How to Turn On In-App Purchases in the iOS App Store

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Quickly approve in-app purchases from the App Store using your iOS device

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: September 11, 2023 Fact Checked

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Enabling In-App Purchases

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Sharing In-App Purchases

Are you getting the "in-app purchases not allowed" error on your iPhone or iPad? This error is caused by Screen Time restrictions, and it prevents your device from making unauthorized purchases. Luckily, if you have access to Screen Time, this feature can be enabled again in a few simple steps. This wikiHow will show you how to allow and share in-app purchases using your iPhone or iPad device.

Things You Should Know

Screen Time can disable in-app purchases, so you'll need to have access or permission to change it.
Open "Screen Time" settings → "Content & Privacy Restrictions" → "iTunes & App Store Purchases" → "In-app purchases" → "Allow".
Alternatively, toggle off "Content & Privacy Restrictions" to disable all restrictions at once.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Enabling In-App Purchases

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1
Open the Settings app. This looks like a grey cog icon.
- If you're unable to use in-app purchases, you may have parental controls enabled. If you're the device owner, you can easily turn it off . Otherwise, you'll need to contact the owner.
- Be sure to update your iPhone or iPad .
You can find this underneath Focus .

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3
Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions . This can be found underneath Always allowed . ^{[1]
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- If prompted to enter a PIN, enter it now.
You can find this below the Content & Privacy Restrictions toggle. You can toggle this off immediately, though this will also disable other restrictions.
This will be below Deleting Apps .
You'll now be able to make in-app purchases within apps from the App Store ; just be sure you have a valid payment method added to your Apple Wallet .

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Sharing In-App Purchases

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1
Confirm that Family Sharing is active on your device. Open the Settings app and tap your Apple ID. Tap Family Sharing to see your status.
- Use this method to share in-app purchases with your family or group. Keep in mind that each app will have its own restrictions, and in-app purchases may not be sharable.
This looks like a white A with a blue background. You can usually find this on your home screen or in the App Library.
This will be in the top-right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will open.
You can find this below your Apple ID.
You should see In-App Purchases listed on the app's page.
A pop-up menu will open.
This will send the in-app purchase to the user in your family or group.