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
12 hours, 40 minutes ago
PocketGamer.biz Podcast - ustwo games’ María Sayans on the sustainable strategy behind Monument Valley
Feature
May 28th, 2024
Hot Five: Disney x Fortnite, Sega’s sonic speed, and a potential Keywords Studios buyout
Feature
May 27th, 2024
“There has been an increase in funding opportunities for African developers with more exciting times to come"
Events
Unreal Fest Gold Coast 2024 | Australasia | May 29th |
For The Win 2024 | Europe | May 29th |
Indie Craft K-Game Festival 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Indie Game Fest & Indie Campus 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Game Access Conference 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
GDCy Fest 2024 | May 31st | |
GameSummit Summer 2024 | Jun 1st | |
BostonFig Online 2024 | Jun 1st |