How to Block In-App Purchases in Pokémon GO (iPhone and Android)

Pokémon GO has no purchase lock of its own, so you block in-app purchases through the phone. On an iPhone with iOS 27, go to Settings > Screen Time > Apps & Websites > App Store > In-app Purchases and choose Blocked. On iOS 26 or earlier, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > In-app Purchases and choose Don’t Allow. On Android, open the Google Play app and set Purchase verification to Always, so every purchase needs your password, fingerprint, or face.

What you can and cannot block

Pokémon GO is free to download and play. The game’s Shop sells PokéCoins, the in-game currency, and Niantic says some items, such as event tickets and certain bundles, are sold only for real money. When a player taps a PokéCoin pack, the payment is handled by the App Store on an iPhone, or by Google Play or the Galaxy Store on Android. That is why the controls are in the phone’s settings and not in the game.

• iPhone and iPad: Screen Time can turn in-app purchases off completely. You can also leave them on and require a password every time.
• Android: Google Play documents purchase verification, which asks for proof that it is you before each purchase. Google does not document a switch that turns in-app purchases off entirely.
• Every app is affected: these settings apply to all apps and games on the device, not just Pokémon GO.
• One device at a time: Google says verification settings apply only on the device where you choose them, so repeat the steps on each phone or tablet.

Before you start, have the account password ready. Android asks you to confirm the change, and that can mean entering the Google Account password.

Block in-app purchases on an iPhone with iOS 27

Apple redesigned Screen Time in iOS 27, and its current support article uses the new layout. Screen Time is Apple’s built-in set of usage limits and parental controls.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time.
2. If Screen Time is off, tap Manage Screen Time, then tap Turn On App & Website Activity. Apple says in-app purchases can only be blocked once Screen Time is on.
3. Tap Apps & Websites, then tap App Store.
4. Tap In-app Purchases and select Blocked.

These steps come from Apple’s Turn off Apple In-App Purchases from Screen Time article. The same steps work on an iPad.

If you do not see Apps & Websites, the iPhone is still using the earlier layout. Apple notes that the newest Screen Time features need iOS 27, and in a Family Sharing group every device has to be updated before the new parental controls appear. Use the next section instead.

Block in-app purchases on iOS 26 and earlier

1. Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time. Turn it on if it is off.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn on the switch at the top.
3. Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
4. Tap In-app Purchases and choose Don’t Allow.

This is the path in Niantic’s Restricting In-App Purchases (iOS) page and in Apple’s App Store restrictions guide. On the same screen, Niantic points out a softer option: under Require Password, choose Always Require to keep purchases available but ask for the password each time.

Lock the setting with a Screen Time passcode

Anyone who can open Settings can turn the block back off, so add a Screen Time passcode. This is a separate four-digit code, not the code that unlocks the iPhone.

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. On iOS 27, tap Manage Screen Time, then tap Lock Screen Time Settings. On earlier versions, look for Lock Screen Time Settings on the Screen Time screen.
3. Enter a four-digit passcode, then enter it again to confirm.

Apple also offers Screen Time Passcode Recovery, which lets you reset a forgotten code with your Apple Account. Pick a code a child does not know and cannot guess.

Require a password instead of blocking on iPhone

If you still buy things yourself, a password prompt may suit you better than a full block.

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap Media & Purchases.
3. Tap Password Settings and choose Always Require.

The other choice, Require After 15 Minutes, skips the prompt for 15 minutes after you enter the password, which leaves a window for extra purchases. Apple’s Require a password for purchases article explains both options. For a longer walkthrough, see how to require a password for App Store purchases on iPhone.

Require verification for purchases on Android

1. Open the Google Play app.
2. Tap your profile picture at the top right.
3. Tap Payments & subscriptions, then Purchase verification.
4. Tap Verification frequency. In some regions the option is called Verification requirement.
5. Choose Always, then confirm the change.

Google’s Purchase verification for Google Play page lists three frequency choices:

Setting	What happens
Always (default)	Verification is required for every purchase through Google Play’s billing system, including inside apps.
Every 30 minutes	After you verify once, more purchases can go through for 30 minutes without another check.
Never	No verification is required.

Where the setting is based on payment method instead, the strictest choice is All payment methods.

