Set up a Google family group and share passwords

In our daily lives, we share subscriptions, apps , and even calendars with those closest to us, so having tools designed for families is key. With Google Family Groups, in addition to shared payments and parental controls, it's now also possible to securely share usernames and passwords with your family from Google's Password Manager .

If you're worried about security, this new feature takes a huge weight off your shoulders: no more sending passwords via messaging. The function is integrated into the Google ecosystem and uses Family Groups, so only members of the group will see the information. We'll tell you how to create the group, add and remove members, and use the new Family Passwords system step by step.

What is a Google Family Group and why should you care?

A Google Family Group is a secure space for linking up to six Google accounts, designed to manage shared content, services, and certain functions. In practice, the administrator creates the group and invites up to five more people, bringing the total to six members per group.

Among its advantages, the ability to share Google Play purchases with the Family Library stands out: apps, books, movies, or music you've bought can be available to the rest of the group at no extra cost to them. This library is configurable, and if someone leaves it or you remove them, access changes will be applied, as you'll see later, because the added content may no longer be available to others.

For families with children, Family Link offers built-in parental controls : you can monitor screen time , approve or block apps, and apply filters. Supervision is mandatory for children under 13 (or the corresponding age in your country), and the creation of supervised accounts is usually managed by the family administrator. This makes children's digital experience safer and more balanced.

In addition, family groups streamline organization for everyone at home: shared calendars and lists, location sharing on Google Maps to see where everyone is, and the option to share space with Google One if you have a subscription. It's also useful if you manage Nest devices, because control is centralized from the same family accounts.

Requirements to create and manage your group

For everything to work, there are a few basic conditions. The members you invite must live in the same country as the family administrator, as certain features and products are region-dependent. This is important because it affects both the creation of the group and the use of shared purchases and services.

There are also age requirements: each guest must be 13 or older (or the local minimum age of majority). Children under 13 can only be added to the group if the supervised account was created by the family administrator. In short, minors must always be supervised on Google while they are part of the group.

Finally, every time someone joins the group, the administrator is notified by email. This tracking is useful for change control , and similarly, when you remove a member, the affected person is also notified by email.

How to create a family group on Google

Creating your group is quick and easy, and you can do it from your Google account. The official process involves defining who will be the administrator and which email addresses you'll invite. Before you begin, make sure the people you're adding meet the country and age requirements, as this is the only way they'll be able to accept the invitation without any issues.

1. Sign in to your Google account and go to the Contacts and Sharing section.
2. In the Your family on Google section, tap Get started.
3. Choose Create a family group and confirm that you want to be the administrator.
4. Enter the email addresses of the family members you want to invite.

You can also manage the group directly from g.co/YourFamily, which is the shortcut to the Family section in Google. Remember that the limit is six members per group, so you can invite five people in addition to yourself. When they accept the invitation, they will be added to the group and you will see their addition reflected in the notification.

Add members to your family group

If you already have the group created, adding members takes only seconds. Before sending the invitation, confirm that the person lives in the same country as you and meets the minimum age requirement. If they are under 13, their account must be supervised and created by the family administrator before they can be added. Once this is confirmed, send the invitation from the Family panel.

1. Go to g.co/YourFamily.
2. Select Send Invitations.
3. Enter the email address of the person you want to add.
4. Click Send to send the invitation.

Once the person accepts, they will be added to the group and you will receive an email notification. From that moment on, if you have Family Library or shared services set up, they will be able to access the resources you have enabled.

Share passwords with your family securely

Google has added a very practical feature to its Password Manager: securely sharing specific credentials with family members. This option, which arrived as an update to Google Play Services in version v24.20 and was announced during Safer Internet Day, allows you to send a copy of your username and saved password to your family for a specific website or service.

It works simply: when you choose to share a password, members of your group receive a copy in their Google Password Manager. Then, when they log in to that service, the password appears as if it were theirs. Everything stays within the group, so no data is shared outside the group , avoiding the need for messaging or less secure methods.

One of the most direct ways to access it is through the password manager built into your browser or your Google account. In Chrome or Android , you can follow a very intuitive process to locate the password and tap share. If you usually manage it from the browser, these steps will guide you from start to finish :

• Open a new browser window and tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner.
• In the menu, go to Password Manager.
• Find the site or service whose password you want to share with your family.
• Within the tab, you'll see your credentials and, at the bottom, several options: edit, delete, and share.
• Click share, select family group members, and confirm sending.
• Optionally, take the opportunity to go to the site and change your password if you see fit.

