Unlike the affordable Roku, Chromecast, or Fire TV devices on the market, the Apple TV is not cheap. The 2022 model — the third-generation Apple TV 4K — currently retails for as much as $149. For larger households, it’s just not practical to buy separate Apple TV devices for each television in the home. A common workaround is to share Apple TV with family. Multiple users can share the same Apple TV device and enjoy the digital media player for the price of one.
Why Share Apple TV With Family?
Sharing Apple TV with the family goes so far beyond simple convenience. From maximizing a shared living room space to enjoying customized recommendations to getting value for money, it pays to know how to share Apple TV with family. Let’s look at three compelling reasons you want to share Apple TV with your loved ones.
Shared Television
A family home would be dull without a living room. It’s where the family gathers around and watches television together. Naturally, adding an Apple TV to the mix would also make it a shared device. Because it’s hooked up to the shared television, everyone using the TV can use the Apple TV. Knowing how to add and switch between different profiles on your Apple TV device will make this easier.
Personalized Recommendations
What comes to mind when we think of the other shared products and services in our lives? From the family Netflix account to the family Spotify account and beyond, personalized recommendations for each user are one of the biggest appeals of family sharing. When you share Apple TV with your family, each individual’s user profile can enjoy personalized recommendations from Apple. It’s like everyone has their own Apple TV device with customized offers, but they’re all conveniently rolled into one.
Cost Effectiveness
Lastly, we can’t forget about the basic appeal of saving money. The cost-effectiveness of knowing how to share Apple TV with family can’t be beaten. If you’re a family of four with a television in each bedroom and one more in the living room, that’s $750 in Apple TV expenditures. That number only goes up with each additional television. Why not just share Apple TV with family? With individual user profiles for each family member, you can quickly move the Apple TV from room to room.
- 4K Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos sound and HDR10+ support
- Equipped with the powerful A15 Bionic chip
- Third-generation Siri Remote with improved clickpad
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet options available
How To Share Apple TV With Family
Now, let’s dive into the steps you need to know to share Apple TV with your family. If one or more family members have not yet set up an Apple ID, do so before proceeding. You’ll need to have the information handy throughout this walkthrough. The steps are the same regardless of your Apple TV model or generation. We’re using a first-generation Apple TV 4K for this demo.
Note: Each user profile will need to be linked to its own Apple ID. There’s no way to add multiple users on the same Apple ID now.
Step One: Open Settings
©History-Computer.com
First, power on your Apple TV device and return to the home page (if you haven’t done so already). Then, navigate to the Settings app using your Siri Remote. Once you’ve found it, hit Select to open the Settings app.
Step Two: Go To Users & Accounts
©History-Computer.com
Next, use the Siri Remote to navigate to the “Users & Accounts” tab. It’s conveniently located right at the top of the page, directly underneath the “General” tab. Navigate your remote to the tab, then press Select on your remote.
Step Three: Add a New User
©History-Computer.com
Select “Add New User” from the list of options in the “Users & Accounts” tab. You’ll be prompted to enter the Apple ID of the new user you wish to add to the Apple TV device. Enter the user’s ID and password, then repeat this step as often as possible.
Step Four: Switch the Current User
©History-Computer.com
Now that you’ve added new users, you need to know how to switch between their profiles on the Apple TV. Hit the Back button (or, on certain Siri Remotes, the Menu button) to return to the list of options on the “Users & Accounts” tab. Then, navigate to the “Switch Current User” tab. Here, you can switch from user to user as often as you’d like. Ensure you’re on the right user profile so you don’t mess up anyone’s personalized recommendations!
For an in-depth walkthrough of these steps, simply watch the video below:
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Vasyl Shulga/Shutterstock.com.