Two details matter on a shared phone. First, Google says biometric verification works with any fingerprint or face stored on the device. If a child’s fingerprint unlocks the phone, it can also approve purchases, so choose the Google Account password as the verification method instead. Second, the setting covers only purchases billed through Google Play. Niantic notes that some Android purchases go through the Galaxy Store, which has its own settings.

Niantic’s Android purchase restriction page still describes the older wording, Require Authentication For Purchases and For all purchases through Google Play on this device. If your Play Store shows those labels, pick that option. Our guide on how to require authentication for Google Play purchases covers the setting in more detail, and the same app is where you stop apps from updating automatically on Android.

For parents: approve purchases from your own phone

A block or a password prompt works on one device. If your child has their own account in your family group, you can have every purchase request sent to you instead.

Ask to Buy on iPhone

Ask to Buy needs Family Sharing and a child’s own Apple Account. Apple says it is on by default for children under 13.

1. On your own iPhone, open Settings and tap Family.
2. Tap your child’s name.
3. Tap Apps & Websites, then tap Restrictions.
4. Tap Ask to Buy and turn on Require Purchase Approval.

When your child tries to buy PokéCoins, you get a request that you can approve or decline. See Apple’s Ask to Buy page and its parental controls guide for setup details.

Purchase approvals on Google Play

1. Open the Google Play app and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Settings, then Family, then Manage family members.
3. Select the family member’s name and tap Purchase approvals.
4. Choose Only in-app purchases or All content.

Google’s Purchase approvals on Google Play page says the family manager can set this for any family member, and a parent can set it for accounts managed with Family Link. Google also states that verification is always required for purchases in apps designed for ages 12 and under.

How to confirm it works, and how to undo it

Open Pokémon GO, tap the Main Menu button on the map, tap Shop, and tap a PokéCoin pack. On an iPhone with purchases blocked, the purchase should not go through. On Android, a verification prompt should appear before any charge. Cancel at the prompt so you are not billed.

To allow purchases again, return to the same screen and reverse the choice: set In-app Purchases back to allowed on iPhone, or pick a different verification frequency on Android. The iPhone asks for the Screen Time passcode if you created one.

Troubleshooting

• The Screen Time options are missing: Screen Time is turned off, or the iPhone uses the other layout. Try the steps for the other iOS version above.
• Password Settings is missing on iPhone: Apple says this happens when Face ID or Touch ID is turned on for purchases. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) and turn off the switch next to iTunes & App Store.
• The Android menu looks different: Google is updating these settings and says they may not look the same for everyone in a region. Look for Purchase verification or Authentication in the Play Store menus.
• A purchase still went through on Android: check whether the frequency is set to Every 30 minutes, whether a stored fingerprint approved it, and which Google Account is active in the Play Store.
• You cannot change a child’s settings: on a child account in a family group, the organizer or a parent manages these controls from their own device.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child still earn PokéCoins without buying them?

Yes. Niantic’s Defender Bonus gives free PokéCoins for Pokémon left defending a Gym, with a daily limit of 50 that Niantic says can change. Those coins can be exchanged for Shop items, such as an extra incubator for hatching Eggs, without spending money.

Does this block purchases in other games too?

Yes. The iPhone and Android settings apply to every app on the device that bills through the App Store or Google Play, not just Pokémon GO. They do not cover purchases made some other way, such as on a website.

Can I get a refund for PokéCoins bought by mistake?

Niantic does not refund PokéCoin purchases itself. Its Shop purchase help page sends you to the store that took the payment, and warns that some stores only refund within a limited time. On iPhone, follow Apple’s refund request steps. On Android, see the Google Play refund policies. A refund is not guaranteed in either store.

Does blocking in-app purchases cancel anything already bought?

No. PokéCoins and items already on the account stay there, and they can still be spent in the Shop. The setting only stops new purchases with real money.

Can I block the game entirely instead?

You can delete Pokémon GO from the iPhone, or use Screen Time to limit how long it can be used. If the game is filling the photo library, you can stop Pokémon GO from saving photos. If notifications are the problem, you can also turn off raid invitations.

Next step

Set the block or verification on every device that runs the game, add the Screen Time passcode, then run the Shop test. If purchases you do want to allow keep failing later, the card on file may be out of date. See how to update your Apple Account payment method on iPhone.