Google Play adds family sharing

Families are now able to share apps across their various accounts.

Google has announced a new Google Play feature called Family Library that allows up to six people to share purchases across all of their devices. The UK is among the first 12 countries included in the initial rollout, as are the US, France, Germany, Japan, Ireland, Italy and Australia.

A Family account can also register a single payment option so everything is purchased from the same source, although individual payments are still supported. Parents are able to vet the purchases of younger account holders, while all buyers can choose whether or not to share content at the time of purchase.

Apps, games, movies, TV shows and books are all eligible for sharing across Android devices, while video content and books can also be accessed via the web and iOS.

Once registered all purchases from point forward are covered by the functionality. It’s not as straightforward for past purchases, however, with inclusion dependent on partner opt-ins.

For families like mine, who bond over shared entertainment, we’re introducing Family Library, a way for up to six family members to share purchases on Google Play,” Google Play product manager Raj Iyengar said. When you buy an eligible app, game, movie, TV show, or book in the Play Store, you can now share it with your family – across devices – with no additional sign-up fee.”