I admit it, I’m an app junkie, and so are my kids. But the in-app purchase prompts on some of our favorite games drive us all crazy.Because even when you’ve disabled in-app purchases on the devices your kids use (you have, right?), the annoying prompts still come up. So I’m loving the new category on the iTunes store that’s especially perfect for parents: Pay Once and Play.
The name means what it says: No in-app purchases, no prompts to just pay $.99 for a lollipop hammer. You just pay for the app and play to your heart’s content, the way it should be with paid apps.
Related: Can I download the same apps on different iOS devices for my family without paying again?
I love that there are so many apps here that we love, like Threes!, Glorkian Warrior (hilarious), Goat Simulator, and Minecraft PE. Plus I’ve found new games to check out too, which is the point, of course. They’re sorted by recent releases, blockbuster games, and app store originals, so at least you know they’re somewhat vetted.
Just know this is a category that comprises all kinds of games, including parent faves (ha) like Grand Theft Auto and Five Nights at Freddy’s. So this isn’t designed specifically for kids, and you’ll still want to monitor their permissions for app purchases. But it’s a fantastic idea on the part of Apple.
I’m hoping that this kind of thing proves to developers that there’s a huge market of us willing to pay more for an app, in order to keep the ads and additional purchases out of our gaming experience later. That’s more time for playing, less time clicking, “no, I do not want to ask my friends on Facebook for more lives.”
Find lots of cool apps with no in-app purchases in the new Pay Once and Play section on the iTunes store. And hint: If you’re an Android user, this is a good way to track down some of the best for your device too since many of the top apps here are also on Google Play or Amazon.
