I’m kinda confused right now. I only use YouTube for no ads — never touch Music, barely use any of the other perks. But I’ve been paying for the individual Premium plan and honestly… it feels way too expensive. Thing is, if I cancel, the ads drive me insane. If I keep it, I feel like I’m wasting money. So I’m stuck in this dumb loop.

Curious what you guys are doing — are you on free, Premium, family, or annual? Do you think it’s worth it for how much you use YouTube? Like, what’s the “fair” price in your head?

Also… is doing a family plan with friends actually smart, or just asking for trouble?

In a significant policy shift that began quietly at the end of 2024, YouTube has restricted access to its Family Plan subscription, making it available only to accounts that meet specific eligibility criteria. As of last week, the change has been rolled out globally including major markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada with many users now finding the Family Plan option missing entirely, depending on their account’s eligibility.

According to a source at Google familiar with the matter, the new limitations are part of an effort to curb widespread abuse of the Family Plan. The subscription, originally intended for households, had been increasingly exploited by users sharing it with friends or strangers in other countries. A practice that violates YouTube’s terms of service. To address this, YouTube has begun implementing stricter account checks that determine whether the Family Plan option is displayed. Google has not publicly disclosed the exact criteria for eligibility, and the policy was initially tested in select regions before expanding globally.

I purchased an annual individual plan by accident and I'd like to upgrade it to a family plan. However, it doesn't give me that option anywhere and I can't cancel the annual plan, because it is an annual plan.

Has anyone encountered this and know a work around?

YouTube is getting increasingly aggressive in enforcing its location rules for YouTube Premium, especially for family plans. Subscriptions are now being cancelled if family members live in a different country than where the plan is billed even if the family owner lives in the correct country.

Previously, users could often resubscribe after such cancellations. Now, if the issue lies with the family members locations, the family plan is permanently removed from the owners account, with no option to resubscribe.

This stricter enforcement mainly seems to affect users in lower-cost countries, while pricier regions remain unaffected.

Increased from $23 to $33 per month for me

Start with a PC/Mac and an Android device.

Do NOT connect to any VPN.

You will be creating a new account with a YouTube Premium Family membership and sharing it with your original account(s). This will not work if you already changed family groups too many times (i.e. you'd be stuck using this new account for YouTube Premium).

1. Create a new Google account in your home country.

2. While logged into the new account on your PC, go to https://payments.google.com/

3. Add a payment method to create an initial payment profile

4. Sign in to this new Google account on your Android device.

5. Make sure you can view this new account in the Google Play Store and YouTube apps

6. Go to the Google Play Store, and Account Settings - Make sure the Country shown reflects your home country. If not, you need to re-create the account (again, re-emphasis: do NOT connect to a VPN).

7. Back to the "Payments" site on PC, click the "Settings" tab

8. Next to "Country/Region", click on the Edit pencil icon

9. Click "Create new profile"

10. Click "Continue"

11. For the Country, select "Ukraine"

12. Go on Google Maps and find a random building to use the address of, and fill out the details.

13. Go through and create the profile.

14. Go to "Payment Methods" and add a Visa or Mastercard credit card that does not have foreign transaction fees.

15. Now you should see a dropdown with your name at the top right corner. Click on it and select your Home Country's profile.

16. Go to "Settings"

17. Scroll all the way down and "Close payments profile" - click yes and delete the profile - go through steps to confirm.

18. Now go back to the Android device.

19. Force stop and clear cache on the Google Play Store

20. Open the Google Play Store, go back to the Account Settings, verify the Country now shows "Ukraine".

21. Open the YouTube app and subscribe to the Family plan for 149 UAH (~$3.55 USD) using the saved credit card.

22. Go back to your PC and go back to https://payments.google.com/

23. Go to "Settings"

24. Next to "Country/Region", click on the Edit pencil icon

25. Click "Create new profile"

26. This time for country, select your Home Country

27. Create the profile.

28. Now go back to the Android device.

29. Force stop and clear cache on the Google Play Store

30. Verify in Google Play Store that it now shows your Home Country (if not, try force stop, clear cache again)

31. Now on your PC, go to https://myaccount.google.com/family/create

32. Create a Family Group and invite your original account + any other members you'd like to add

As many people have noted here, YouTube recently cracked down on Family Plan Premium Memberships where the five family members did not live in the same building, with Premium benefits being "paused" permanently. For some cancelled subscribers, the family members were their actual biological families but who live in other locations; for others (such as myself) the "family" merely consisted of five random people who mutually agreed to form a "household" and share the cost of Family Premium Plan.

