Implement Apple Family Sharing in Your iOS App

Family Sharing is a feature on Apple platforms that enables users to share digital purchases, such as movies, books, and apps, with family members. Initially limited to whole app purchases, Family Sharing expanded in December 2020 to include in-app purchases and subscriptions, allowing users to share these with up to six family members. This feature can enhance user engagement and retention by maximizing the value of subscriptions within a family and fostering customer loyalty through perceived added value, potentially leading to organic growth and improved app store optimization. However, it comes with challenges such as potential revenue impact due to fewer subscriptions per family and limited cross-country availability. Once enabled in App Store Connect, Family Sharing for a product cannot be turned off, making it a crucial strategic decision. Developers must ensure their apps support Family Sharing by observing transaction queues to manage access and calculating revenue accurately, while also providing clear communication about the benefits of shared purchases to users. Though testing this feature in a Sandbox environment is limited, RevenueCat customers can automatically support Family Sharing through the platform's analytics and entitlements features.