iPad 3rd Gen Family Sharing: Essential Guide

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iPad 3rd Gen Family Sharing: The Easiest Way to Share Apps, Media & More

Do you have an iPad 3rd Gen and want to share your purchases with your family? Setting up Family Sharing makes it super simple! You can share apps, music, movies, and even iCloud storage so everyone in your household can enjoy them without buying them again. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, step-by-step, to get your family connected seamlessly.

This guide is designed to make setting up Family Sharing on your iPad 3rd Gen a breeze. We know that sometimes tech can feel a little overwhelming, but we’re here to break it down into easy-to-follow steps. You’ll be sharing all your favorite content with loved ones in no time, creating a more connected and enjoyable digital experience for everyone.

iPad 3rd Gen Family Sharing: Essential Guide

Welcome to Tabletzoo! I’m Walter Moore, and I absolutely love helping people unlock the full potential of their tablets. Today, we’re diving into something truly wonderful for families: Family Sharing on the iPad 3rd Generation. If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to share that fantastic app you bought with your kids, or let your partner access your music library, Family Sharing is your answer. It’s like a digital bridge connecting your family’s Apple devices, making it effortless to share purchases and experiences.

The iPad 3rd Gen, while a classic, still has plenty of life left in it, and Family Sharing is a feature that really enhances its value for families. Forget about buying multiple copies of the same app or song! With our straightforward guide, you’ll learn how to set this up quickly and start enjoying the benefits together.

What is Family Sharing on iPad 3rd Gen?

At its heart, Family Sharing is a feature from Apple that allows you to share eligible purchases made on the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, and Apple TV app with up to five other family members. Think of it as a digital household where everyone benefits from the content bought by one person. This isn’t just about apps and media; it also extends to iCloud storage plans, allowing your family to pool their storage space.

The beauty of it is that each family member keeps their own Apple ID and personal space. So, while you’re sharing access to content, your photos, notes, and other personal data remain private to you. It’s a smart way to manage subscriptions, organize purchases, and keep everyone on the same page digitally.

Key Benefits of Using Family Sharing

  • Share App Purchases: Once someone in the family buys an app, everyone else can download it for free.
  • Share Music, Movies, and Books: Purchased movies, TV shows, music albums, and books from iTunes and Apple Books can be shared.
  • Shared iCloud Storage: If you have an iCloud+ plan (which includes more storage), you can share that storage with your family, so everyone has more space for their photos, documents, and backups.
  • Apple Services Sharing: Eligible subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+ can be shared with the family.
  • Purchase Sharing: Set up Ask to Buy, which requires a purchase request from children before any downloads or in-app purchases are made, giving parents oversight.
  • Screen Time Oversight: You can monitor and manage the screen time of your children’s devices.
  • Location Sharing: Easily find family members’ devices if they are lost or misplaced using various Apple services.

Setting Up Family Sharing on Your iPad 3rd Gen: Step-by-Step

Getting Family Sharing up and running on your iPad 3rd Gen is straightforward. You’ll need an Apple ID, and at least one family member needs to be the organizer (usually an adult). Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Ensure You Have the Basics in Order

  • Apple ID: Make sure you have an Apple ID. If you don’t, you can create one for free on your iPad or at appleid.apple.com.
  • iOS Version: While the iPad 3rd Gen can’t update to the latest iOS versions, Family Sharing is supported on iOS 8 and later. Ensure your iPad is updated to the latest compatible version for its hardware. You can check this in Settings > General > Software Update.
  • Payment Method: A valid payment method (like a credit or debit card) must be on file with your Apple ID. This is required for the organizer, even if you’re not planning on making new purchases, and it’s essential for features like Ask to Buy to work smoothly.

Step 2: Start the Family Sharing Setup

On your iPad 3rd Gen:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap your [Your Name] at the very top.
  3. Scroll down and tap Set Up Family Sharing.

Step 3: Invite Family Members

Once you tap “Set Up Family Sharing,” you’ll be guided through a few screens. The first thing you’ll do is confirm your role as the organizer.

Inviting by Person:

  1. On the Family Sharing setup screen, tap Continue.
  2. You’ll see your Apple ID listed. This is the account that will be used for purchase sharing.
  3. Tap Invite Someone.
  4. You can choose to invite people via iMessage or email. Enter the Apple ID email address of the family member you wish to invite.
  5. Follow the on-screen prompts to send the invitation.

Inviting by Device (if applicable):

Sometimes, if a family member is signed into your iPad with their Apple ID, you might be prompted to invite them directly from that device.

Step 4: Accepting the Invitation

The family member you invited will receive an invitation via iMessage or email. They need to accept it.

  1. They should open the invitation on their own Apple device (iPhone, iPad, or Mac).
  2. They’ll be asked to join your family group.
  3. If they have a payment method on file, they’ll be prompted to confirm it for sharing purchases.
  4. Once accepted, they’ll appear in your Family Sharing group.

Step 5: Configure Purchase Sharing

This is the core of sharing apps and media. Make sure this is enabled:

  1. Go back to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing.
  2. Tap Purchase Sharing.
  3. Ensure the toggle for Share Purchases is turned ON (it will be green).

Important Note: Only the organizer needs to have Purchase Sharing enabled. Once enabled, all eligible past and future purchases from that Apple ID can be shared.

Step 6: Setting Up Ask to Buy for Children

This is a crucial feature for managing kids’ spending. If you’re adding children under 13 (or the age of consent in your region) to your Family Sharing group, Ask to Buy is automatically enabled. For older children, you can enable it manually.

  1. In Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tap on the child’s name.
  2. Tap Ask to Buy.
  3. Toggle it ON.

