Family Sharing Setup Guide
How to set up Apple Family Sharing for Shelta
Apple Family Sharing is required for Shelta to protect your child's device. This guide walks you through setting it up. It's free, takes just a few minutes, and you only need to do it once.
What is Family Sharing?
Family Sharing is Apple's built-in way to share purchases, subscriptions, and safety controls across a family group. It's how Apple verifies the parent-child relationship on their devices.
Shelta uses Family Sharing because it's the foundation of Apple's FamilyControls framework. When your child's device is part of your Family Sharing group, Shelta can apply parental controls that are enforced at the operating system level, meaning they can't be bypassed with a VPN or by deleting an app.
Good to Know
- Family Sharing is completely free to set up
- Both the parent and child need an Apple ID
- You can have up to 6 people in a family group
Before You Start
Make sure you have everything ready before starting. This will make the process smooth and quick.
What You'll Need:
- The parent's iPhone (or iPad/Mac) and the child's device nearby
- Both devices signed in with their respective Apple IDs
- You need to be the Family Organizer (or have another adult who can invite you)
Don't have a Family Sharing group yet? No problem. When you follow Step 1 below and tap "Set Up Family Sharing," Apple will walk you through creating one. You automatically become the Family Organizer.
Step-by-Step Setup
Open Family Settings
On the parent’s iPhone (or iPad/Mac), open Settings and tap your name at the top of the screen. Then tap Family Sharing (or just "Family" on newer versions of iOS).
Tap "Add Member"
You’ll see a list of current family members. Tap the Add Member button to start adding your child.
Create a Child Account (if needed)
If your child doesn’t have an Apple ID yet, choose "Create a Child Account" and follow the on-screen prompts. You’ll set up their name, birthday, and a new Apple ID email.
Invite an Existing Apple ID
If your child already has an Apple ID, send them an invitation or add them directly by entering their Apple ID email address.
Accept the Invitation
On your child’s device, accept the Family Sharing invitation. This may appear as a notification or in Settings → Family.
Verify the Family Group
Open Settings → Family on both devices and confirm your child appears in the family member list. You should see their name and role listed.
After Family Sharing is Set Up
Once your child is in your Family Sharing group, you're ready to set up Shelta on their device. Here's what comes next:
- 1Install the Shelta app on the child's device from the App Store
- 2Enter the setup code from your parent dashboard at shelta.app
- 3The app will ask for FamilyControls authorization — this is the step that requires Family Sharing to be active
- 4Approve the authorization request, and you're all set
Troubleshooting
"Authorization keeps failing"
Make sure the child is actually in your Family Sharing group. Open Settings → Family on both devices to verify. The child must show as a member of your family group before Shelta can request FamilyControls authorization.
"Can’t create a child account"
You need to be the Family Organizer to create child accounts. Check Settings → Family to see your role. If someone else set up your family group, ask them to add the child or make you an organizer.
"Child already has an Apple ID from school"
School-managed Apple IDs (Managed Apple IDs) sometimes can’t join personal Family Sharing groups. Contact the school’s IT department to ask if the ID can be used with Family Sharing, or create a separate personal Apple ID for your child.
"I see "Family Controls Not Available""
The child’s device must be running iOS 17.0 or later. Go to Settings → General → Software Update on the child’s device to check and update if needed.
"Authorization was denied"
Go to Settings → Screen Time → Family on the parent’s device and make sure Shelta is enabled. You may need to re-open the Shelta app on the child’s device and try the authorization step again.
Need More Help?
If you're having trouble with Family Sharing or getting Shelta authorized, reach out to us at support@shelta.app. We typically respond within a few hours and can walk you through it.