Purchase approvals on Google Play

If you're a parent in a family group, you can require family members to get your permission for purchasing or downloading content on Google Play.

Change purchase approval settings

If you're the family manager in the family group, you can choose purchase approval settings for any member of your family. If you're a parent in the family group, you can choose the purchase approval settings for family members whose accounts are managed with Family Link.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Play Store app Google Play.
  2. Tap Family and then Family group.
  3. In the 'Family group' section, tap a family member's name.
  4. Tap All content, Only paid content, Only in-app purchases or No approval required.

Approve or deny requests

If you're a parent in a family group, you can approve or deny requests for content from Google Play.

When a purchase is complete, the family manager will receive an email receipt.

You can manage approvals for recommended apps that you download in Google Kids Space separately in the Google Kids Space settings.

Paid content

  1. When a family member makes a purchase, they'll see a screen that asks for your password.
  2. Review the request.
  3. To approve it, enter your Google Account password on their device.
  4. Tap Approve.

Content at no charge

If parental approval for Play content is required for a child whose Google Account is managed with Family Link, they'll see a screen with two options when they try to download or access content:

Ask in a message

  1. You'll receive a notification on your phone.
  2. Review the request. To see more details, tap the request or the name of the app.
  3. Tap Approve or Deny.

Ask now

  1. You'll review the request on your child's device.
  2. To approve it, enter your Google Account password on their device.
  3. Tap Approve.

See all pending requests for content at no charge

Learn about purchase approval settings

All content

Family members under 18 whose accounts are managed with Family Link need your approval to download any content, even if it's available at no charge. If a family member is over 18 and has a supervised Google Account, they can use the family payment method to buy movies and TV shows without your approval.

Tip: Previous downloads, updates and content shared through Family Library won't require your approval, even if that content was acquired before supervised members are added to your family.

All purchases using the family payment method

Only in-app purchases using the family payment method

Family members only need your approval to use the family payment method to buy in-app purchases, like coins in games.

No approval required

Family members won't need approval to make purchases using the family payment method.

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