Purchase History

Can someone explain “why” Apple does not provide an option to delete old purchase history?

Posted on Aug 10, 2023 1:53 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 10, 2023 6:18 AM

Apple does not provide an option to delete old purchase history for a few reasons:


  • Data retention for financial reporting. Apple is required to retain past transaction information for financial reporting purposes. This includes your purchase history, which is used to track revenue and expenses.
  • Legal compliance. Apple may be required to retain certain information to comply with a court settlement or other ongoing legal procedure. For example, if you make a purchase with a credit card that is later reported as stolen, Apple may be required to retain your purchase history as evidence.
  • Customer support. Apple may need to access your purchase history to troubleshoot problems with your devices or accounts. For example, if you have a problem with an app that you purchased, Apple may need to see your purchase history to verify that you own the app.


Apple also allows you to hide apps from your purchase history, which is a compromise between deleting the history altogether and keeping it all visible. If you hide an app, it will still be associated with your Apple ID, but it will not appear in your list of purchases in the App Store. This can be a good option if you want to keep your purchase history clean but still have access to the apps that you have purchased.

Some people have argued that Apple should allow users to delete their purchase history for privacy reasons. However, Apple has not yet made any changes to its policy in this regard.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 10, 2023 6:18 AM in response to ErasingHistory

Apple does not provide an option to delete old purchase history for a few reasons:


  • Data retention for financial reporting. Apple is required to retain past transaction information for financial reporting purposes. This includes your purchase history, which is used to track revenue and expenses.
  • Legal compliance. Apple may be required to retain certain information to comply with a court settlement or other ongoing legal procedure. For example, if you make a purchase with a credit card that is later reported as stolen, Apple may be required to retain your purchase history as evidence.
  • Customer support. Apple may need to access your purchase history to troubleshoot problems with your devices or accounts. For example, if you have a problem with an app that you purchased, Apple may need to see your purchase history to verify that you own the app.


Apple also allows you to hide apps from your purchase history, which is a compromise between deleting the history altogether and keeping it all visible. If you hide an app, it will still be associated with your Apple ID, but it will not appear in your list of purchases in the App Store. This can be a good option if you want to keep your purchase history clean but still have access to the apps that you have purchased.

Some people have argued that Apple should allow users to delete their purchase history for privacy reasons. However, Apple has not yet made any changes to its policy in this regard.

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Purchase History

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