Deciding to leave an Apple Family Plan can impact your access to shared services and features. Once you leave, your Apple ID is detached from the family group, resulting in immediate changes to your digital life. Understanding these changes is crucial before making the decision to leave.
One of the primary consequences is losing access to services shared within the family. This commonly includes an Apple Music family membership, meaning you’ll no longer be able to enjoy Apple Music through the family plan. Similarly, if the family shared an iCloud storage plan, your access to that shared storage will cease. You’ll revert to your own iCloud storage plan, which might be the free tier if you don’t have a personal subscription. Location sharing, a convenient feature of Family Sharing, will also stop, and your devices will be removed from the family’s Find My iPhone list.
Furthermore, leaving the Apple Family Plan affects shared purchases. If your family shares iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases, you will immediately stop sharing your purchases with them and lose access to theirs. It’s important to note that content already downloaded to your device that was shared by the family isn’t automatically removed. However, accessing DRM-protected music, movies, TV shows, books, or apps previously downloaded from family members will no longer be possible. Conversely, family members will also lose access to any DRM content downloaded from your collection. For apps downloaded from a family member’s purchase history where you’ve made in-app purchases, you’ll need to purchase the app yourself to retain access to those in-app purchases after leaving the family plan.
Subscriptions are another key aspect to consider. While you keep any purchases you made while part of the family, ongoing subscriptions managed and paid for by the family organizer will need to be taken over by you. Ensure you have a valid payment method added to your Apple ID to continue these subscriptions without interruption.
Finally, shared communication and organization tools are affected. Shared photo albums, calendars, and reminders with family members will no longer be shared when you leave the plan. If you wish to retain Family Sharing but not share specific items like photos or calendars, you can adjust these settings within the respective apps or on iCloud.com instead of leaving the entire family plan.
In summary, leaving an Apple Family Plan has several immediate effects, primarily concerning shared services, purchases, and data access. Carefully consider these implications to ensure a smooth transition and avoid losing access to important services and content.
