After a very understated teasing at Google I/O in May, the official launch of Google Play Family Library has arrived this morning. Google has announced that you’ll soon be able to share your purchases with up to 6 family members.
The plan builds on their Google Play Music family plan launched last year, which lets you share Google Play Music All Access with up to 6 members of your family. The new arrangement is in addition to that setup and will allow you to share any eligible app, game, movie, TV show, or book in the Play Store with those family members as well – but unlike the Google Play Music family plan, this Family Sharing Plan is free. You will of course have to still pay $17.99AUD per month for your Google Play Music access.
Family Managers work similarly to the Music Plan, with family members able to make payments on one shared payment source, or they can use their own payment method. You can also force some members to require approval to use that shared payment method.
Members of the family plan can also choose whether to share their purchase with the rest of the family – or keep it to themselves.
There are of course some ‘Can’ts’ with the new plan, you can’t add You can’t add TV show or Movie rentals to Family Library, nor share in-app purchases. With Google Play Books, you can’t add ‘free samples, public domain books, personal documents you uploaded, or books you rented to Family Library’.
If you want to get started head over to this link, to sign up your family members, assign a manager, payment method etc. it will be live in the next few day in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
