In a bid to defuse ongoing concerns over freemium apps targeted at children, Apple has moved to publish a guide to using in-app purchases on the front page of the App Store.
Currently on iPad only, said guide is triggered when users tap a 'Learn More About In-App Purchases' button in the Featured section of the App Store.
On offer is a brief, illustrated guide to the use of in-app purchases, with the guide defining what IAPs are, what types they can take and how they work, as well as information on the relevant parental controls.
Back to school
As such, the page is designed to explain the difference between permanent and 'expendable' in-app purchases, how to enable in-app purchase restrictions on iOS devices and how to change in-app purchase password authorisation settings
Apple also includes links to its 'Parents' Guide to iTunes' and to an Apple support page titled 'iOS: Understanding Restrictions.'
The attempt to educate iOS users arrives during a period of media interest in IAP and freemium, with recent reports highlighting instances where children had amassed bills as high as £1,700 within games many parents believed were completely free.
Said guide isn't the first sign that Apple is taking these reports seriously, either. March saw the company tweak the layout of App Store listings to include in-app purchase warnings, with educating its audience rather than fundamentally changing how IAPs work on Apple's agenda.
Top Stories
News
May 31st, 2024
Week in Views - Squad Busters goes global, broken app stores, and Hill Climb Racing gets the LEGO treatment
News
May 31st, 2024
Mobile Movers: All the latest appointments and job moves from around the industry
Events
Indie Game Fest & Indie Campus 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Indie Craft K-Game Festival 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
BostonFig Online 2024 | Jun 1st | |
GameSummit Summer 2024 | Jun 1st | |
Gotland Game Conference 2024 | Nordic | Jun 3rd |
Games Mental Health Summit 2024 | Europe | Jun 3rd |
Dev Play Conference 2024 | Europe | Jun 3rd |
Tribeca Games Festival 2024 | North America | Jun 5th |