A new game can lead to a second decision: buying coins, unlocking a feature, or starting a subscription. Purchase approvals give your family a chance to discuss that decision before an eligible transaction goes through. Set them up together, with a clear explanation of what needs permission and when an adult will check requests.
Start with the right account. Your child should use their own age-appropriate account in your family group. An adult's signed-in account is the wrong place to test whether the child's purchase rules work.
On Apple devices, set up Family Sharing and include your child's Apple Account. On the parent's iPhone or iPad, open Settings, then Family, and select the child. Apple's current instructions place Ask to Buy under Apps & Websites, then Restrictions. Turn on Require Purchase Approval. If your menus differ, look for Ask to Buy under the child's family settings. Menu layouts and age-related defaults vary by software and region.
For Google Play, open Family Link on your device, select your child, and choose Controls, then Google Play. Under Purchases & download approvals, select Require approval for. Choose All content if you want requests for free downloads as well as purchases. The other choices cover narrower categories. Keep Family Link and Play Store notifications enabled so requests can reach you.
Know the gaps. Google says these purchase settings apply only to its Play billing system. Apple does not send an Ask to Buy request for a child's own redownloads, app updates, or redemption codes. An approval setting is not a promise that every payment route, existing subscription, or interaction inside an app needs fresh permission.
Test with a free app your child has not downloaded before. Confirm that the request reaches the intended adult, then review it together. Before approving a paid item, check whether the displayed price is one-time or recurring. Agree on a spending limit and explain a declined request without turning it into a punishment. Keep purchase receipts available, and revisit the settings when a device or family account changes.