How can I disable all purchases except apple services?

Apple forces you to attach a credit card to render I cloud services. Because this card number is registered, scrupulous companies trick you into clicking on buttons to sell you subscriptions you didn’t intend to buy. Then you have to find a hidden tab to cancel it which is worse than trying to find a needle in the haystack. Suggest either drop the requirement for credit card number so I can enter it myself if I want to buy something or force these companies to be more transparent and easier to refund their tricky purchase practices.

Posted on Dec 9, 2023 5:43 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 9, 2023 5:13 PM

Brakeforcommonsense wrote:

Show me where???


Turn on Screen Time


Use Screen Time on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


  • Go to Settings > Screen Time
  • Tap Turn On Screen Time, then tap it again
  • Select This is My [device] or This is My Child's [device]


I wouldn't bother setting a passcode. The reason you'd use that is if you were setting up parental controls and didn't want your kids going into Settings and turning those controls back off again …


Set Screen Time Restrictions on Purchases


Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support


I am guessing that disallowing In-app Purchases will work on your own account – not just on your child's. If it does, here's how you would set it up:


  • Go to Settings and tap Screen Time. 
  • Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
  • Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
  • Choose a setting and set to Don't Allow.


You could also change the Require Password setting to Always Require. (I think that one will throw up an "enter your password" roadblock for all App Store and iTunes Store purchases, not just the in-app ones.)


If you ever did want to make an in-app purchase, you could come back here and temporarily relax the restriction.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 9, 2023 5:13 PM in response to Brakeforcommonsense

Brakeforcommonsense wrote:

Show me where???


Turn on Screen Time


Use Screen Time on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support


  • Go to Settings > Screen Time
  • Tap Turn On Screen Time, then tap it again
  • Select This is My [device] or This is My Child's [device]


I wouldn't bother setting a passcode. The reason you'd use that is if you were setting up parental controls and didn't want your kids going into Settings and turning those controls back off again …


Set Screen Time Restrictions on Purchases


Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support


I am guessing that disallowing In-app Purchases will work on your own account – not just on your child's. If it does, here's how you would set it up:


  • Go to Settings and tap Screen Time. 
  • Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. If asked, enter your passcode.
  • Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
  • Choose a setting and set to Don't Allow.


You could also change the Require Password setting to Always Require. (I think that one will throw up an "enter your password" roadblock for all App Store and iTunes Store purchases, not just the in-app ones.)


If you ever did want to make an in-app purchase, you could come back here and temporarily relax the restriction.

Dec 9, 2023 7:10 AM in response to Brakeforcommonsense

I believe there is a setting somewhere in Screen Time that you can use to disable the ability to make in-app purchases. If you are doing this for yourself (not a child), you could disable in-app purchases, without setting a special passcode just for Screen Time.


The phone might then bother you from time to time with reports of how much you had used it recently …

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How can I disable all purchases except apple services?

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