When enabled, any purchase request initiated by the child will be sent to the organizer’s Apple ID for approval. They can approve or decline requests directly from their device. For more information on Apple’s age requirements, check out Apple’s official support page on child accounts.

Managing Your Family Sharing Group

Once your family is set up, you can manage the group easily from your iPad 3rd Gen.

Adding or Removing Members

To Add: Follow Step 3 again. Tap Invite Someone and enter their Apple ID.

To Remove:

  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing.
  2. Tap the name of the family member you wish to remove.
  3. Scroll down and tap Remove [Family Member’s Name] from Family.

Note: You cannot remove someone who is the head of a Family Sharing group. If you want to stop organizing, you’ll need to turn off Family Sharing or transfer ownership to another adult.

Managing Child Accounts

For children in your Family Sharing group:

  • You can set up their Apple ID if they don’t have one.
  • You can manage their Screen Time settings, including app limits and downtime.
  • You can approve or decline their Ask to Buy requests.

Changing Your Purchase Sharing Settings

If you ever need to update which Apple ID is sharing purchases, you can do so by tapping Purchase Sharing within the Family Sharing settings.

How Your Family Accesses Shared Content

This is where the magic happens! Once Family Sharing is set up and Purchase Sharing is enabled, here’s how family members access shared items:

Accessing Shared Apps

  1. Open the App Store on their iPad.
  2. Tap their profile icon in the top right corner.
  3. They will see a list of their own purchased apps and the purchased apps of family members. They can filter this by tapping Not on This iPad or by looking for the name associated with the purchase.
  4. Tap the cloud icon next to any shared app to download it for free.

Accessing Shared Music, Movies, and Books

  • Music: Open the Music app. Shared music will appear in their library, often under a “Shared” section or by looking at purchased albums.
  • Movies & TV Shows: Open the TV app. Shared purchases can be found in the Library tab, under “Purchased.”
  • Books: Open the Books app. Shared books will appear in their Library, usually tagged with the name of the family member who made the original purchase and can be downloaded.

Note: Not all content is shareable. This typically includes music purchased before iTunes Match was introduced, or certain subscription content that is tied to an individual account.

Sharing iCloud Storage

If your family needs more space for photos, videos, backups, and documents, sharing an iCloud+ plan is a fantastic solution. The organizer sets this up.

Setting Up iCloud Storage Sharing

  1. The organizer needs to have an iCloud+ plan (e.g., 200GB or 2TB).
  2. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing.
  3. Tap iCloud+.
  4. Tap Share iCloud+.
  5. Follow the prompts to share your plan.

Once shared, everyone in the family group will see their available iCloud storage increase. They can use this space for their own backups, photos, and files. Each family member still has their own private storage space, but they can now draw from the larger shared pool.

Sharing Apple Services Subscriptions

Another brilliant aspect of Family Sharing is the ability to share subscriptions to Apple’s popular services. This can lead to significant savings for families who use multiple services.

Eligible Services for Sharing:

  • Apple Music
  • Apple TV+
  • Apple Arcade
  • Apple News+
  • Apple Fitness+
  • iCloud+ (Storage)

How to Share Subscriptions:

If you have an active subscription to one of these services and Purchase Sharing is enabled in Family Sharing, the subscription is automatically shared with your family group. Each family member can then access the service using their own Apple ID.

This means if the organizer subscribes to Apple Music, every family member can listen to the entire Apple Music catalog on their devices without needing their own separate subscription. The same applies to Apple Arcade games, Apple TV+ shows, and so on.

For more detailed information on specific Apple services and Family Sharing, you can consult Apple’s official Family Sharing page.

Compatibility and Considerations for iPad 3rd Gen

As mentioned, the iPad 3rd Gen runs on an older operating system. While Family Sharing itself is compatible with iOS 8 and later, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • App Updates: Newer apps or app updates might require a more recent iOS version than the iPad 3rd Gen can support. This means some of the latest apps might not be downloadable or usable on this specific iPad, even if they are shared through Family Sharing.
  • Service Features: While you can share subscriptions to services like Apple Arcade or Apple TV+, the experience might be slightly different on an older device due to graphical capabilities or OS limitations.
  • Performance: Older devices can sometimes feel slower. Ensure the iPad 3rd Gen is running as optimally as possible by closing unused apps and restarting it regularly.
  • Storage: Keep an eye on the storage space on the iPad 3rd Gen. While you can share apps, each device still needs enough space to download and install them.

Despite these considerations, the iPad 3rd Gen remains a capable device for browsing, reading, casual gaming, and using many older or less demanding apps. Family Sharing greatly enhances its utility for a family setting.

Troubleshooting Common Family Sharing Issues

Even with user-friendly features, sometimes things don’t click into place immediately. Here are a few common hiccups and how to fix them:

  • Purchases Not Showing Up:
    • Ensure Purchase Sharing is enabled by the organizer (Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Purchase Sharing).
    • Make sure the family member is signed into the App Store, iTunes Store, or Books with their Apple ID.
    • They might need to sign out and back into their Apple ID in Settings > Store.
  • Invitation Not Received:
    • Double-check that the correct Apple ID email address was used for the invitation.
    • Check the recipient’s spam or junk mail folder.
    • Resend the invitation.
  • Ask to Buy Not Working:
    • Confirm that Ask to Buy is enabled for the child’s account in Family Sharing settings.
    • Ensure the organizer has a payment method on file.
    • Restart both the child’s device and the organizer’s device.
  • Cannot Share Certain Content:
    • Some older purchases or subscription types are not eligible for Family Sharing. This is a limitation of the content itself, not the Family Sharing setup.
    • Check if the content is from a subscription service that is part of Family Sharing.
  • Family Member Not Showing Up:

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