In-game app charges on kids’ games have become a real problem for parents. It’s not uncommon for parents to find their checking accounts or credit cards dinged for anywhere from $5 to $100 each time their children play ‘free’ games.
Just ask Kanye West!
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Yeezy get fired up
The controversial rapper–who is nicknamed ‘Yeezy’–recently turned to Twitter to vent when his 2-year-old daughter, North, racked up an unspecified amount of in-app purchases on his iPad.
‘F*** any game company that puts in-app purchases on kids games!!!’ Kanye began his Twitter rant, according to DailyMail.com.
He went on to bemoan the fact that games don’t have enough safety features to prevent errant purchasing. ‘That makes no sense!!! We give the iPad to our child and every 5 minutes there’s a new purchase!!!’
Finally, he issued a plea to game makers: ‘If a game is made for a 2 year old, just allow them to have fun and give parents a break…’
If you’re a parent with young kids, you can probably feel Kanye’s pain. Thankfully, there’s something you can do about it!
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What’s a parent to do?
Before you throw up your hands in defeat, know that you have some defenses here against huge in-app purchases.
For Android users, follow these steps to block in-app purchasing on your device. Another option would be to download the free Kid’s Place app, which prevents children from downloading new apps, making phone calls, texting or performing other actions that can cost you money.
Apple also makes it easy to control in-app purchasing on your device. Go into the device Settings > General > Restrictions > In App Purchases (set this to ‘off’). The device will require your master unlock password before allowing that option to be turned back on again.
Finally, if you have a Kindle device, here’s how you can turn off in-purchasing on your account.
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For more money-saving advice, see our Mobile section!
