Some apps add value in the paid version, but most of the time, apps and games will empty your bank account if you do not pay attention to how you spend money on in-app purchases. There have been so many incidents where people have spent lakhs of rupees on in-app purchases and lost money. Most of these issues can be solved by disabling in-app purchases within the app. In this guide, we will show you how to disable in-app purchases on Google and Apple app stores, tips on how to prevent kids from making purchases without your permission, and more.
How to Disable In-App Purchases on Android and iPhone
Disable In-App Purchases on Android
Open the Google Play Store app on your smartphone. Once you are logged in, tap your profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen From the pop-up menu, select Settings. On the Settings page, tap Authentication, and then tap Require authentication for purchases. Then select For all purchases from Google Play on this device from the list of options. Enter your Google password when prompted. Once you make this change, anyone using your Android device will have to enter their username and password to make a purchase from Google Play. This increases the security of your Android device and prevents unwanted and accidental purchases.
Disable In-App Purchases on iPhone
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Screen Time, and then Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enable Content & Privacy Restrictions by tapping the slider. When enabled, it will turn green. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. Tap In-app Purchases, then select Don’t Allow.
Disable In-App Purchases on iPad
Open the Settings app on your iPad. Tap Screen Time, then tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions by tapping the slider. It will turn green when on. Now, Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. Tap In-app Purchases. Select the Don’t Allow option.
Disabling In-App Purchases Made Easy
So, this is how you can disable in-app purchases on Play Store and App Store. Compared to Google, Apple gives us more control over preventing users from making in-app purchases. These companies also offer parental controls, where parents can control what their kids can see and prevent them from using inappropriate apps and making purchases.
How to Set Parental Controls on Google Play Store
On your device, open the Google Play Store app. Then tap on the Menu (three horizontal lines) on the left side of the home screen. Now tap on Settings under the given options. On the new page, you need to scroll down and tap Parental Controls. (You will notice that parental controls are turned off by default) To enable parental controls, tap on Parental Controls to set them up. You will be prompted to enter your four-digit number PIN. Create a content PIN. After you create a PIN, tap OK. Next, you need to confirm your selected PIN. Now, you need to tap on the type of content you want to filter. Under Set Content Restrictions, there are a few options that allow you to determine the type of apps that are visible to your children. Select the correct number and tap the green column on the left. Depending on the age of your child, you can make any selection. Finally, tap on the Save option when you are done. Make sure you disable in-app purchases in the Google Play Store. Parental controls in the Google Play Store only prevent apps from showing up, not accidental purchases.
How to Set Parental Controls on Apple App Store
Go to “Settings” and tap on “Screen Time.” Go to “Content & Privacy Restrictions,” tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions,” and enter your screen time passcode when prompted. Go to “iTunes and App Store Purchases” and make sure the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” button is enabled. Tap “iTunes & App Store Purchases“ Determine the settings for in-app purchases and deleting or installing apps. Here you can set “allow” or “disallow” for in-app purchases, deleting apps, and installing apps. You can also require a password before allowing any of these actions, and you can set up each of them individually. In this example, we’ll choose to disallow in-app purchases. Tap on “In-App Purchases” Select the setting you want, and choose “allow” or “disallow” for in-app purchases. When you’re done, go back and either allow or disallow the others.
Apple also provides controls to prevent kids from downloading certain apps. Follow these steps on your iPhone to prevent your kids from downloading certain apps:
Go to Your Apple ID, then “Settings,” and tap your Apple ID. Go to “Family Sharing” and tap “Family sharing.” Find “Ask to Buy.” Now scroll down and tap on “ask to buy.” Turn on “Ask to Buy” to confirm you want to turn the feature on Select the child you want to add and tap on the child’s account for which you want to turn on the “Ask to Buy” feature. Turn on the “Ask to buy” button. Now you just need to turn on “Ask to Buy” for your child. To do this, tap the toggle button.
So, this is how you can prevent in-app purchases in Google and Apple app stores. In most apps, in-app purchases are optional. Nowadays, most apps offer in-app purchases. By adding extra security, you can be careful before making a purchase.
How to Enable In-App Purchases
If you want to re-enable in-app purchases, follow the steps below.
Android
Open the Google Play Store app. Tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, and then select Settings from the pop-up menu. On the settings page, tap Authentication, turn off biometric authentication, and then tap Require authentication for purchases. Then select Never. Enter your Google password when prompted.
iPhone
Open the Settings app. Tap “Screen time” and then “Content and privacy restrictions.” Enable content and privacy restrictions by tapping the slider. When enabled, it will turn green. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. Tap In-app Purchases, and then select Allow
iPad
Open the Settings app. Tap “Screen time” and then “Content and privacy restrictions.” Enable content and privacy restrictions by tapping the slider. When enabled, it will turn green. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. Tap In-App Purchases, and then select Allow
Once you set up authentication for purchases, you’ll need to enter your password or use your fingerprint every time you want to make a purchase on Google Play. This prevents accidental purchases and helps you control your spending. Once you set up these restrictions, the child will no longer be able to download or reinstall apps without your permission. When the child tries to download an app, they’ll receive a message that downloading apps isn’t allowed. This is a very useful feature to prevent children from downloading apps. On iPhone: On Android: On the Google Play Store: On the Apple App Store: On the Google Play Store: On the Apple App Store:
