The “freemium” model dominates the modern iOS App Store. Many popular games and utility apps are completely free to download but heavily rely on In-App Purchases (IAPs) to generate revenue. These purchases range from buying digital currency (like V-Bucks or Robux) to unlocking premium features or subscribing to recurring services. If you are handing an iPhone or iPad to a child, or if you simply want to protect yourself from accidental late-night digital spending, leaving IAPs enabled is incredibly risky. A few misguided taps can easily result in hundreds of pounds charged to your Apple ID’s linked credit card.
This guide explains how to use Apple’s Screen Time restrictions to completely disable In-App Purchases at the system level, preventing any money from being spent inside an app.
Disable In-App Purchases via Screen Time
To completely lock down your Apple ID wallet, you must utilize iOS’s built-in parental control suite, Screen Time. By setting this restriction, the system will physically block the transaction prompt from ever appearing when an IAP is tapped.
- Unlock your iPhone and open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on Screen Time.
- Scroll down and tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Toggle the master switch for Content & Privacy Restrictions to the On (green) position.
- Tap on iTunes & App Store Purchases. (You will be prompted to enter your Screen Time Passcode if you have previously configured one).
- Tap on In-app Purchases.
- Change the setting from “Allow” to Don’t Allow.
Optional but recommended: On the previous “iTunes & App Store Purchases” screen, under the “Require Password” section, ensure Always Require is ticked. This acts as a secondary failsafe for standard app downloads.
Verify the Purchasing Lockdown
The restriction takes effect immediately across the entire operating system. To test the lockdown, open a game or app that you know contains microtransactions (such as Roblox, Candy Crush, or a freemium photo editor).
Navigate to the app’s internal storefront and tap the button to purchase an item. Instead of prompting you for FaceID, TouchID, or your Apple ID password to confirm the payment, iOS will instantly display a grey system alert stating: “In-App Purchases are not allowed.”
The transaction is killed instantly before it can even reach Apple’s payment servers. Your credit card is now completely secure from accidental or unauthorized digital spending within applications.