You know how you see toddlers playing on their parents’ iPhones everywhere—at the grocery store, in waiting rooms, and even during school drop-offs? Well, I’ve always tried to keep my little one away from my phone, but when my older son had to visit the emergency room, I found myself using my iPhone as a distraction for my toddler.
What I didn’t expect was that this would lead to a hefty bill!
Just a few days after our ER visit, my inbox started filling up with iTunes purchase confirmations. It started with a small app purchase of 99 cents, but soon escalated to charges as high as $99.99. By the time I added them all up, I was staring at a staggering total of over $430!
Thinking my iTunes account had been hacked, I immediately reached out to Apple Support. That’s when I was introduced to the concept of in-app purchases. I guess I had been so busy juggling my three kids that I missed the memo on this one!
Turns out, while my toddler was busy launching Angry Birds at towers, he was also clicking on pop-up messages asking if he wanted “magical birds.” Not being able to read, he just tapped away to keep the game going.
I got lucky when the customer service representative agreed to refund the charges, but I’ve heard of other parents who weren’t so fortunate. The biggest takeaway for me? I needed to disable in-app purchases on all my devices before handing them over to my kids again.
How to Disable In-App Purchases
If you’re wondering how to do that, I made a quick guide:
- Open “Settings.”
- Tap on “General.”
- Select “Restrictions.”
- Enter your password.
- Turn “In-App Purchases” to “Off.”
This will prevent any future accidental purchases on your iPhone.
Do you let your kids play with your phone? How do you keep it off-limits or avoid mishaps like mine?
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In summary, while my iPhone served as a great distraction for my little one, it also taught me a crucial lesson about managing in-app purchases. Take the time to set restrictions—it’s worth it to avoid costly surprises!
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