iOS 26.4 to finally let Family Sharing members use their own payment methods

With the iOS 26.4 RC released earlier today, Apple solved one of the longest-standing limitations of Family Sharing. Here’s what’s new.

Family Sharing gets a long-needed billing fix in iOS 26.4

One of the biggest sticking points of Family Sharing when Apple launched it in June 2014 was that every purchase or subscription from any of the five family members was charged to the credit card of the family organizer when purchase sharing was turned on.

And while Family Sharing evolved over the course of the last decade, adding multiple features, options, and even allowances with Apple Cash Family and Apple Credit Card Family, the same billing model remained.

However, among the enhancements listed in the release notes of today’s iOS 26.4 RC release, Apple included the following:

Purchase Sharing lets adult members in Family Sharing groups use their own payment method when making purchases, without relying on the family organizer.

In addition, Apple recently changed some wording in a support document titled “How to share apps and purchases with Family Sharing on your iPhone or iPad,” as spotted by MacRumors.

Here’s the new wording on the How Purchase Sharing works section (emphasis ours):

When the family organizer turns on Purchase Sharing and the members enable the feature for their devices, they get access to each other’s shared content. The family organizer pays for everyone’s purchases unless they turn off Purchase Sharing or other adult family members use their own payment method to make purchases.

To learn more about what else changed on iOS 26.4 RC, follow this link.

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