App Store Listings Gain Family Sharing Info Ahead of iOS 8 Launch

Apps in the iOS and Mac App Stores have begun displaying details on Family Sharing, letting users know whether or not the feature is enabled for specific apps ahead of the launch of iOS 8 and Yosemite.

A new Family Sharing listing has appeared in the Information section for each app, as noted by German site iFun.de [Google Translate]. For developers that have turned on Family Sharing, the section displays a "Yes" under the Family Sharing heading, while apps from developers that have opted not to allow Family Sharing or have yet to turn the setting on display "Not Available."

Certain apps, like Sketchbook Mobile display a "Yes" for purchases after a set date, indicating that developers have the option to only allow Family Sharing for new purchases.

familysharing
First announced during June's Worldwide Developers Conference, Family Sharing for iOS 8 and Yosemite lets families of up to six people share content like apps, iBooks, music, movies, and more, across all of their iOS devices, provided their iTunes accounts use the same credit card. Family Sharing also lets families share photos, videos, a calendar, reminders, and more, to keep everyone in the family connected.

Though Family Sharing is not yet fully functional, Apple has made steps towards implementing the service throughout the iOS 8 and Yosemite beta testing period. Shortly after WWDC, Apple began asking developers to enable the feature in their apps.

Early iOS 8 betas saw the addition of Family Sharing in the iCloud section of the settings app, and iOS 8 beta 2 and an Apple TV beta laid significant groundwork for Family Sharing, adding a new section for "Family Purchases" to the iOS App Store's purchased tab and a new iCloud Family setting for the Apple TV.

Family Sharing is expected to be implemented and fully functional ahead of the public release of iOS 8, which will be available in September after the upcoming iPhone event.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

GeneralChang Avatar
135 months ago
I am ridiculously excited for this feature.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Parasprite Avatar
135 months ago
I feel like some people are going to harass developers about this, knocking off stars just because they don't allow it/have it set up.
Everything about this...

★★☆☆☆
"This app is one of the best on the App Store, I use it almost every day. However, a recent update moved a button I use from the top left corner to the top right corner and completely broke my workflow. Please fix it and I'll give you back your stars (I would rate it five if it wasn't for this inconvenience).

★★★☆☆
"i liek the app but if yiu could add the option to change windmow colour i woudl givem it five stars"

★☆☆☆☆
"I can't figure out how to make it default browser or open from Safari! FIX SOON OR I DELETE APP FOREVER!"

★★★★☆
"Hey I just found this in emoji! �������� LOL"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrazyForApple Avatar
135 months ago
Family sharing is a really nice feature though.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newagemac Avatar
135 months ago
One of the best new features of iOS8 in my opinion. And MacRumors might need to recheck their sources because it looks to me like Family Sharing is not optional for new apps submitted to the App Store. It's only optional if you want to also apply it to past purchases of your app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Agent OrangeZ Avatar
135 months ago
"Valid for purchases after June 13th, 2014."

And.... THAT is the money grab for devs. People who have already purchased apps a long time ago... will have to pay again to share with family?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
135 months ago
You could already share the same Apple ID for the App Store on multiple devices and use different Apple IDs for everything else. Most people I know are already doing this.
Yup. Hopefully that option doesn't go away in the future. I could see "Family Sharing" being a back door way for app developers - including Apple - to start tightening down on their apps being installed on multiple devices.

As to why I'm even entertaining that notion... I can't otherwise see why app developers should even have the option to not allow Family Sharing - yet they apparently do. It's not adding a new feature; it's simply making an something we can already do somewhat easier to manage. So why allow developers to opt out?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)