Can I disable "ask to buy" for free apps?

Simply changing the slider options to "Ask to buy - Paid Apps" (on/off) and "Ask to buy - Free Apps" (on/off) would solve this problem. Why can't this be implemented?

Feedback for Apple goes here >>> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Why enable extensive age restriction policies for itunes store then? I don't get. Apple has strict policies when assigning age rating to an app, it even does not allow the word "retаrded" to be posted on forums! I'm pretty sure that if app is marked as 6+ then it's OK for my 8 y.o. to install. I second lanstrad1. This is ********. Ask to buy should be about budget control, not about content control. Or make two switches: "ask to buy" and "ask to download"

I did search the topic on google, looking for an answer, and that's how I ended up on the forum expressing my frustration over it, like many others.

Thank you for suggestion, because an iTunes Gift card is a great idea on every child account. That q is exactly how I managed this before I added Apple Music, for a family of 6. It's much cheaper to do a family for $16 a month, than everyone $10 a month. But, when their iTunes gift cards run out, it automatically starts charging the family organizer's credit card on file, with no warning to the organizer. So I solved this by purchasing a Visa gift card for $25. I will get a new one every month for the appple music renewal, not risk using my credit card, and not have to turn ask to buy on to approve free apps.

It would be incredibly useful to have a feature to turn off ask to buy for free apps only. You can manage appropriateness of applications using Settings> General> Restrictions, then use ask to buy to prevent kids from buying paid apps, without restricting them from downloading free apps (as long as they are age appropriate according to the settings in restrictions).

And... I just can't believe that 2 years later, we are still exactly at the same point!...

C'mon Apple ! This is a real fail !!

Because not all parents agree about what their child should be able to see or use. Just because Apple says a given app is OK for your 8 Y.O., you might have a different opinion. And you and I might not agree. It's also a way to see what your child is doing, and what they are interested in.

If this question has not been weighted with all angles, it is either few of us are concerned about having a child risking doing purchases (for the $$ or ideology), or Apple just do not care about protecting the $$ angle because they take advantage of it. So for the former, there should have been enough feedback since so many years, and for the latter, I<d be wasting my time...

I am willing to bet there are "harmful" and unwanted apps that children can download that are free of cost.

Which makes ask-to-buy IMO, appropriate for both free and for-cost apps for children protected by ask-to-buy at their parent's choice.

If you feel those should be 2 unique options within Family Sharing, telling me or others here does absolutely no good.

Tell Apple at the link provided.

Then voice your concerns somewhere where they will be heard.

As suggested before, telling this community is of no help to you. We are all volunteers here in the community, we do not work for Apple and we can't change anything no matter how often we are asked.

Feedback goes here >>> Product Feedback - Apple <<<

breker1 wrote:

I have the same question. It is really strange that you can't allow your kids to install free apps. I think the answer by Apple that this is simply not possible is not satisfactory

As I posted several weeks ago (and expanded just now):

Not all parents agree about what their child should be able to see or use. Just because Apple says a given app is OK for your 8 Y.O., you might have a different opinion. And you and I might not agree. It's also a way to see what your child is doing, and what they are interested in. I believe most parents want to know what their children are doing, and where their interests lie. It makes it much easier to communicate with your children.

My original point has somewhat slipped away here...

What I meant is:

- App Store allows you to chose between ''accepting the use of my credit card by my child'' or ''not''. Basically: I can chose to allow in-app purchases, or not. No difference is being made here between letting free apps or paid apps.

- I agree with you Lawrence Finch on the ''moral'' side of things which may differ. But I still can access my child's iPad and see if he/she had downloaded some 18+ free stuff.

- However, to avoid creating a layer of approvals - my kid (as more and more) is on a BYOD class and has to access and install apps required by school -, my sole option is to unlock everything (I may still select content by age group, but believe it or not, if I don't unlock it, looks like Apple consider You Tube as ''17+''...

I also don't understand why this option hasn't been added. I just enabled family sharing to take advantage of the apple music sharing and I added our 13 year old. He was previously was allowed to download any free apps as long as they were within his age group and paid apps so long as he had gift card money on his account. Now that he's under my family sharing I only have three options:

1. Enable "Ask to buy" and have him ask for permission and one of the adults approve the request for every free app that he downloads (a lot!)

2. Turn off "Ask to buy" and make him aware/accountable for any purchases that he makes on my credit card (definitely not preferable)

3. Disable family sharing for him (he then loses out on using apple music as part of the family sharing)

Simply changing the slider options to "Ask to buy - Paid Apps" (on/off) and "Ask to buy - Free Apps" (on/off) would solve this problem. Why can't this be implemented?

2. Turn off "Ask to buy" and make him aware/accountable for any purchases that he makes on my credit card (definitely not preferable)

This is not accurate. If he maintains a positive gift card balance, as it sounds like he already had been doing, his purchases will be charged to that balance before your card is charged.

Essentially the same scenario you had before. However, now he won't get declined as your card is a backup payment method.

I can't believe this either. Who has the time to give permission for free apps for three different kids all the time? Or even one kid! This is extremely frustrating when you have Apple Music, and have to be on family sharing to get the family rate. And I can't just renew that every month the same day when I choose to, I have to leave my credit card on there for purchases so cannot disable Ask To Buy for fear they would buy something really expensive and not realize it. I don't need "Ask To Buy" to monitor what my children are doing, if I want to know, I'll find out. I just need to protect my wallet too.

Do you have a question for the community to answer?

I just need to protect my wallet too.

Have you considered redeeming iTunes Gift Cards to their accounts? If they maintain a positive balance, that will be charged ahead of your card.

No balance? = no approval from you.