In-app purchases are extra or additional purchases one can make within the app. These include digital goods, premium content, subscriptions, game features, etc. While adults can keep themselves from the temptation, kids have no idea about it. With access to credit cards and Apple Pay, kids can make such purchases without consent. This article will discuss how one can disable in-app purchases on your iPhone and iPad.
Note: This tutorial works for all versions of the iPhone, including iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPad Air, iPad Pro, and the usual iPad.
How to Disable In-App Purchases in Your iPad / iPhone?
There are different ways you can disable in-app purchases on your iPad or iPhone. Those are as follows:
- Kids Having Own Devices
- Kids Using Your Device
- Turn Off In-App Purchases Completely
Let’s look at all the ways one by one below.
1. Disable In-App Purchases for Kids Having Own Devices
Does your kid have a mobile, and do you want to restrict the in-app purchases? In that case, you can use the Ask to Buy feature. It is an excellent way to monitor app downloads and purchases on the kid’s phone.
Family Sharing allows parents or guardians to use the Ask to Buy. The organizer has the ability to turn on this feature to keep a check on the purchases from the kid’s phone.
The Ask to Buy feature sends a message to the family organizer when the kids try to make in-app purchases or download an app. Here, the family organizer has the power to decline or approve the request.
The download or purchase will cancel if the family organizer doesn’t approve the request. But, if approved, that person completes the purchase, and the result is reflected on the kid’s device. Here are the steps to turn on or off the Ask to Buy feature:
For this, the guardian or the parent can use their device to turn off or on this feature.
- Go to the Settings app. Tap on your Profile Name on the top.
- Press the Family Sharing option.
- Click on Ask to Buy.
- Here, you need to press on the name of the family member.
- There is a toggle that you need to turn on or off for Ask to Buy feature.
How to Send a Request to the Family Organizer?
Do you want to send requests to the Family organizer? In that case, take a look at these steps –
- Click on the Get or price button to download an app.
- You might need to enter the Apple ID and password.
- Click on Ask Permission.
- A pop-up message takes place. Tap on the Ask button.
- After your guardian or parent approves, the app or item gets downloaded to your device.
2. Disable In-App Purchases for Kids Using Your Device
Do your kids use your phone often? Is that a cause of worry for you? In that case, you can set up a password for every purchase on the App Store.
There are two options users can opt for while setting up the password for the iTunes and App Store. These are –
- Password Requirement After Every 15 Minutes: Here, users do not need to enter the password if they did so 15 minutes ago.
- Password Requirement Always: In this case, the users are asked to enter the password every time they make a purchase from the store.
Follow these steps to create a password for your iPhone/iPad –
- Go to the Settings app. Tap on your Profile Name.
- Select Media & Purchases.
- A pop-up will appear from the bottom of the screen with three options, tap on Password Settings.
- You can opt for the settings you want.
Note: You can turn on Touch ID or Face ID if you cannot see the Password Settings.
3. Completely Turn Off In-App Purchases
Another excellent way to prevent in-app purchases from the App Store is to turn it off completely. For this, you can use Screen Time. It prevents or blocks unauthorized and unintentional purchases from the App Store.
Take a look at these steps to use Screen Time –
- Go to the Settings app. Tap on the Screen Time option.
- Press the Turn On Screen Time option.
- Click on Continue.
- 4. Now, you can select – This is my child’s device or This is my device.
- Select the Content & Privacy Restrictions option.
- You will need to enter the passcode if asked. After that, turn on the Content & Privacy Restrictions option on the top.
- Now, tap on iTunes & App Store Purchases down below.
- Press on In-app Purchases.
- Tick the Don’t Allow option.
There is an alternative way too. You can follow up on the Content & Privacy Restrictions option part. After that –
- Press the Allowed Apps option.
- Here, you need to unselect iTunes Store and Books.
Conclusion
These are the different ways you can disable in-app purchases from your iPhone and iPad. You don’t have to worry about your kid spending the hard-earned money on fictional characters in games. Moreover, it also keeps you in check (after all, adults are also not always immune to such temptations). Disabling the in-app purchase can help you explore apps without much worry!
Do In-App Purchases Mean It’s Free?
No, in-app purchases are not free. However, these occur in free apps and offers users the opportunity to make purchases for extra content or feature.
Is It Possible to Disable In-App Purchases for a Particular App?
Yes, it is possible to disable in-app purchases for a particular app. But, for that, you need to follow certain steps.
How Do We Restrict Kids From Installing New Apps?
There are various ways you can restrict kids from installing new apps. For instance, you can set up passwords to prevent app installation from the app store. You can also block apps from being downloaded on the device.
What Are The Type of In-App Purchases?
There are mainly four types of such purchases. These include non-renewing subscriptions, auto-renewable subscriptions, and non-consumable and consumable. In-app purchases are not limited to any single sector or vertical. You can find it across gaming, social networks, etc.
Why Is It Important to Disable In-App Purchases?
While in-app purchases provide temporary excitement, money loss can lead to inevitable consequences. Moreover, you need to keep the temptation in check. Otherwise, you might end up spending loads of money on different apps.
Another reason why disabling the in-app purchases becomes handy is your kids. Now, you might be thinking – what can my kids do with in-app purchases? The issue occurs when you hand over your device to your kid to pay for games or even buy them a new one.
If you are not careful, you might get charged hundreds or thousands of dollars for something you didn’t even approve of. And the reason boils down to an impatient kid who cannot simply wait for the game to run its course. It is, of course, a luring tactic most apps use to compel users to make purchases. And the only way to prevent it is by disabling the feature.
