Many of your favourite free and paid-for apps and games offer in-app purchases, which are optional transactions that change an app’s functionality or unlock digital goods, content, or services. You can find out if an app offers in-app purchases by visiting its product page on the App Store. Just look for the In-App Purchases message near the Get or Price button.

There are four types of in-app purchases:

• Consumable purchases (items are used once, are depleted and can be purchased again, such as lives or gems in a game)
• Non-consumable purchases (premium features that are purchased once and don’t expire, such as additional game levels or photo filters)
• Auto-renewing subscriptions (access to content or services for which you are charged on a recurring basis, such as ongoing access to video content streaming or cloud storage)
• Non-renewing subscriptions (access to content or services for a limited time which doesn’t renew automatically, such as a season pass for streaming content)

You must enter a password or use Touch ID, Face ID or Optic ID (on a compatible device) to make an in-app purchase. If you use a password, you can set your preferences so that a password is required for every in-app purchase or every 15 minutes. Setting your preferences to require a password every 15 minutes lets you make additional in-app purchases for 15 minutes without re-entering your password. To change how often we prompt you for your password, open Settings, then tap to select your name. Select Media & Purchases. Select Password Settings, then choose the setting that you want. If you use Touch ID, Face ID or Optic ID, it’s required for every transaction.

Auto-renewing subscriptions and non-consumable purchases may be accessed on other Apple devices you own or control. (However, consumable purchases may not be able to be transferred to other devices.) For example, if you download a game on one device, pay a one-time fee to buy more levels, then download the game on another device, you can access the additional levels there too. You may need to restore your purchase on the second device to get the levels.

Some apps offer subscription-based access to their content. Unlike single-item purchases, subscriptions will automatically renew until you choose to end them. If you wish to cancel your subscriptions, you can easily change renewal settings from your device. On your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device, go to Settings and tap to select your name. Next, select Subscriptions to see your subscriptions, then select the one you want to manage. Use the options to manage your subscription. You can choose a different subscription offering or select Cancel Subscription to cancel your subscription. After you cancel, your subscription will stop at the end of the current billing cycle.

When you purchase an auto-renewing subscription from a third-party developer, we create a randomly generated Subscriber ID that is unique to you and that developer. Developers use this Subscriber ID, as well as sales information, to understand their product’s performance. If you cancel all of your subscriptions with a particular developer and don’t resubscribe within 180 days, your Subscriber ID will be deleted.

It’s easy to manage a user’s ability to make in-app purchases. On an iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device, just open Settings, tap to select Screen Time, then select Content & Privacy Restrictions. Select iTunes & App Store Purchases to find purchase settings, including the option to turn off the ability to make in-app purchases.