What is Ask to Buy on Apple and How to Turn it off?

Have you ever wondered if you really need that pop-up screen saying "Ask Permission" every time you want to purchase an app on the Apple Store? It will involve a bunch of extra steps, leaving you frustrated. You might even think if you needed that app in the first place, or will things be simpler and faster without it? Feels relatable?

There’s a simple solution:

If you don't really need Ask To Buy on Apple and it's just coming in the way, it doesn't have to be there. You might not know, but it's straightforward to get rid of it. On the plus side, Apple's parental control isn't the only option to control kid's activities on the network. There are faster and more advanced apps on the market to supervise your kids.

Keep reading, and you'll find out all about Ask To Buy on Apple, in addition to simple steps on how to turn off Ask to Buy. You'll also find some alternative solutions to make your child's entertainment more manageable.

Part 1：What is Ask To Buy on Apple?

iPhones, iPads, iPod, Macbook, and Apple watches - Apple's devices are everywhere. It may not be as commonly in use as Windows, but that's just because Apple devices are more expensive. To this day, customers would prefer Apple over all other brands if the price wasn't a limiting factor.

Another exciting feature is its App Store, where you’ll find bundles of extras, both paid and unpaid, to optimize your experience.

So what’s Ask To Buy all about?

After many kids began using up their parent’s credit cards to purchase apps on Apple devices, and parents demanding refunds for these accidental purchases, Apple came up with a smart solution.

Apple created a parental control system, by the name of "Ask to Buy" which involved the kids sending a request to a family organizer, most often a parent, for any app they wish to purchase or download.

Now the parent has the authority to accept or deny purchases for their kids, so they don't find their credit card racked up without their knowledge. However, if it is not useful for you, you can easily turn off Ask To Buy. You'll find out how in a bit.

Part 2：What Can Parents Do With Ask To Buy Feature?

"Ask to Buy" is a resourceful feature for parents, especially those with younger kids. It's available on the latest releases of the operating system, including iOS 8 and iOS X. for using Ask To Buy, you'll need to set up Apple's Family Sharing. Family Sharing packs a bundle of features for parental control. You may be wondering, what's in it for the parents?

Here’s the deal:

• Ask To Buy: Before children under 13 can make a purchase, a request is sent to the organizer. The purchase only proceeds after the organizer accepts it. If the request is declined, no purchase will be made.
• Share your locations and locate everyone's devices, so you know where your kids are at all times. It also helps track down a stolen phone.
• You can set up Apple Cash to share money via messages with your kids so they can make purchases on Apple Pay.
• You can keep a check on the screen times and adjust settings for children on Family Sharing.
• Set up Apple Watch for younger kids to stay connected. Several features are available, including tracking, Ask To Buy, and more.

With so many features, Ask To Buy has to be pretty cool, right? Or so you'd think as long as you haven't used it. Users have a different opinion. Let's find out.

Part 3：Is Ask to Buy useful for parents?

Ask To Buy offers some good parental control features, but it’s not without its shortcomings. You may find it great in theory, saving you from unnecessary purchases and all, but is it really practical? Or should your turn off Ask To Buy and use a different parental control entirely? Many users would pick the latter.

Here’s what they’re saying on the internet:

• Kate Etue feels that the feature is more annoying than useful. Her 3 kids, wanting to download everything in the app store, flood her phone with requests.
• Eyecrispy says her kids send her requests all the time, and if she doesn’t respond right away, they're not in the Notification Center, which gets bothersome.
• Jean says that the purchase does not initiate right away after approving it. All the purchasing steps have to be repeated before the kids can get it downloaded on their device.
• Tim: feels it makes a mockery of ‘asking permission from parents’. If an app is approved for download for one child, the others can download it without asking.
• David Sparks mentions that if an app developer does not approve of their app being available via Family Sharing, it won’t work. Each family member will have to buy it separately.

And it gets worse:

Everyone has to be on iOS 8 or iOS X to be able to use the feature. If all the members aren’t on Apple devices, Ask To Buy won’t be much good. Better disable Ask To Buy and move to a more versatile app.

Part 4：How To Turn Off Ask To Buy?

If Ask to Buy doesn't turn out well for you, you can disable the feature with very simple steps. Here's how to turn off Ask To Buy on different devices:

1. How to turn off Ask to Buy on your iPhone?

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Tap on your Apple ID appearing at the top of the list.

• On the right-hand side, select "Family Sharing."
• Click “Ask To Buy."
• Click a name.
• Use the toggle to turn off Ask To Buy.

2. How To Turn off Ask To Buy on your Mac?

• Go to the Apple menu.
• Select “System Preferences.”
• Click “Family Sharing.”
• From the menu on the sidebar, click “Family.”
• Next to the child’s name, tap “Details.”
• Click “Ask To Buy.”
• Turn it off.

You can only turn off Ask To Buy if you're the family organizer.

Part 5：Is Apple's Screen Time Feature Enough for Monitoring Kid's Phone Usage?

Apple's Family Sharing also includes Screen Time to monitor your child's use of the network. It's a good start for parental control, but not the best. There are limits to its capabilities. Screen Time can not be used to filter websites automatically or set up geofences like FamiSafe.

So why is FamiSafe a better alternative, you might ask.

FamiSafe is a comprehensive parental control app for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Mac, Chromebook, and Windows. You can easily register an account and utilize advanced features for a thorough check on the kids while they experience a safe and enjoyable time on the internet. This video shows us how FamiSafe works in parental control:

What Does FamiSafe Offer?

• Set up geofences around specific locations, such as "school" or "home," and get alerts if the child attempts to break the particular location's routine. You'll also be notified if the child tries to enter "unsafe zones". You can also track your kids' real-time location, so you always know that they're safe.
• Filter websites by categories and block or allow specific websites. You can also track their browsing history.
• You can monitor and set up a screen time schedule. FamiSafe also allows you to temporarily block your kid's device to help them focus on schoolwork, family time, or more.

That’s not all. FamiSafe also provides features like Explicit Content Detection, Screen Time Limit, SMS tracker, and more features to help parents with monitoring their kid's iPhone usage and protect them from possible dangers.

So if you're not satisfied with it, it's not hard to learn how to turn off Ask To Buy. It barely takes you a minute to break free from Apple's parental control and try out something new! FamiSafe offers a much more comprehensive package to monitor and control your children's use of the internet. Try it out, and you'll know what we're talking about!