Don’t share your account

Understanding Tech

Don’t Share Your Account: Why Giving Kids Your Logins Can Put Your Family at Risk

Written by Richard – a tech professional and dad who is “never in a hurry” (according to my wife) but somehow always on time. Calm, practical guidance with UK help links. No gimmicks.

“It’s just easier if they use mine…” (a very familiar moment)

In most homes, this starts with good intentions. Your child wants a new game before dinner. The iPad already has your Apple ID signed in. You think, “I’ll just put my password in this once. I’ll set up their own account at the weekend when I’ve got time.”

A couple of weeks later, you notice things that feel… off. Your private photos start appearing on the tablet. A subscription renews that you do not remember approving. An iMessage meant for another adult quietly pops up on the family device. No one has hacked you. Nothing dramatic has happened. You have simply connected a child’s device to an adult account that controls everything.

I understand exactly how easy it is to get into this position. I am laid back by nature – my friends joke that I have no sense of urgency. That attitude is great when the boiler breaks and everyone else is panicking. It is less useful when a “quick shortcut” with a login ends up exposing your whole digital life to your child by accident.

What your main account really contains

From years of working with real devices and real families, this is what sits behind one adult account in most homes:

• Saved payment methods: bank cards, PayPal, one‑click checkout on app stores and shopping sites.
• Photos and videos: your entire camera roll in iCloud Photos, Google Photos or similar – including screenshots and scanned documents you have forgotten about.
• Messages and calls: iMessage, SMS, FaceTime history, email accounts and sometimes chat backups.
• Cloud files: iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox – work documents, bills, ID scans, tax returns, school letters.
• Subscriptions and purchases: apps, games, in‑game currency, films, music, cloud services and more, all tied to that one login.
• Password manager / keychain: saved logins for banking, shopping, social media and other services.
• Device control: “Find My” and equivalent tools, location sharing, backups, remote wipe, access to other phones, tablets and laptops in the house.

When a child signs into a device using your Apple ID or Google account, you are not “just” letting them download a game. You are effectively plugging that device into the same system as every adult device you own.

What can go wrong (even when everyone is well‑meaning)

The issues that follow are rarely malicious. They are simply what happens when powerful systems behave exactly as they were designed to.

• Accidental spending: in‑app purchases, game currency and subscription renewals mount up quickly when the card on file is yours, not theirs.
• Private photos appearing on children’s devices: photos of nights out, medical information, ID documents or private screenshots can sync straight to a child’s tablet when it shares your account.
• Messages and notifications crossing over: iMessages, emails and calendar alerts intended for adults pop up on a shared iPad on the sofa.
• Account lockouts: a child can change a password, add their own recovery email or phone number, or tap through security screens without understanding the consequences.
• Cloud spill‑over: log a child into OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox with your details and your work folders, bills and personal files can end up opened at school or at a friend’s house.

Before changing settings: a quick reality check

Your child is not the problem here. The problem is that modern accounts tie a huge amount of your life together behind a single e‑mail address and password. That design is brilliant when you are an adult juggling several devices. It is much less brilliant when you try to piggy‑back a child’s device onto it.

Once you accept that the account itself is powerful, the rest of this article becomes much simpler: we stop sharing that powerful account, and instead use the family features that were built specifically for this job.

Part 1 – Apple devices: the right way to set up children without sharing your Apple ID

On iPhones and iPads, your Apple ID runs everything. The safe pattern is:

• Each adult has their own Apple ID.
• Each child has their own child Apple ID.
• The family is connected using Family Sharing, not by re‑using one adult login.

That way, everybody keeps their own photos, messages and passwords, but you can still share apps, subscriptions and storage, and you stay in charge of what children can download.

Step‑by‑step: check if your child is on your Apple ID

1. Step 1 – On your iPhone, open Settings.
   Tap your name at the top. This is your Apple ID control panel.
2. Step 2 – Look at the list of devices.
   Scroll down. You will see all devices signed into this Apple ID: iPhones, iPads, Macs, Watches, Apple TVs.
3. Step 3 – Identify any child devices.
   If your child’s iPad or phone appears here, then your adult Apple ID is currently running that device.

If you are in that situation, do not panic. You can move slowly and keep control of what matters.

Step‑by‑step: move a child off your Apple ID and onto their own (safely)

Goal: stop your photos, messages and cards syncing to their device, whilst keeping access to the apps you have already paid for.

1. Step 1 – Turn on Family Sharing (if you have not already).
   On your iPhone go to Settings > [your name] > Family. Tap Set Up Family Sharing and follow the prompts. You become the organiser; you can invite your partner as another adult.
2. Step 2 – Create a child Apple ID.
   Still under Family, tap Add Member > Create Child Account. Enter your child’s details. This gives them their own Apple ID under your supervision, with age‑appropriate limits and Ask to Buy.
3. Step 3 – Back up the child’s device.
   On their iPad or iPhone go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. This protects app data before you change the account.
4. Step 4 – Sign your Apple ID out of their device.
   On the child’s device, go to Settings > [your name] > Sign Out. When asked, do not keep a copy of your iCloud data on that device. You only want your data on your own devices.
5. Step 5 – Sign in with the new child Apple ID.
   Still on their device, go back to Settings and sign in with the Apple ID you just created for them in Family Sharing.
6. Step 6 – Re‑download shared apps via Family Sharing.
   Open the App Store on their device, tap your avatar > Purchased. You should see your purchases available to share. Re‑download what they need without paying again, provided the apps support Family Sharing.
7. Step 7 – Set up Screen Time and Ask to Buy.
   On your own iPhone go to Settings > Family > [Child’s Name] > Screen Time. Set age ratings, app limits, downtime and Ask to Buy so new purchases need your approval.

