YouTube Premium Family: How It Works and Who Can Join

A YouTube Premium family plan is the simplest way to get ad-free YouTube, background play and YouTube Music for a whole household on one membership. Setting it up is quick. The rules around who can join are where people come unstuck, so read those before you send the invites.

How YouTube Premium family works

• One person is the family manager. They must be 18 or older, and they're the only one who can set up the plan or make membership decisions.
• The manager can share the membership with up to 5 other people, so 6 in total.
• Everyone gets their own account, with their own recommendations, history and playlists. Nobody shares a login.
• It works for YouTube Premium and for YouTube Music Premium.

How to set up a YouTube Premium family plan

If you're new to Premium:

1. On a web browser, go to youtube.com/premium/family (or youtube.com/musicpremium/family for Music Premium).
2. Click Get family plan. If you're eligible for a trial, you may see that option.
3. Follow the steps to sign up, then you'll be guided through creating a family group.

If you already have Premium on your own:

1. Open your YouTube memberships page in a web browser.
2. Click Get family plan, then Get family plan again.
3. Click Upgrade.
4. Create your family group, or confirm your existing Google family group.

How to add someone to YouTube Premium family

1. When you create the family group, invite up to five family members.
2. Send the invitations by email or text.
3. Each person opens the invite and selects Get started to confirm their account.
4. Once they accept, they're in the family group and have Premium on their own account.

If you already have a Google family group for things like Google One storage or a shared Play library, YouTube uses that group. The members are the same people across Google's family features.

The rules that catch people out

Rule	What it means for you
Same household	Every member must live in the same household as the family manager
12-month switch limit	You can only change family groups once every 12 months
Existing family group	If you're a member of someone else's Google family group, only that group's manager can set up the plan
Shared details	Each member's name, photo and email address are visible to the group
Annual plans	If you're on an annual plan, wait until it ends before upgrading to family
Individual plans	If you have your own Premium, cancel it before joining someone else's family plan

The 12-month rule is the one I'd think hardest about. If you join your sister's family group and then want to join your partner's six months later, you'll be stuck. Choose the group you're most likely to stay in, and if you're the manager, think about who'll still live with you in a year's time.

Can you share YouTube Premium family with friends?

Not within the rules. Google says family members must live in the same household as the family manager. Its requirements page describes family plans as being for members who live within the same residential address, and the family manager sets the household location and can remove members. If you want ad-free YouTube with someone who doesn't live with you, they'll need their own membership.

Why a family invite isn't working

• The person is already in a different Google family group. They need to leave it first, which is subject to the 12-month limit.
• They still have their own Premium. They must cancel it before they can join.
• Your group is full. The manager plus 5 is the maximum.
• The account is a Google Workspace account. Google says you can't start or join a family plan with one, so use a regular Google account.
• You're in a country without family plans. Google lists Belarus, Iceland, Slovenia, South Korea and Venezuela as places where family plans aren't available.
• The invite went to a different email. Send it to the Google account they use for YouTube.

What everyone in the family gets

Each member gets the Premium benefits on their own account, such as no ads, downloads for offline viewing and background play while using other apps. Google says members keep their own library, followed channels and recommendations, and viewing preferences and watch history aren't shared across family accounts. Because accounts stay separate, your teenager's music won't wreck your recommendations, and nobody can see anyone else's watch history. If you're setting this up for children, read about YouTube restrictions and supervised accounts too. And if you mostly watch on a big screen, here's how to manage the devices signed in to YouTube.

My verdict

YouTube Premium family works well for one household: one manager, up to 5 members, everyone on their own account. Before you invite anyone, check they live with you, aren't in another Google family group and have cancelled any Premium of their own, and remember the 12-month rule before you switch groups.

This guide is part of my YouTube Help: 30 Guides to Channels, Subscribers, Monetisation, Thumbnails and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How many people can be on YouTube Premium family?

The family manager plus up to 5 other family members, so 6 people in total.

Do YouTube Premium family members have to live together?

Yes. Google says family members must live in the same household as the family manager.

How do I add someone to my YouTube Premium family?

Invite them to your Google family group by email or text. They select Get started to accept and then have Premium on their own account.

How often can you change YouTube family groups?

Only once every 12 months.

Can family members see my YouTube history?

No. Everyone keeps their own account. The group only shows each member's name, photo and email address.