sharing

iCloud Family Sharing is a valuable service offered by Apple that simplifies resource sharing and enhances parental control within a family, particularly between parents and their children. Here are its key features:

• iCloud storage family sharing
  Parents and kids can collectively share a single iCloud storage plan. This eliminates the need for individual storage plans and enables parents to manage and access photos, videos, documents, and data conveniently. It’s an efficient way to centralize family data while maintaining control.
• Shared Photos and Videos
  With the shared photos and videos feature, parents and kids can easily share and access photos and videos among themselves . This also serves as a central hub for preserving and sharing family memories, ensuring that parents can monitor what their children are capturing and sharing.
• Shared Calendars and Reminders
  The service includes a shared family calendar and shared Reminders lists, making it easier for parents to coordinate schedules, events, and tasks with their children. It facilitates effective parental oversight and helps keep everyone organized.
• Data Collaboration
  Parents and kids can collaborate on documents and files stored in iCloud Drive, which is ideal for schoolwork, shared projects, and documents that require access by both parents and children. This feature promotes collaborative learning and allows parents to guide their children’s online activities.
• Shared Purchases and Subscriptions
  iCloud Family Sharing extends to shared App Store purchases. Parents can control which apps, music, movies, and TV shows their children have access to without incurring additional costs. It also includes shared subscriptions like Apple Music and Apple TV+, allowing parents to manage entertainment choices.

Apple Family Sharing Cost

Apple Family Sharing itself is a free service provided by Apple. It does not incur any direct charges. However, there are associated costs that can come with using Family Sharing.

• Shared iCloud Storage
  You might choose to purchase a larger iCloud storage plan to accommodate the shared storage needs of your family. iCloud storage plans come with different capacities and corresponding costs, but this expense is optional and not directly related to using Family Sharing.
• Subscriptions
  Some services that can be shared among family members through Family Sharing include Apple Music’s Family plan, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+. These services need you to subscribe and pay additional subscription fees.
• App and Content Purchases
  Family Sharing allows you to share app and content purchases made from the App Store and iTunes Store at no additional cost. However, individual family members may still need to purchase apps, music, movies, or other content separately.

Apple Family Sharing Problems

Apple Family Sharing can experience several issues. The list of possible Apple family sharing problems and solutions is below.

1. Invitation Problems
   If invitations aren’t received or accepted, check email addresses for accuracy and resend invitations.
2. Content Sharing Issues
   Some content may not be shared; confirm eligibility and ensure sharing is enabled in Family Sharing settings.
3. Payment Method Troubles
   Organizer’s payment method issues can affect subscriptions; update payment info in Apple ID settings.
4. Location Sharing Errors
   Ensure location settings are enabled, and family members have accepted sharing requests.
5. Shared iCloud Storage Problems
   Insufficient storage can be resolved by upgrading the iCloud storage plan.
6. Parental control settings may not apply as expected
   Double-check Screen Time settings and restrictions.
7. Device Compatibility
   Some older devices may not support all Family Sharing features; check compatibility.
8. Technical Glitches
   For technical glitches with alerts like “Apple family sharing not working”. Keep devices and software up-to-date, and contact Apple Support if problems persist for personalized assistance.

Users’ Review of Family Sharing

Here are some reviews from users sharing their experiences with Apple Family Sharing.

This user appreciates Apple Family Sharing as a valuable tool that has enabled them to monitor their son’s app downloads effectively by utilizing the “Ask to Buy” feature within family sharing.

This user encountered an issue with Apple Family Sharing’s Shared Purchases and Subscriptions feature. Despite multiple attempts to share apps and subscriptions with his son, the purchased apps never became available to the son.

This user encountered two problems. Firstly, they purchased iCloud storage for their family, but couldn’t access it. Secondly, the “Ask to Buy” feature, enabled on their 12-year-old son’s account, failed to work as expected. Instead of sending an alert to the organizer (Dad) for purchase approval, it continually requested a credit card for transactions.

Apple Family Sharing vs. Parental Apps

The comparison of the features of Apple’s Family Sharing and third-party parental apps is in the table below.

Family Sharing Alternatives for Parental Control

There are many search queries like “Can Family Sharing see my messages?” or “Can Family Sharing see my pictures?”. Obviously, kids (or even partners) question the possibilities of the Family Sharing, or do they want to hide something? Then you need something more effective for parental control.

Use uMobix for Better Parental Control

uMobix is an advanced parental control service designed to provide parents with the features they need to ensure their child’s safety and responsible online behavior. With uMobix, you can stay informed and actively monitor your child’s activities discreetly and effectively.

I tried using uMobix to monitor my daughter’s iPad. To create an account on the uMobix website, I needed her Apple ID credentials and physical access to her iPad to install the uMobix app.

Once the installation was complete, I gained remote access to her device through the uMobix control panel, which I could conveniently access from any web browser. What I found particularly valuable about uMobix was its versatility. I could monitor her social media chats, browsing history, text messages and calls, ensuring that her communication with friends was safe and appropriate.

uMobix also allowed me to view multimedia files on her device, helping me identify any inappropriate photos or videos. The real-time location tracking feature allowed me to know her whereabouts, providing peace of mind when she was out with friends. All the monitoring was done discreetly and effectively, without my daughter being aware of it, which I appreciated as it preserved her privacy.

Try uMobix

Try mSpy for The Most Hidden Monitoring

When it comes to ensuring responsible online behavior of your child, mSpy is one of the top solution that offers comprehensive monitoring capabilities while remaining completely hidden. As a concerned parent, I decided to try mSpy to keep a discreet yet watchful eye on my child’s digital activities.

I visited the mSpy website, made the app purchase, and followed the installation instructions. All that was required was her iCloud credentials and screen password. However, it’s worth noting that for accessing some advanced monitoring features on an iOS device, jailbreaking the device may be necessary.

Once the installation was successfully completed, I gained seamless remote access to her device via the mSpy control panel, that was accessible from any web browser.

From mSpy dashboard, I could track her location, and monitor her text messages, call logs, browse history, application activities, mail and social media chats. Moreover, mSpy offered the flexibility to view screen recordings of her device’s activities, providing me with an even deeper understanding of her digital interactions.

Try mSpy

Conclusion

Family Sharing from Apple is a valuable tool for families looking to manage and share digital content within their household. It simplifies the process of accessing and distributing apps, media, and subscriptions among family members, while also offering essential parental control features through Screen Time and location sharing. However, it falls short in terms of discreet tracking and monitoring, which may be a concern for some parents.

When discreet monitoring and more comprehensive oversight are necessary, third-party tracking solutions like uMobix and mSpy can be useful. They offer a level of control and insight that goes beyond what Apple Family Sharing can provide. Besides, uMobix and mSpy work discreetly and allow children to use their devices and interact online without feeling like they are constantly under surveillance.