How to Remove Someone Under 13 from Family Sharing

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: October 4, 2021

Although it's easy to remove adults from an Apple Family Sharing group, things get tricky with child accounts. Because children under 13 can't have their own Apple IDs without being attached to an adult, you can't remove such accounts from a family. There are two workarounds—one is to transfer the child account to another family group, and the other is to delete the child's Apple ID entirely. This wikiHow teaches you different ways to remove a child from an Apple Family Sharing group.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Deleting the Child's Account

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Sign out of your child's account everywhere it's signed in. If the child's Apple ID is still signed in when the account is deleted, you could run into problems using that device later. Complete the following steps anywhere your child is signed in:
- iPhone/iPad: Open Settings and tap your child's name at the top. Scroll down, tap Sign Out, enter your password, and then tap Turn Off. Choose which data to keep on the device and select Sign Out.
- Mac: Click the Apple menu, select System Preferences, and then click the child's Apple ID. Click Overview, click iCloud (High Sierra and earlier only), and then click Sign Out.^{[1]
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Go to https://privacy.apple.com in any web browser. The only way to delete your child's Apple ID is to have the child submit a request, which you will later approve.^{[2]
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This takes you to Apple's Data and Privacy statement.
It's at the bottom of the statement. You'll see a "Parental consent is required" message.
This sends an email to the parent's email address to request permission.
It's at the top-right corner. You'll need to be signed out so you can sign in to your own account.
This takes you to the Apple ID sign-in screen.
Once you're signed in, you'll be able to approve the deletion request.
You may also have to confirm your billing info so you can prove your identity. Don't worry, you won't be charged.
If you click Continue, you're agreeing to the terms you reviewed.
This code will be used to verify your identity if you have to contact Apple about this matter down the road. After writing it down, click Continue, re-enter it, and then click Continue again.
This permanently deletes your child's Apple ID, thus removing them from Family Sharing.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Inviting to a Another Family (iPhone/iPad)

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Open your iPhone or iPad's Settings
. The family organizer of the group you want to invite the child to must complete these steps on their iPhone or iPad. Once the child is invited, the organizer of the current family can approve the move, which will remove the child from the original family.
- The child (or someone who knows their password) should be with the person sending the invitation so they can enter their own username and password.
Remember, the person doing these actions is the organizer for the family your child is moving to.
It's in the second group of settings.
You'll see it below current family members.
Now you'll be asked to enter the new member's Apple ID and password.
Once the child is signed in with their Apple ID, the organizer of the original family group will receive an email to confirm the change.
To approve the change, the organizer should click Sign in with your Apple ID in the message and log in with your (or their) Apple ID. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the switch.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Inviting to Another Family (Mac)

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Open System Preferences on your Mac. The organizer of the family you want to invite the child to must complete these steps on their Mac. After inviting the child, the previous organizer must approve the move, which will remove the child from the original family.
- The child (or someone who knows their password) should be with the person sending the invitation so they can enter their own username and password.
It's the cloud icon at the top-right corner of System Preferences.
This opens a list of options.
This blue button is at the bottom-right corner.
Once the child is signed in with their Apple ID, the organizer of the original family group will receive an email to confirm the change.
To approve the change, the organizer should click Sign in with your Apple ID in the message and log in with your (or their) Apple ID. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the switch.