Apple “never” list

• Never type your main Apple ID password into a child’s device “just for this download”.
• Never add your own bank card directly to a child’s Apple ID if you can avoid it – use Ask to Buy or gift cards instead.
• Never allow a child to change the recovery e‑mail or phone number on your Apple ID.

Part 2 – Android, Google and Chromebooks: use Family Link, not shared logins

On Android and Chromebooks, your Google account is the Apple ID equivalent. It controls the Play Store, Gmail, Photos, Drive, YouTube, Chrome history, Maps and more. The safe pattern is the same:

• Each adult has their own Google account.
• Each child has their own supervised Google account.
• You manage everything through Google’s family features, not by signing children into your e‑mail.

Step‑by‑step: create a supervised Google account for your child

1. Step 1 – Install Google’s family app on your phone.
   On your own phone, install Google’s family management app (or use your Google account’s family section in a browser) and sign in with your personal Google account.
2. Step 2 – Create a child account.
   Within the family area, choose to add a child. Follow the prompts to create a child account with their correct age so that age‑appropriate controls apply.
3. Step 3 – Move their device to the child account.
   On your child’s Android device, go to Settings > Accounts. Remove any adult Google account you have been sharing. Then sign in with the new supervised child account.
4. Step 4 – Set app, content and purchase controls.
   From your own phone, use the family settings to approve new apps, set screen time limits and bedtimes, and restrict Play Store content based on age.

Specific risks when you share your Google account

• Photos: logging a child into Google Photos with your account can mirror your entire camera roll onto their device.
• Drive: all your personal or work documents in Google Drive can be browsed, moved or deleted.
• Gmail: adult e‑mails, password reset messages and financial information all land in the same inbox they can open.
• YouTube and history: your watch history, liked videos and search terms affect their recommendations and vice versa.

Part 3 – Cloud storage and shared photo libraries

Cloud services like iCloud Drive, OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox are brilliant for adults. You take a photo on your phone and it appears on your laptop. You scan something on your tablet and it is backed up automatically. The same behaviour becomes risky when a child’s device is plugged into the same account.

Where families typically get caught out

• Shared Apple ID and iCloud Photos: one Apple ID usually means one main photo library. Any device signed in will see that library unless you have carefully configured something different.
• OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox logins: if you sign a child’s device into your account “just” so they can reach homework or a shared folder, they may be one tap away from passport scans, payslips or client documents.
• Over‑broad sharing: using “anyone with the link can view/edit” for documents can let files travel much further than you realise once they are on a child’s device.

Safer patterns for sharing files with children

Part 4 – Streaming and gaming: “it’s only Netflix” (until it isn’t)

Streaming and gaming platforms feel less serious than banking or e‑mail, but the same principle applies: use child profiles and parental controls instead of handing over the main account.

Part 5 – If you have already shared your logins: a quick rescue plan

If you are reading this thinking “we already do half of the things you say we should not”, you are not alone. The important thing is what you do next. Here is a calm 10–15 minute plan to bring things back under control.

Step‑by‑step: reclaim and secure your main account

1. Step 1 – Change your password.
   Choose a long, unique password you do not use anywhere else. A family password manager makes this much easier to live with.
2. Step 2 – Turn on two‑factor authentication (2FA).
   Use an authenticator app where you can, not just text messages. Store any backup codes offline (not in your photo library).
3. Step 3 – Check your recovery details.
   Make sure recovery e‑mail addresses and phone numbers belong to you or another trusted adult, not to your child.
4. Step 4 – Sign out of all devices and start again.
   In your Apple, Google, Microsoft and streaming security settings, look for options like “Sign out of all devices”. Use them, then sign back in only on adult devices you control.
5. Step 5 – Create proper child accounts and profiles.
   Use Apple’s family features, Google’s supervised accounts and console / streaming child profiles to move your children off your logins and onto their own.
6. Step 6 – Review payment methods.
   Remove saved cards from any account that children use directly. Where you still need to pay for things, switch to top‑ups, gift cards or controlled allowances.

UK help if money or safety is already involved

• Action Fraud – report significant unauthorised transactions or fraud.
• NCSC Cyber Aware – guidance on securing accounts and checking for reused or breached passwords.
• Get Safe Online – practical consumer advice on scams, passwords and devices.
• CEOP Safety Centre – if a child has been pressured to share private content or is being exploited.

Part 6 – Teaching the bigger habit: accounts are personal

Underneath all of this is a bigger lesson we can model at home: accounts and passwords are personal, not communal. We do not pass them round group chats, we do not share them “just this once”, and we do not treat them as casual.

• Family rule: logins are private. We use family settings, child accounts and approvals instead of password sharing.
• Model it as an adult: do not message passwords to friends or family. Use a password manager where older children can see how it works.
• Explain the “why”: this is not about catching anyone out. It is about protecting photos, money and reputations – including theirs.

My own dad was an engineer. He loved understanding how things worked and passed that on to me. I have taken apart more gadgets than I care to admit – from computers to microwaves – simply to see how they were put together. That same curiosity is exactly what helps with digital parenting. When you understand what sits behind a login, you stop treating it as a throwaway detail and start treating it as the front door key to your family’s digital life.

Related guides from Understanding Tech

• Family Rules for Online Chat (works for any game)
• Your Wi‑Fi Can Be Your Best Parenting Tool
• Parental Controls on iPhone & Android

At Understanding Tech, we are parents first and tech people second. We pull systems apart to see how they really behave on real family devices, then share the settings and habits that actually make life calmer and safer – without you needing to turn into the IT department.

Download the Don’t Share Your Account Guide (PDF)

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