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To share eligible Apple TV movie purchases, create a Family Sharing group on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then turn on Purchase Sharing. Family members can find shared purchases in the Apple TV app under Library > Family Sharing. Apple’s guidance does not confirm that movie rentals are shared, so don’t assume a rental will be available to other members.
What Family Sharing shares—and what it doesn’t establish about rentals
Family Sharing lets people in a group access eligible purchases while each person uses their own Apple Account. An adult organizer creates the group and can invite up to five other people, for six members total. See Apple’s overview of how Family Sharing works.
Purchase Sharing is the setting for sharing eligible movie purchases. It is distinct from sharing an Apple TV subscription: subscription access and access to purchased movies are separate features, so turning on Purchase Sharing should not be taken as proof that a subscription is shared.
Apple’s iPhone guide lists rentals separately from purchases, and its Family Sharing guidance describes shared purchases without explicitly confirming that movie rentals are shared. Treat a rental as unavailable to other family members unless it appears in their own account. Apple’s Apple Vision Pro rental guidance says users have 30 days to start playback and 48 hours to finish after playback begins; that timing is specific to Vision Pro guidance, not a universal rule for every platform.
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Set up Family Sharing and Purchase Sharing
- Create the family group: On the organizer’s iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap their name, then tap Family > Continue and follow the onscreen steps. Apple also supports setup on a Mac. The organizer must be an adult and invites family members. Follow Apple’s Family Sharing setup instructions.
- Enable Purchase Sharing: On the organizer’s iPhone, open Settings > Family > Purchase Sharing and follow the prompts. The organizer needs a valid payment method. They pay for family purchases unless a member adds their own payment method. See Apple’s purchase-sharing instructions.
- Keep accounts individual: Each person uses their own Apple Account; there is no need to share account credentials. Eligible shared content appears in the Purchased area of Apple services.
Find a family member’s movie purchases
On iPhone or iPad
- Open the Apple TV app.
- Tap Library > Family Sharing.
- Select the family member whose collection you want to view.
- Choose an eligible item and download it if you want to watch it offline.
Apple documents this route for finding family purchases in its guide to content purchased by family members.
On Apple TV 4K or a supported TV or streaming device
Open the Apple TV app, go to Library > Family Sharing, then select a family member to view that person’s collection. Apple describes this in its guides for Family Sharing on Apple TV 4K and viewing the Apple TV app library.
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If a shared purchase is missing
- Confirm that the organizer has turned on Purchase Sharing.
- Check that the Apple Account used for Media & Purchases is the same account used for Family Sharing.
- Confirm that the item is eligible to share and has not been hidden. Some content may require a supported operating system or device.
- Check that family members’ Apple Accounts use the same country or region. Availability and eligibility can vary.
Apple’s troubleshooting guide for missing shared apps and content covers account and content checks.
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Apple TV setup limits and family-group restrictions
Family Sharing is not configured on Apple TV 4K. Set it up first on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad; Apple explicitly notes, “You can’t initiate or configure Family Sharing directly on Apple TV 4K.” Family Sharing is also different from having multiple profiles on Apple TV 4K.
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A person can belong to only one Family Sharing group at a time and can switch groups only once per year. If someone cannot accept an invitation, check whether they already belong to another group. For a child’s purchases, the organizer can enable Ask to Buy to require approval.
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