Guides / Android Help
How to Stop Kids From Making In-App Purchases on Android
ONI Games · Published
Three settings stop surprise purchases on Android: purchase verification, Family Link approvals and a budget. The exact menu paths from Google's help pages, what each one does and what it does not.
To stop surprise in-app purchases on Android, require verification for every purchase in Google Play. Then nobody can buy anything without your password, PIN or fingerprint. For a child with their own phone, use Google Family Link to approve each purchase from your phone. Both take about a minute to set up.
The one setting to change now: Play Store > your profile icon > Payments & subscriptions > Purchase Verification, and choose verification for every purchase.
1. Require verification for every purchase
This is the most important setting on a phone a child uses. Here is the path from Google's help page:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile icon at the top right.
- Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Purchase Verification.
- Choose the verification requirement or frequency.
- Pick an option.
Google offers three options:
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Always (the default) | verification is required for every purchase |
| Every 30 minutes | after one verification, purchases for the next 30 minutes go through without asking |
| Never | no verification for any purchase |
Choose Always. The 30-minute option is exactly how accidental purchases happen: you approve one thing, hand the phone to a child, and the next purchase goes through without a question.
A warning about fingerprints. Google's help page notes that when biometric verification is on, any fingerprint or face stored on the device can verify purchases for any Google account on it. If your child's fingerprint is saved on your phone, it can approve your purchases. Use your password instead, or remove other people's fingerprints.
Google also adds its own safety net: for apps and games designed for children 12 and under, Google Play asks for verification again before any in-app purchase.
2. Family Link: approve purchases from your own phone
If your child has their own phone and a Google account managed with Family Link, you can require your approval for their purchases. In the Family Link app:
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls, then Google Play.
- Under Purchases & download approvals, tap Require approval for.
- Choose one of four options.
| Option | What needs your approval |
|---|---|
| All content | every download and purchase, free or paid |
| Paid content only | paid apps and subscriptions |
| In-app purchases only | purchases inside apps and games |
| Never | nothing |
When approval is needed, your child can ask in a message, which sends a request to your phone, or ask now, and you approve on their device. Google's help page lists what approvals do not cover: purchases made outside Google Play's billing system (some apps take payments their own way), Play Books and Google TV purchases, and some subscriptions.
3. Parental controls: filter what can be downloaded
Parental controls in Google Play filter apps and games by age rating. Set them up in the Play Store under your profile icon > Settings > Family, open parental controls (content restrictions) and create a PIN. Pick the highest rating you allow for apps and games.
Know the limits. Google's help page says content restrictions do not hide restricted content from search results or direct links, and apps that were already downloaded stay visible. They also do not stop in-app purchases: that is what purchase verification and Family Link are for.
4. Set a budget and watch your history
Google Play lets you set a monthly budget under Payments & subscriptions > Budget & history. It does not block purchases, but you get a message with every purchase once you are close to or over it. The same screen shows your order history, which is the fastest way to spot a purchase you did not make.
Other ways to limit spending:
- Remove saved cards from a shared phone, or use Google Play gift cards for a fixed amount.
- Turn off one-tap payments in games that offer them outside Google Play.
- Talk about it. Many purchases happen because a game makes buying feel like part of playing. Our guide to how free games make money explains the tricks.
What to do if your child already made a purchase
- Find it in Budget & history in the Play Store.
- Request a refund through Google Play as soon as possible. Our guide to getting a Google Play refund walks you through it.
- Contact the game's developer too. Many developers help with accidental purchases, especially when the items have not been used yet.
- Turn on purchase verification so it cannot happen again.
How purchases work in our games
All purchases in our games go through Google Play's billing system, so every setting above applies to them. None of our games sells anything outside Google Play, and all four are rated Everyone on Google Play in the US.
FAQ
Can I turn off in-app purchases completely on Android?
Not with a single switch, but requiring verification for every purchase has the same effect: nothing can be bought without your password, PIN or fingerprint.
Does Family Link block in-app purchases?
It can. Set Require approval for to All content or In-app purchases only, and every in-app purchase needs your approval first.
Why did a purchase go through without a password?
Usually because verification was set to every 30 minutes or never, or a saved fingerprint approved it. Check Purchase Verification in your Play Store settings.
Sources
- Google, Require verification for purchases on Google Play, Google Play Help.
- Google, Purchase approvals on Google Play, Google For Families Help.
- Google, Set up parental controls on Google Play, Google Play Help.
- Google, Review your order history and Set a budget, Google Play Help.
