How to Disable In-App Purchases on iPhone and Android [in 2023]

In-app purchases are a common technique used by most apps and games that allow users to buy additional content or services within the app, such as paid versions, paid feature unlocks, special items for sale, or even disabling ads within the app and services for anyone who downloads the free version. In this way, app and game developers can earn extra money by encouraging you to buy content in the app and upgrade to the paid version.

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

FAQs about Disabling In-App Purchases on iPhone and Android

How do I get rid of 1 tap and buy Google Play?

1 Tap is Google's new, simplified way to make in-app payments without much hassle. Users with bank accounts connected to the App Store can purchase digital content in the app with just a tap. This can be useful for end users who don't want to go through extra steps to make purchases. But sometimes it can be risky if you don't know what in-app purchases you've made and if your kids are using your smartphone. You can easily get rid of 1 Tap on Google Play by following the steps below:

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap your profile picture in the upper right corner.
3. Select "Settings" from the menu.
4. Scroll down to the "User Controls" section and select "Require authentication for purchases."
5. Select your preferred authentication method (e.g. password, fingerprint) and follow the prompts to set it up.

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.

How to stop a child from “re-downloading” an app on iOS?

If you want to prevent a child from re-downloading an app on an iOS device, you can use the Screen Time feature to restrict app downloads. Follow the steps below:

1. On the child's iOS device, go to "Settings" and tap "Screen Time."
2. Tap "Content and privacy restrictions."
3. If the feature isn't already enabled, turn on the "Content and Privacy Restrictions" option.
4. Tap "iTunes & App Store purchases"
5. Tap "Install apps" and select "Don't allow"
6. If you want to restrict app downloads further, you can also turn off the "Delete apps" option.

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.

How to cancel app subscriptions on iPhone and Android?

You can easily manage app subscriptions on both Google and Apple app stores. In these app stores, you'll see the subscribed apps along with the billing period. You can easily manage and cancel them at any time. Learn how to cancel app subscriptions on iPhone and Android here:

On iPhone:

1. Open the App Store app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
3. Tap "Subscriptions."
4. Select the app subscription you want to cancel.
5. Tap "Cancel Subscription" and follow the prompts to confirm the cancelation.

On Android:

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
3. Select "Payments and Subscriptions" from the menu.
4. Now tap on the subscriptions.
5. Select the subscription you want to cancel.
6. Tap "Cancel Subscription" and follow the prompts to confirm the cancellation.

How to see app purchase history on Google and Apple App Stores?

Both Google and Apple keep track of all your in-app purchases. You can easily view and manage them by following the steps below. Here's how to view your app purchase history on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store:

On the Google Play Store:

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Select "Account" from the menu.
4. Scroll down to "Order history" and select it.
5. You should see a list of your app purchases and downloads.

On the Apple App Store:

1. Open the App Store app on your iOS device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Tap "Purchased."
4. You should see a list of your app purchases and downloads.

How to stop auto-renewal on Google and Apple App Stores?

Auto-renewal is a feature of the app stores that allows you to automatically renew your app subscriptions without going through the purchase process again. This can be useful if you don't want to waste time, but sometimes it can be risky if you're not aware of your current subscriptions and their auto-renewal status. Here's how to disable auto-renewal of app subscriptions in both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store:

On the Google Play Store:

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Select "Payment and Subscriptions" from the menu.
4. Select Subscriptions
5. Select the subscription you want to cancel.
6. Tap "Cancel Subscription" and follow the prompts to confirm the cancelation.
7. Once the subscription is canceled, you can renew it manually if you want.

On the Apple App Store:

1. Open the App Store app on your iOS device.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Tap "Subscriptions."
4. Select the subscription you want to cancel.
5. Tap "Cancel Subscription" and follow the prompts to confirm the cancelation.
6. Once the subscription is canceled, it will not renew automatically, and you can renew it manually if you wish.