Level 1

106 points

Unable to make in-app purchases after iOS 18.2 update

I updated my phone to iOS 18.2 and once this occurred, I was no longer able to do any in app purchases on my game apps. Before the update, I had no problem at all making in app purchases. I have already did some troubleshooting. There is nothing wrong with my cards that are added in my iPhone. It is not my bank. This is simply an issue that started occurring when iOS 18.2 was downloaded to my phone. When in my game app and if I attempt to do an in app purchase, it swirls and swirls and never goes to my payment info. There is no decline, just swirling. It freezes the app up so I have to close it out to even move beyond the swirling. I have seen many comments of people having similar experiences and seems like Apple wants to blame the customer but I have to disagree. This is an Apple iOS update issue. I really hope that Apple take these comments being made into consideration and go back to the drawing board to correct the issue. As of today, I still cannot do in app purchases because the swirling is still occurring.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Posted on Dec 26, 2024 10:45 AM

Top-ranking reply

Dude_the_dog

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Jan 19, 2025 11:39 PM

Oops, the FAQ link was removed by the moderator, so here's a copy and paste! Hope this helps :-)

If you're using our app on a device running iOS 18.2+ and experiencing issues with missing in-app purchases or being unable to make in-app purchases, you're not alone! Apple introduced stricter privacy controls for in-app purchases. Users need to explicitly grant permission for purchases to be processed and shared with apps. If permission has not been granted, you may not be able to make in-app purchases from within any app, including the Earworms app, and your past purchases may not be reflected in apps, including the Earworms app.

How to Allow In-App Purchases:

- Open Your iPhone Settings:Tap on the Settings app on your device.
- Review Screen Time Restrictions:Navigate to Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Ensure In-App Purchases is set to Allow.

Still Having Trouble?

Update to the Latest iOS: Ensure you’re using the latest iOS version. iOS 18.2+ is a moving target as Apple fixes issues raised with this big update.
Update Our App: Ensure you’re using the latest version of our app, which includes fixes and optimisations for iOS 18.2+.
Restart Your Device: A simple reboot may resolve temporary glitches.
- Sign In to Your Apple ID:Open Settings → Tap your name at the top → Select Media & Purchases → View Account.
- Make sure you're signed in with the Apple ID used for the purchase

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Similar questions

57 replies

Carotha

Level 1

12 points

Jan 4, 2025 4:36 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Apple news stopped working as well, and I don’t pay for Apple news plus (good on me since paying customers can’t get it to open either. Seems unlikely that this is an Apple pay issue, unless the reason it won’t load is because it has to load an ad for paid services.

Jan 14, 2025 11:53 PM in response to sharonda135

On a next update 18.3, will this problem be fixed? I just want this nightmare on "no in app purchasing" to end. When I download an app, I want to pay to get rid of those horrible ads that no family wants to see.

sharonda135 Author

Level 1

106 points

Jan 20, 2025 5:34 AM in response to Dude_the_dog

@Dude_the_dog, thanks for sharing this info. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. Since the issue is occurring on my iPad, it didn’t work. My iPhone is not the issue. I think most of the people who have responded in this post have experienced the issue primarily on their iPads. But I’ll wait to see if any others post to your response and maybe they were successful. But thanks again!

sharonda135 Author

Level 1

106 points

Jan 20, 2025 7:16 AM in response to Dude_the_dog

I did try restoring from my iPhone and purchasing in app but it just wouldn’t sync with my iPad. So I just gave up trying. I don’t play games on my phone because I prefer the bigger screen on my iPad. Just works better for my vision. But I sure will be glad when Apple resolve the problem. I’ve spoken with the game developers. They aren’t the problem. It’s definitely Apple. Thanks for trying to help troubleshoot further. Appreciated!

Jan 23, 2025 10:02 AM in response to Tammyjo418

I have reached out individually to each of my games' support hubs to alert them of this issue in the naive hope that maybe pressure from game developer megacorps may move the needle on a faster patch rollout.... <cue eyeroll and sadface laugher>

Jan 28, 2025 7:12 AM in response to sharonda135

While it does work for me now, apparently those that are still in pending are not delivered yet and there's no restore prompt in the game I'm playing. I contacted the developer about what is going on and hopefully they can resolve this soon.

Thanks for the heads-up though!

Feb 14, 2025 7:14 PM in response to sharonda135

Having the same issue trying to make an in-app purchase in the NYT Games app on my iPad. May be am issue with Touch ID; just trying to login so I could join this conversation it was behaving strangely. I’m running 18.3.

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,748 points

Dec 26, 2024 11:26 AM in response to sharonda135

That would be the moment changes were made, wouldn’t it?

Do you use a VPN, ever had VPN software installed or a VPN profile installed?

sharonda135 Author

Level 1

106 points

Dec 26, 2024 11:43 AM in response to Jeff Donald

Yes changes occurred when the update to iOS occurred. And no, I do not use VPN nor have I installed VPN. What does VPN have to do with the issue?

sharonda135 Author

Level 1

106 points

Dec 26, 2024 1:53 PM in response to Jeff Donald

I tried deleting and reinstalling. That did not correct the issue.

Dec 27, 2024 12:59 PM in response to sharonda135

I've been having the same issue, but it appears that nobody is aware of the issue or is just waiting for someone else to fix it.

726Clare

Level 1

14 points

Jan 2, 2025 6:55 AM in response to sharonda135

This is exactly what happened on my IPad when I updated also. Contacted game I use & they have not been able to help, hoping for Apple to come up with a fix for this.

sharonda135 Author

Level 1

106 points

Jan 2, 2025 7:25 PM in response to YugiohStevie

This is exactly what is happening on my iPad.

Jan 2, 2025 9:56 PM in response to stephrock

Ditto

sharonda135 Author

Level 1

106 points

Jan 4, 2025 12:53 PM in response to thegreatone16

Which further proves that this issue is connected to iOS 18.2. This shouldn’t take rocket science for Apple to understand that this lies at their doorstep….

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Unable to make in-app purchases after iOS 18.2 update