However, no one seems to know how restrictive the new geolocation requirements are. Some people claim the cancellations only hit "Families" where the members were spread out across multiple nations -- but if all "Family members" were in the same nation, then it was OK. Others speculate that it is more on a regional basis -- such that (for example) is you were all in the same US state, then the memberships weren't cancelled, but if people are spread out to different states (but still within the same nation), then they would get cancelled. And some people claim that you literally all have to be in the same building, or your Family Premium benefits will be cancelled.

Which is true? I don't know. But maybe we could try an experiment:

If people were willing to start open "Family" accounts that were regionally restricted, maybe they would fly under YouTube's radar and be allowed. So for example, I live in California, and if someone else who also lived in California were to create a Family account with a Premium membership, and then invite in (sharing the cost) four other (random) people, with the only restriction being that they all live in California. Then the "family" would all apear to be in the same general area, and YouTube would allow it. And if that didn't work, we could get more geographically restrictive, and limit potential members to (in my case, for example) the San Francisco Bay Area, or wherever your city/region is.

I don't have the tech know-how to be the one wh starts a group, but I would be willing to join a newly created California-only Family group with Premium membership.

And if other people wanted to try similar experiments in other locations (e.g. an Ireland-only family, New York-only family, etc.), I'd love to hear the results if it worked or not.

Any thoughts?

Yup. That´t it. I´m paying the full price according to my country. No more circumventing.

After years of being "ukrainian" and then "serbian" I don´t want YT to cancel me a third time. Who knows at what point they might consider banning or locking my whole account for good even if it´s just a very small chance of this happening.

There you go, YT won. :)

Didn't there used to be a $149.99 Family Annual Plan for Music or am I just going crazy? I finally decided on Youtube Music Premium over Amazon Music Unlimited but I can't see paying $180 for YT MP over $150 for AMU. This might be a deal breaker.

I used a VPN to subscribe to YouTube Premium, but the family plan option disappeared, even though other plans are still available. Even without using a VPN, the family plan option is still missing.

Hi there

Just wondering what the definition is of this family plan? I live with my mum in the same house so i know we're fine but i have a brother who lives less than 4 miles away. he's obviously regularly in our house so his phone would showcase our IP address regularly but would they start kicking off if he regularly watches youtube premium family in his flat? as i said its 4 miles away.

we're all in the Uk so any UK experience is appreciated. thanks all

Family organizer pays for YouTube Premium. 5 members of the family connected. Somehow my account does not have premium features eg ad-free, carplay youtube music, etc. was working for years before but now something changed and YouTube Premium subscription ended 19 Sept 2025. Thoughts?

So I’ve been using YouTube Premium Family for a while, and recently I hit a wall that feels really unfair. One of my immediate family members had their access removed simply because they’re living in another city for work and study.

According to YouTube’s Family Plan rules, all members have to live under the same roof as the family manager. While I get that they want to prevent misuse, this rule doesn’t reflect real-life situations. Families today are often spread out — for education, jobs, or other commitments — but they’re still families.

The problem is, instead of giving genuine families some flexibility, YouTube seems to be enforcing this policy in a way that feels forceful and punishing. Honestly, it makes me question whether keeping Premium Family is even worth it anymore.

Has anyone else run into this problem? Did you find a workaround, or did you just cancel your subscription?

Is this normal? I may pull the trigger if the whole family gets ad free for $8 CAD

I hope this is the place to ask... The flair option suck so I chose drama

I see an annual plan for individual YouTube but not for family. Does annual exist for family, am I missing something?

Which countries have annual plan?

Might as well call it Household Plan instead of Family Plan. My family of 5 lives in 2 different households. I also travel frequently from one place to another. I honestly don’t understand this L corporate greed. You guys will just piss people of and lose customers over a few dollars instead of keeping them happy with longevity 💀