14 DAY TRIAL // Google I/O 2016 certainly got us excited about upcoming messaging app Allo and video calling service Duo, but these aren’t the only exciting things that the event has brought. This summer, Google will be launching a new service in Google Play. Family Library will allow users to share purchased apps with up to 6 family members.
Apple device owners can already share music, videos, e-books and even applications with their family members, using the iCloud Family Sharing platform. Now, it seems that Google will release a similar option for users who own smartphones running on Android OS.
During the Google I/O 2016 event, company officials announced that the company is working on Family Library, which is basically a service for sharing purchased apps among family members.
The documentation is available on Google’s Developer support website and it shows that users will be able to share apps with up to 6 family members and that the new feature will be available starting July 2, 2016.
Users will be able to share books, music, videos and apps
Google is encouraging developers to update their apps in order to support family sharing and the company detailed the steps in the documentation. Developers need to log into the Developer Console, access the Pricing & Distribution section and then simply check a box to enable Family Library. Once the selection is made, developers won’t be able to opt out later. This means that the changes to their apps are permanent.
Family Library will be able to support sharing books, music and videos, just like Apple’s Family Sharing service. However, it seems that there will be some restrictions on sharing, as shared videos will be able to stream only on one device at a time.
Family Library also implies that a family group will be sharing a single payment method, thus allowing parents to invite others and restrict purchases by requiring download approval.