Disabling In-App Purchases on iOS and Android Devices

In-app purchases can pose one of the biggest headaches for parents whose children have smartphones or tablets. If you assigned your credit card to your child’s smartphone, you probably didn’t give it much thought. By why would you? They don’t have their own credit card, so it only made sense. But what parents usually don’t realize about these devices is that their child has easy access to three different types of mobile apps out there:

1. Free
2. Paid-for
3. “Freemium”

The first two are self-explanatory, but freemium is a word that’s new to a lot of people, and it essentially means that the app is free to download and free to use, for the most part, but the user has the option to make purchases from within the app. These purchases are tied directly to your credit card account, making the entire purchasing process rather easy and fast for even the youngest child.

Months later, the unsuspecting parent takes a look at their credit card statement only to find a $5 charge here, a $10 charge there and a few more $1 charges from a company they’ve never heard of. At this point, of course, it’s a day too late, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prevent it from happening again. Below is a guide that shows you how to quickly disable in-app purchases in an Apple or Android mobile device, including smartphones and tablets. Please share it with other parents who you think would benefit from it.

Disabling In-App Purchases on Apple Devices (iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone)

1. Tap the “Settings” icon
2. Tap “General”

3. Tap “Restrictions” and then “Enable Restrictions”   
   

4. Enter a PIN and re-enter to confirm

5. Now, scroll down and turn off in-app purchases

Disabling In-App Purchases on Android Devices

1. Open the Google Play Store app
2. Press the “Menu” button and then choose “Settings”
3. Scroll down a bit and under “User Controls” select “Set or Change PIN”
4. Enter a PIN and press OK
5. Re-enter the PIN
6. Check the box that says “Use PIN for purchases”

Now you can take comfort in knowing that your child is enjoying their smartphone without having to worry about an unexpected credit card bill or them seeing content that you don’t approve of. Technology should be enjoyed by all of us, especially our children, but only when parents are involved and proactive!

Category: Mobile Safety, Tutorials