How To Upgrade YouTube Premium To Family: Share the Joy of Ad-Free Viewing
Want to share the benefits of ad-free YouTube with your loved ones? Upgrading to YouTube Premium Family is the answer. This guide will provide a step-by-step walkthrough on how to upgrade YouTube Premium to Family, allowing you to easily extend the perks of ad-free viewing, background playback, and YouTube Music Premium to up to five family members.
Understanding YouTube Premium Family: The Basics
YouTube Premium Family offers a cost-effective way to provide ad-free access to YouTube and YouTube Music Premium for you and your family members residing in the same household. It’s a fantastic solution for households with multiple YouTube users who are tired of interruptions and want to enjoy uninterrupted streaming.
Benefits of Upgrading to YouTube Premium Family
Upgrading brings a host of advantages compared to individual subscriptions:
- Cost Savings: A single family plan is significantly cheaper than multiple individual YouTube Premium subscriptions.
- Ad-Free YouTube: Everyone on the plan enjoys ad-free access to all YouTube content.
- YouTube Music Premium: Ad-free listening, background playback, and offline downloads are available for YouTube Music.
- Family Sharing: Effortlessly share the benefits with up to five additional family members living at the same residential address.
- Parental Controls: Manage content restrictions for younger family members through supervised accounts.
Step-by-Step Guide: How To Upgrade YouTube Premium To Family?
Here’s the detailed process for upgrading your existing YouTube Premium subscription:
- Access Your YouTube Account: Open YouTube on a web browser (recommended) or the YouTube app. Ensure you are logged into the Google account with your current YouTube Premium subscription.
- Navigate to Your Profile: Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
- Go to Purchases and Memberships: Select “Purchases and Memberships” from the drop-down menu.
- Manage Membership: Find your existing YouTube Premium membership and click “Manage membership”.
- Upgrade to Family Plan (If Available): If a “Upgrade to Family plan” option is visible, click on it. If you don’t see this option, your account or location may not be eligible. Confirm the details and proceed. If you do see the option but it’s greyed out, you’ll likely need to cancel your current plan and resubscribe.
- Confirm Payment Information: Verify or update your payment information.
- Invite Family Members: Once the upgrade is complete, you’ll be prompted to invite family members. You’ll need their Google account email addresses. They must live at the same residential address as you.
- Send Invitations: Enter the email addresses of each family member you want to add to the plan. They will receive an email invitation to join.
- Family Members Accept Invitation: Each invited family member must accept the invitation within the email they receive. They will be guided through the acceptance process, which includes confirming their residential address.
Important Considerations Before Upgrading
Before you jump into upgrading, keep these points in mind:
- Eligibility: Ensure you’re in a region where YouTube Premium Family is available. Also, verify that all family members reside at the same physical address.
- Google Family Group: You must create or be part of a Google Family Group to use YouTube Premium Family. This involves designating one adult (the family manager) who manages the plan.
- Payment Method: The family manager’s payment method will be used for the subscription.
- Age Restrictions: Younger family members may require supervised accounts with content restrictions.
- Switching: Once you’ve upgraded to the family plan, you cannot easily switch back to an individual plan without cancelling and resubscribing.
- Address Verification: YouTube uses various methods to verify that family members live at the same address, so honesty is crucial.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Incorrect Email Addresses: Double-check the email addresses you enter for family members to avoid invitation errors.
- Wrong Account: Ensure you are logged into the Google account with the active YouTube Premium subscription you want to upgrade.
- Address Mismatch: All family members must confirm they live at the same residential address.
- Ignoring Invitation Emails: Remind family members to check their email (including spam folders) and accept the invitation promptly.
- Not Forming a Family Group: You need to set up a Google Family Group first.
Cancelling Your YouTube Premium Family Plan
If you ever need to cancel your family plan, you can do so through the same “Purchases and Memberships” section in your YouTube account settings. Be aware that all family members will lose access to YouTube Premium benefits upon cancellation.
Can I add someone to my YouTube Premium Family who lives in a different country?
No, YouTube Premium Family explicitly requires all family members to reside at the same physical address. Sharing across different locations violates the terms of service and could result in suspension of the plan.
How many people can I add to my YouTube Premium Family?
You can add up to five family members to your YouTube Premium Family plan, in addition to yourself (the family manager).
What happens if a family member moves out?
If a family member moves to a different address, they are no longer eligible for the YouTube Premium Family plan. You’ll need to remove them from the family group, and they may need to purchase their own individual subscription to maintain access to YouTube Premium features.
How does YouTube verify family members live at the same address?
YouTube employs various methods, which may include requiring address confirmation through Google services, or periodically checking IP addresses and location data. Honesty is always the best policy.
Can I pause my YouTube Premium Family subscription?
No, YouTube Premium subscriptions, including the family plan, cannot be paused. You can only cancel the subscription.
What’s the difference between YouTube Premium Family and Google One?
YouTube Premium Family provides ad-free access to YouTube and YouTube Music Premium for your family. Google One provides additional storage across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos, along with other benefits. They are separate subscriptions, although Google One offers YouTube Premium Family as part of some higher-tier plans.
How do I remove someone from my YouTube Premium Family?
Go to your Google Family Group settings. Find the family member you want to remove and click “Remove member.” They will immediately lose access to YouTube Premium benefits.
Do family members need their own Google accounts?
Yes, each family member must have their own Google account to be added to the YouTube Premium Family plan. This is necessary for personalized content recommendations and account management.
Can a child have a YouTube Premium Family account?
Yes, children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in their country) can be added to a YouTube Premium Family plan using a supervised Google account. This allows parents to control the content they can access.
Is YouTube Music Premium included in YouTube Premium Family?
Yes, YouTube Music Premium is included in YouTube Premium Family. This means family members can enjoy ad-free music listening, background playback, and offline downloads within the YouTube Music app.
What happens if the family manager cancels YouTube Premium?
If the family manager cancels the YouTube Premium Family plan, all family members will lose access to YouTube Premium benefits at the end of the billing cycle.
How To Upgrade YouTube Premium To Family? If I already have a YouTube Music Premium subscription, can I upgrade to YouTube Premium Family?
Yes, you can upgrade. Cancelling your YouTube Music Premium subscription and then immediately upgrading to YouTube Premium Family should work. It’s best practice to check the “Purchases and Memberships” area of your account after canceling your current subscription. If you have any issues or questions, contact YouTube support for personalized assistance.