What the New York Times Family Subscription includes
The New York Times Family Subscription lets up to six household members read the same digital content on separate accounts, each with their own login and reading history. Everyone gets access to the full website, the mobile apps for iOS and Android, and the daily newspaper delivered as a digital replica. The subscription covers news, opinion, audio articles, video, games (including the daily crossword, Spelling Bee, and Letter Boxed), and access to the Times' recipe database and cooking tools.
Each family member can customize their own homepage, save articles, and set their own notification preferences. The subscription does not include a print newspaper — that requires a separate print subscription. If you want both digital and print delivery to your home address, you would need to add a print subscription on top of the family plan.
Key Takeaways
- A Family Subscription costs more than a single digital subscription but less per person than buying individual subscriptions for each household member.
- Up to six people can use the same subscription, but each person needs their own email address and password to create a separate account.
- All family members share the same billing account, and the primary account holder manages the subscription and payment method.
- The subscription works on phones, tablets, computers, and the Times apps, but only one person can stream audio or video articles at a time on the same account.
How to set up a Family Subscription and add members
To start a Family Subscription, you create an account on nytimes.com with your email address and choose the Family plan during checkout. After you complete the purchase, you receive a confirmation email with instructions for inviting other household members. You send invitations through your account settings under "Manage my account" or "Subscription settings" — the exact location varies depending on whether you signed up on the website or through an app.
Each person you invite receives an email with a link to create their own New York Times account. They use their own email address and set their own password. Once they accept the invitation and create their account, they are linked to your Family Subscription. You can invite up to five additional people, for a total of six accounts on one subscription. If someone leaves your household, you can remove them from the subscription through your account settings, and then invite someone new.
Cost and billing for Family Subscriptions
The New York Times Family Subscription costs more per month than a single digital subscription but less than the cost of six individual subscriptions. The exact price varies — the Times regularly offers promotional rates for new subscribers, and prices change over time. You can see the current price on the New York Times website when you select the Family plan option during signup.
Billing happens on a monthly or annual cycle, depending on which option you choose at signup. The primary account holder — the person who created the subscription — receives the bill and manages the payment method. If you want to change your billing cycle or pause the subscription, you do that through your account settings. The Times does not prorate refunds if you cancel mid-cycle, though some promotional offers include a money-back may provide during the first month.
Where you can read with a Family Subscription
A Family Subscription works on any device: computers (Windows and Mac), iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, and Kindle Fire tablets. You log in with your individual account credentials on each device. The Times apps for iOS and Android let you read articles to read offline, which is useful if you travel or have spotty internet connection.
One limitation: only one person can stream audio or video articles at the same time using the same account. If two family members try to play a Times audio story or video simultaneously on the same login, the second person will see an error message. This does not explore to reading text articles — multiple people can read different articles at the same time on the same account. To avoid this issue, make sure each family member uses their own separate account within the Family Subscription.
Differences between Family, individual, and print subscriptions
The New York Times offers several subscription tiers. A single digital subscription covers one person and costs less per month than a Family plan. A print subscription delivers the physical newspaper to your home and includes digital access, but only one person per household can use the print login. A print-plus-digital subscription combines both and costs more than either alone.
The Family plan is the only option that lets multiple people have separate accounts under one billing arrangement. If you have a print subscription and want to add digital access for other household members, you would need to either upgrade to a print-plus-digital plan or purchase separate digital subscriptions for each additional person. The Family plan does not include print delivery — if you want both, you add a print subscription to your existing Family plan.
Managing and changing your Family Subscription
The primary account holder can pause the subscription, resume it, or cancel it at any time through account settings on nytimes.com. You can also change your payment method, update your billing address, or switch between monthly and annual billing. If you want to remove a family member, go to your subscription settings, find the member's name, and select the option to remove them. They lose access when ready.
If you want to add a new family member after your initial setup, you send an invitation through the same account settings menu. The new member receives an email and creates their own account. If you reach the six-person limit and want to add someone else, you must first remove an existing member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can family members in different cities or states use the same Family Subscription?
The New York Times defines a family as people who live in the same household. The company does not actively verify addresses, but the subscription terms state it is for household members only. If you share a subscription with people who do not live with you, you risk having the subscription canceled if the Times detects the violation.
What happens if I exceed the six-person limit?
The Family Subscription allows exactly six accounts. If you try to invite a seventh person, the system will not send an invitation. You would need to remove an existing member first, or purchase an additional subscription for the seventh person.
Can I use a Family Subscription if I already have an individual subscription?
Yes. If you have an active individual digital subscription, you can upgrade to a Family plan. The Times typically credits any remaining balance from your individual subscription toward the Family plan. Contact New York Times customer service through your account settings to process the upgrade.
Do all family members get access to the Times games and recipes?
Yes. Games (crossword, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and others) and the recipe database are included for all six family members on a Family Subscription. Each person has their own game statistics and saved recipes.
Can I switch from a Family Subscription back to an individual subscription?
Yes. You can downgrade to an individual subscription at any time through your account settings. When you downgrade, the other family members lose access. If you want them to keep reading, they would each need to purchase their own individual subscriptions.