

As long as you set a strong password and keep it secret, the child should not be able to make purchases. With this setting turned on, you will have to enter your password whenever the child tries to buy an app or goods inside an app. Tap on the “require authentication for purchases” option. Tap the hamburger menu (an icon with three lines) and scroll down to settings. Open the Google Play Store app on the child’s device. On your child’s Android device, set a password for the Google account that is used for making purchases from Google Play, which is the Android app store. While I do not recommend Family Link for managing a child’s app purchases, here’s an alternative method that is more reliable for regulating in-app payments on Android devices: But children can choose to leave Family Link once they turn 13 and remove the restrictions - a limitation I have criticized in the past. Google offers a parental control tool called Family Link, which includes a setting for requiring parental approval for app purchases. Google’s tool for managing a child’s app purchases on Android devices is incomplete compared with Apple’s. Then choose “in-app purchases” and select “don’t allow.”Īn Apple spokeswoman said the company designed the controls to “provide families easy ways to stay informed about kids’ screen time, set appropriate limits and approve their downloads and purchases.” Google Set a secret passcode and then tap “content & privacy restrictions.” From here, tap “iTunes & App Store purchases.” On the child’s device settings, choose “screen time” and select “this is my child’s iPhone.” You can also disable in-app payments on Apple devices altogether. The parent can approve or reject the purchases. It notifies the parent’s device whenever the child tries to buy an app or something inside an app. Then, the parent goes into the family sharing settings, selects the child’s account and turns on Ask to Buy. (If the child doesn’t have an Apple ID, the parent can create one and add it to the family group.) The parent then sends an invitation to the child’s Apple device to join the family account. It can be set up with the following steps:Ī parent first sets up a family sharing account, by going into the settings app, selecting “set up family sharing” and following the instructions. One is Ask to Buy, a set of controls that requires a parent to approve each app purchase on a child’s device.
