Approve what your child can purchase and download with Ask to Buy

With Ask to Buy, you can give your child the freedom to make their own choices while still managing their purchases and downloads. This can help keep their device usage safe and age appropriate.

• Before you get started

• How Ask to Buy works

• How to turn on Ask to Buy

• How to approve or decline an Ask to Buy request

• How to approve or decline an app exception request

• How to choose another approver

Before you get started

1. Make sure you have Family Sharing set up.

2. Create a Child Account for your child, if they don't have one already. Then make sure your child's account is part of your Family Sharing group. It's important that your child has their own Apple Account, and isn't sharing an account with anyone else (for example, another family member).

3. Update all devices in your Family Sharing group to the latest software version to ensure that your settings sync across all the devices in your Family Sharing group.

4. Make sure the Family Sharing organizer or a parent/guardian is added to the child's contacts list so the child's requests can be sent for approval.

How Ask to Buy works

When Family Sharing is set up, the family organizer or a parent/guardian can turn on Ask to Buy. So when your child wants to make an eligible purchase or download — such as downloading an app from the App Store, buying an in-app purchase, or redownloading a shared app — you get a notification with their request.

If you approve the request, the item automatically downloads to the child's device. If you decline the request, no purchase or download will take place. If a child redownloads their own purchase, installs an update, or uses a redemption code, you won’t receive a request to approve or decline. Learn what to do if you don't see your child's requests.

Depending on the child's state, country, or region, Ask to Buy is turned on by default and can’t be turned off if the child is under 18. With Ask to Buy, your child needs to ask for permission to download or purchase an app or make an in-app purchase — regardless of the app's age rating.¹

If an app changes after you approve it

Depending on your state, country, or region, you might receive a notification when an app has introduced a significant change, such as a new feature or an updated age rating. The notification explains the change and requests your approval to allow your child to continue using the app. This is designed to keep your child's device usage safe and age appropriate.

How to turn on Ask to Buy

If you're the Family Sharing organizer or a parent/guardian, use your own device to turn on Ask to Buy.

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app, then tap Family.

2. Tap your child's name.

3. Tap Apps & Websites, then tap Restrictions.

   

4. Tap Ask to Buy, then turn on Require Purchase Approval.

On your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu , click System Settings, then click Family.

2. Click your child's name.

3. Click Apps & Websites, then click Restrictions.

4. Click Ask to Buy, then turn on Require Purchase Approval.

   

How to approve or decline an Ask to Buy request

If you're the Family Sharing organizer or a parent/guardian, you can use your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch to approve or decline a request.

1. Open the message to see the item that your child wants to purchase or download.

   

2. Approve or decline the request.

   

3. If you approve, sign in to your Apple Account to make the purchase, or authenticate with Face ID.

After the item is approved, it's added to your child’s Apple Account.² If you turned on Purchase Sharing and your child is sharing their purchases, the item is automatically shared with the rest of the Family Sharing group.

If you decline a request, your child receives a notification that you declined the request. If you dismiss the request or don't approve within 24 hours, the child will need to make the request again. In iOS 16.1 or iPadOS 16.1 or earlier, requests that you decline or dismiss are deleted after 24 hours.

If you miss an Ask to Buy notification, you can find the request in Messages on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Learn what to do if you can't find your Ask to Buy requests.

How to approve or decline an app exception request

Your child can request an exception for an app that exceeds the app restrictions you set for them in Screen Time. With app exceptions, you can view the apps you granted permission for and remove access at any time using Screen Time in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 and later. For example, if you set app restrictions for a specific age rating, a child might request an app that exceeds that rating.

Learn more about app exceptions in Screen Time

How to choose another Ask to Buy approver

The Family Sharing organizer can give another adult in the family group permission to manage Ask to Buy requests. When a child makes a request, the notification will be sent to the organizer and any parent/guardian within the Family Sharing group, but only one adult needs to manage the purchases and requests.

On your iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap Family, then tap your family member's name.

3. Tap Parent/Guardian.

4. Turn on Set as Parent/Guardian.

On your Mac

1. Choose Apple menu , click System Settings, then click Family.

2. Click a family member's name.

3. Click Parent/Guardian.

4. Select Set as Parent/Guardian, then click Done.