You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Child Restrictions and App Sharing

My child is restricted from downloading apps without permission. However, any apps that my wife and I have downloaded are available to download without restriction.


How do I block them from being downloaded?



iMac

Posted on Jan 19, 2023 6:56 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 21, 2023 12:45 PM

Hello johnnyjackhammer,


If your child is accessing these apps via Family Sharing, you would need to disable Family Sharing for them using the steps in this guide:


How to share purchases with your family - Apple Support

  1. "If you haven't set up Family Sharing yet, set up Family Sharing.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap Family. If you don't see Family, tap your name, then tap Family Sharing.
  4. Tap Purchase Sharing."

You can then turn it off for your child.


There is also some information in this resource that may help as well: Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch – Apple Support


Cheers!

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 21, 2023 12:45 PM in response to johnnyjackhammer

Hello johnnyjackhammer,


If your child is accessing these apps via Family Sharing, you would need to disable Family Sharing for them using the steps in this guide:


How to share purchases with your family - Apple Support

  1. "If you haven't set up Family Sharing yet, set up Family Sharing.
  2. Open the Settings app.
  3. Tap Family. If you don't see Family, tap your name, then tap Family Sharing.
  4. Tap Purchase Sharing."

You can then turn it off for your child.


There is also some information in this resource that may help as well: Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch – Apple Support


Cheers!

Jan 22, 2023 3:54 PM in response to johnnyjackhammer

Hi there johnnyjackhammer,


We appreciate those details. Yes, you could try hide purchased apps that you don't want your child to download from previous purchases. If needed, the steps below show how to do that on a Mac:


"Hide apps on your Mac

  1. On your Mac, open the App Store. If you're not already signed in, click Sign In at the bottom of the sidebar, then enter your Apple ID and password.
  2. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar. Your purchased apps appear.
  3. Hold your pointer over the app and look for the more options button . Click the more options button , then choose Hide Purchase .
  4. When you're asked if you're sure you want to hide the app, click Hide Purchase."


Those steps, and more for other devices, are from this article: Hide purchases from the App Store - Apple Support


Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.


Take care!

Jan 22, 2023 11:43 AM in response to Lager1

Thank you.


Disabling Family Sharing is not a reasonable option. Too much functionality is lost relative to what we are trying to accomplish. We are not trying to block all of the apps we are sharing, just a few. There are some apps we have paid for explicitly to share amongst our family members.


I could set a time limit on their phones for those few apps I suppose but the lowest setting is 1 minute - and this doesn't prevent them from accessing the apps to begin with.


I could "hide" those apps from our App Store which might work...

Child Restrictions and App Sharing

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.