‘Ask to buy” doesn't work (and never has)

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Level 1

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‘Ask to buy” doesn't work (and never has)

Just reaching out to see if you have an ETA on the fix for this problem, as it’s an ubiquitous issue that everybody with an iOS device experiences at one time or another. I’ve never seen Ask to Buy work — my children have used it to request access to applications, but none of our adult accounts get the notification. Before the latest update to iOS 15.2, it was possible to turn off the function in an adult’s settings, however now, post update, even turning it off will not allow a purchase. In other words, all purchases are disabled across all child devices. Reboots and resets and re-logging in do not do anything at all.

I do realize I am wasting time asking about this here, since Apple in my experience doesn’t employ technical resources that have any basic / fundamental knowledge of the iOS architecture apart from superficial interface troubleshooting. I’m taking a long shot, though, since this issue and many others like it I pushing my family off Apple platforms in general. I want to give the Apple team a chance to at least show they know something.

So let’s get this fixed. It’s been broken for at least two years now, as far as I can remember. Just look at other forum posts (if you do look at them in fact).

iPad (10th gen) WiFi

Posted on Jan 1, 2023 4:45 PM

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Answer 1

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dd73

Level 1

0 points

Jan 3, 2023 6:14 AM in response to Satori Heart

I have been having the exact same issue and found this thread on Reddit which worked for me (any many many others on Reddit) https://www.reddit.com/r/ios/comments/qtwu86/ask_to_buy_permission_stopped_working_on_ios_15/

On your phone go into Settings > General > About and change the name of your phone and it should fix the issue

You change the name on the phone that is the organiser of the family settings, not on your child's device.

Hope it works for you.

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Answer 2

R4FTY

Level 4

1,393 points

Jan 2, 2023 12:27 PM in response to Satori Heart

I'm sorry to hear that you are not receiving "Ask to Buy" notifications on your iPhone. Here are a few steps you can try to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1. Check your settings: Make sure that "Ask to Buy" is enabled for your family members in the "Family Sharing" settings on your iPhone. You can find these settings by going to "Settings" > "Your Name" > "Family Sharing" > "Ask to Buy".

2. Check your notification settings: Make sure that you have enabled notifications for the App Store. You can do this by going to "Settings" > "Notifications" > "App Store" and making sure that the toggle next to "Allow Notifications" is turned on.

3. Restart your iPhone: Try restarting your iPhone to see if that resolves the issue. To restart your iPhone, press and hold the "Power" button until the "Slide to Power Off" slider appears. Then, slide the slider to power off your device. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the "Power" button again to turn it back on.

4. Check for updates: Make sure that your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. You can check for updates by going to "Settings" > "General" > "Software Update".

5. Check your internet connection: Make sure that your iPhone is connected to a stable internet connection. If you are connected to a public WiFi network or a cellular network with a weak signal, you may have trouble receiving notifications.

I hope these steps are helpful in troubleshooting and resolving the issue you are experiencing with "Ask to Buy" notifications. If you continue to have problems, it may be best to contact Apple support for further assistance.

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‘Ask to buy” doesn't work (and never has)

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