To require your Apple Account password for each App Store purchase, open Settings > your name > Media & Purchases > Password Settings, then choose Always Require. If you use Face ID or Touch ID for purchases, Password Settings may not appear because biometric authorization is already required for each download.
There are three different controls to consider: authorizing a purchase with your account password or biometrics, blocking purchases with Screen Time, and asking a parent to approve a child’s purchase. Choose the control that matches the result you want. For a game-specific example, see how to block in-app purchases in Pokémon GO.
Know Which Password the Setting Uses
Apple Account password: Used to authorize purchases and downloads when password authorization is selected. Older screens and guides call this your Apple ID password.
iPhone passcode: Used to unlock your phone and authorize certain device actions. It is not the password you are choosing under Media & Purchases.
Screen Time passcode: Protects restrictions such as blocking in-app purchases. It is a separate control, even if someone has chosen the same digits as their device passcode.
The title of an older guide may say “passcode,” but Always Require in Password Settings refers to purchase authorization with your Apple Account password. Do not type a device passcode into a field asking for your Apple Account password.
Require Your Password for Each Purchase
- Open Settings on the iPhone.
- Tap your name at the top to open your Apple Account settings.
- Tap Media & Purchases.
- Tap Password Settings.
- Under purchases and in-app purchases, choose Always Require.
- If asked, enter the password for the Apple Account used for Media & Purchases to confirm.
- Return to Password Settings and check that Always Require is selected.
Apple also documents Require After 15 Minutes. That option allows additional purchases during the password-free window after you have authorized a purchase. Choose Always Require if you want a fresh password request each time.
Apple’s purchase-password guide states that you cannot completely turn off password protection for paid items on iPhone or iPad. Do not look for a “Never Require” option for paid purchases in this menu.
Require a Password for Free Downloads
Free downloads have a separate setting when password authorization is being used.
- Return to Settings > your name > Media & Purchases > Password Settings.
- Find Free Downloads.
- Turn on Require Password if you want password authorization for free downloads too.
- Confirm the setting remains on before leaving the screen.
Requiring a password for a free app does not turn it into a paid app. It adds an authorization step. The purchase setting and the free-download setting are separate, so review both if your goal is to authorize every new download.
An app that is free to install can still contain paid subscriptions or in-app purchases. Requiring authorization helps control those transactions, but it does not explain the app’s future charges. Read the price and any subscription terms before approving.
Why Password Settings May Be Missing
If Face ID or Touch ID is enabled for purchases, Apple says Password Settings will not appear. The biometric method requires authorization for every download, including free downloads.
To check which method you are using, open Settings > Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode, enter the device passcode, and look at iTunes & App Store. This is the purchase-specific biometric control; it is separate from using Face ID or Touch ID to unlock your iPhone.
If your goal is simply to authorize every download, leaving purchase biometrics enabled already provides that per-download check. You do not need to disable them just to reveal Password Settings.
If you specifically prefer typing the Apple Account password, turn off iTunes & App Store in the biometric settings, then return to Media & Purchases > Password Settings and select Always Require. Be sure you know the account password first. This changes the purchase authorization method; keep the device’s normal lock and authentication protections configured as needed.
Block In-App Purchases Instead
A required password permits a purchase after someone authorizes it. If you want to prevent in-app purchases altogether, use Screen Time restrictions.
- Open Settings > Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn Content & Privacy Restrictions on.
- Open iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Tap In-app Purchases and choose Don’t Allow.
- Use a Screen Time passcode to protect the restrictions when appropriate.
Apple documents these controls in its App Store restrictions guide. Menu wording can vary with iOS, but the purchase restriction is distinct from the password preference under your Apple Account.
If you also want to prevent new app installations, see how to block the App Store with Screen Time. For an explanation of the broader controls, see what restrictions on iPhone mean.
For a Child’s iPhone
With Family Sharing, a parent or guardian can manage purchase requests through Ask to Buy. This sends eligible purchase and download requests to an adult for approval. It serves a different purpose from requiring the child to type a password on the device.
Use Family Sharing and the child’s own Apple Account when setting up family purchase controls. Review both approval requests and Screen Time restrictions if you want to control which transactions are possible and which need adult approval. Availability and eligibility depend on Apple’s family settings and the child’s account.
Do not assume that a password request alone provides parental approval if the child knows that password. Likewise, blocking in-app purchases does not automatically configure every other purchase or content restriction.
Check the Result Without Buying Anything
Return to Password Settings to confirm Always Require, or check that purchase biometrics are enabled. Review Require Password for free downloads separately. If using Screen Time, confirm In-app Purchases shows Don’t Allow.
You can inspect an App Store download’s authorization prompt without completing a paid transaction. Cancel if you reach a purchase or subscription confirmation. A settings check should never require buying an app just to prove the setting works.
If another download does not behave as expected, confirm the Apple Account shown under Media & Purchases, the biometric setting, and whether the item is a new purchase or a redownload. Do not repeatedly approve prompts while trying to diagnose the configuration.
Change the Setting Later
To change the password frequency, return to Password Settings and select the available option you prefer. To restore biometric purchase authorization, return to Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode and enable iTunes & App Store.
To lift a Screen Time block, change In-app Purchases back to Allow with the appropriate Screen Time passcode. Changing the password frequency does not remove that separate restriction. If your household also uses an Android phone or tablet, see how to require authentication for Google Play purchases.
Common Questions
Will this cancel an existing subscription?
No. Purchase authorization settings do not cancel subscriptions already running. To stop a renewal, use our guide to canceling subscriptions on iPhone and check the cancellation details for that subscription.
Why do I see Face ID instead of a password box?
Purchase biometrics are enabled. Apple requires that authorization for every download, including free items. Use the purchase-specific biometric settings if you prefer password authorization.
Can I require authorization and also block purchases?
Yes, but each setting has its own job. A block prevents the restricted transaction; a password or biometric check authorizes transactions that are allowed. Check the restriction first when a purchase cannot proceed.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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