If you prefer the web method, you can also go to passwords.google.com with your Google account, open the password you need, and use the "Share with family" button. You'll see the family members you've set up through families.google and can choose who to send it to. This way, everyone will have the information ready in their Password Manager whenever they need it.

Keep in mind that this feature is designed exclusively for Google Family Groups. Unlike other password managers that allow sharing with anyone, this one is limited to the group, adding a layer of security and control. Furthermore, if the group consists of six people, that's the maximum number of people to whom you can share a password. In short, it's a convenient, built-in option with a well-defined scope.

Remove a member from the family group

The family administrator can remove members as needed. Keep in mind that children under 13 must remain supervised; if the change affects them, you'll need to manage that supervision first. Removing any other user is straightforward, and upon completion, Google will notify the person leaving the group via email.

1. Go to g.co/YourFamily.
2. Choose the person you want to remove.
3. Select Remove Member to confirm your departure from the group.

When you remove someone from the group, several effects apply. That person's Google account isn't deleted, and any content they've purchased with the family payment method on their device remains. However, from that point on, they won't be able to make new purchases with the family payment method or access services shared by the group.

• The person retains their Google account and any content they purchased on their device using the family payment method.
• You will no longer be able to purchase with the family payment method and lose access to the services the group shared.
• Receive an alert email when your withdrawal is made.
• You lose access to all the Google Play Family Library content that others shared.
• If the group shared a Google One subscription, they no longer have access to it. storage shared.

There are additional things to keep in mind. If the person has any ongoing purchases made with the family payment method, the charge will still apply, but you can request refunds for accidental or unwanted purchases. And if they added content to the Family Library at any point, that content will be removed when they leave, and other members will no longer be able to see or use it.

• Pending purchases made with the family payment method: These are still charged, with the option to request a refund according to policies.
• Content you contributed to the Family Library is removed from the rest of the group and no longer available to them.

Completely delete the family group

If you want to completely dissolve the group and you're the administrator, there are mandatory preliminary steps. For group members under 13, you must first transfer their supervision or remove their supervised Google account. For supervised users over 13, you must stop supervision before proceeding. Only then can you delete the group, and it's important to understand that this action is irreversible.

1. Go to g.co/YourFamily.
2. Find and confirm the Delete family group option.

After deleting the group, you won't be able to restore it. The accounts of adults and supervised users over 13 years old will be retained, as will any content on their devices purchased with the family payment method, but shared benefits will disappear. In many cases, if you had family subscriptions, joint access to those services will be terminated immediately.

• The action cannot be undone: once deleted, there is no restoration of the group.
• The accounts of adults and supervised children over 13 remain active, with their content purchased on the device through family payments.
• If there are still pending purchases made using the Family Method, the charge will remain, with the option to request a refund for unwanted or erroneous purchases.
• If you set up Family Library, everyone loses access to content that other members have added.
• If you subscribed to family plans like YouTube Premium or Google One, your family will no longer have access to the service.
• If you shared Google One storage, you lose access to the shared space. If someone runs out of storage, their files remain safe, but they won't be able to save anything new. Additionally, You lose extra benefits and access to Google experts associated with the subscription.
• After deleting the group, you can only create or join another family group once for the next 12 months.

Before taking this step, review your purchases, Family Library content, and active services. Plan how you'll manage storage and who will need more space when the family plan ends. This will help you avoid surprises and, most importantly, ensure you don't lose control of your data or subscriptions.

Privacy, security, and controls for families

Google has strengthened security for families and minors with improvements to SafeSearch. Although SafeSearch filters are enabled by default for users under 18, it's now easier to adjust these settings, accessible directly from the search results page. This gives parents greater control over what their children see.

Access to Family Link has also been simplified: when you search for Parental Controls on Google, a box appears with the accounts of children you monitor and quick links to their settings. This visibility helps resolve issues in minutes and reinforces responsible usage habits. When combined with the family group and the use of strong passwords, all digital management in the home is better protected.

Regarding password hygiene, use unique and randomly generated passwords for each service, avoid reusing them, and update them whenever there are signs of a breach. If you need to share them with your family, do so through Google's Password Manager, not via messaging apps. At the first sign of suspicion, change the password and check who else in the group has it. By combining these best practices with Google's system, you drastically reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

With all of the above in mind, properly configuring your family group, carefully managing permissions, and leveraging the new credential sharing system is a smart move. You'll have shared purchases where you want, parental controls if needed, and a secure channel for sharing passwords with the appropriate people, all integrated into your Google account. Ultimately, it's about gaining convenience without compromising security , and that's where the family group makes all the difference.