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Does anyone else hate the way it's now a requirement to enter your password for an App store purchase? What is the point of that? I recently upgraded my phone

Does anyone else hate the way it's now a requirement to enter your password for an App store purchase? What is the point of that? I recently upgraded my phone and I didn't have this happen before? What's annoying for me is I use a very strong password, which is stored in my password safe, which isn't compatible with this prompt, so I basically just stopped buying things from the App store, problem solved?

Gigachad 4y ago
I half believe they do it to get everyone to remember their password since if you forget it, you can't factory reset your device and it becomes unsellable.
- Sakos 4y ago
  I wish Microsoft would do this. A lot of people have setup a PIN to login to Windows and forget their password (and have no idea that there's a difference or what a Microsoft account is or how to access theirs), then get locked out of their account. There are also plenty of places where the PIN isn't an option (like the recovery console).
  - alexdbird 4y ago
    I think this is an under-appreciated piece of UX. Authy get it, they prompt you to enter your backup password, just to check you know it, but you can skip so it doesn't get in your way when you're in a hurry. I have one bank that never re-prompts for their passcode, and I've been locked out of the app since I got a new phone and put the wrong code in; because they name everything differently from all the other banks too. N.B. I can see the same accounts via my business login and phoning them is pain, so...
    - auguzanellato 4y ago
      On the topic of banks: I have an account with an Italian bank that is also one of the biggest European banks, when I switched phone they asked me for (iirc) 3 different codes plus an additional sms otp, after that they first disconnected my old phone from the account and then they asked for my debit card PIN which I didn't remember because my card was replaced less than a month ago. I was then locked out from my account and I still didn't manage to get back in. To be fair I didn't even try to call their customer support, I just drained the account using Apple Pay which luckily was still working.
      - alexdbird 4y ago
        Interesting, here in the UK your PIN stays the same when you get a replacement card. Revealing a card PIN to anything other than ATM/POS hardware seems fundamentally wrong too.
mmiyer 4y ago
You can set it to use FaceId for purchases.
- saagarjha 4y ago
  It'll still ask you every once in a while.
  - timmytokyo 4y ago
    Yes, there appears to be some sort of auth token expiration going on. Even after setting up Face-ID-based authorization, I occasionally get asked for my AppleID password when using the app store.
- bamboozled 4y ago
  I believe you can only use FaceID to download apps you've already downloaded / purchased.
  - gruez 4y ago
    That's incorrect. I just tested and there's definitely a touchid/faceid prompt when you try to download a new app. Also, apps that you already downloaded/purchased require no identification at all.
KennyBlanken 4y ago
Forcing you to enter your password to touch-auth means they have greater defense from people claiming someone else made a purchase on your account.
- ztrww 4y ago
  It’s understandable for paid apps. but what’s the point in asking for the password each time you want to download a free app?
  - ccouzens 4y ago
    And for that matter, why do you have to be logged in to your Apple account before you can download free apps?
    - teruakohatu 4y ago
      "Free" apps are in many cases a gateway to billable IAP. And free apps without IAP are just an update away from having IAP.
      - mynameisvlad 4y ago
        This. If you're tightly managing the phone, for instance because of kids, then you're going to want to restrict access to free apps because it'll inevitably lead to accidental or intentional IAP purchases.
    - elondaits 4y ago
      Apple’s geographical restrictions are account based, not current location based. Some apps are only available in certain countries. Hence, even free, apps are associated with an account in a particular region. Also, it’d be easy to ruin someone’s life by downloading a free app like Tinder or Grinder to their phone.
      - ccouzens 4y ago
andybak 4y ago
It essentially meant I never install apps on my Apple TV unless I'm very motivated. My password is long, unlocking with another Apple device usually means finding my iPad somewhere in the house (the only device I have on my person is an Android phone - Apple don't seem to consider this case). End result - it's too much bother usually.
Maursault 4y ago
> Does anyone else hate the way it's now a requirement to enter your password for an App store purchase? As far as I know, it's always been a requirement, though after entering once, you can install more apps without entering a password for a temporary period. It's a good idea, too, since your AppleID is tied to your debit card or credit card, so if someone got a hold of your unlocked iDevice, if the AppleID password wasn't required, they could install as many apps as your debit card or credit card will allow. That's no good. Getting a refund for an AppStore App is near impossible.
- bamboozled 4y ago
  I'd be happy if FaceID was enough though?
  - g_p 4y ago
    You can turn this on in Settings > Face ID & Passcode - enable the option for "iTunes & App Store", and you can use Face ID for app store "purchases" (free or otherwise). You can disable the requirement for a password for free apps via the Settings > (your name) > Media & Purchases > Password Settings menu.
    - oefrha 4y ago
      I have both enabled since forever but I still get password’ed every once in a while even when installing free apps. The App Store password prompt is also stuck in distant past with no keychain integration, so I always have to cancel the purchase, copy password from password manager, then purchase again. Super annoying.
  - roofone 4y ago
    FaceID still works for this, for me. I do not have to enter my password for purchases.
- crazygringo 4y ago
  > Getting a refund for an AppStore App is near impossible. Don't know what you're talking about -- I've done it several times when an app turned out not to work or not have a feature I needed. The refund was processed every time. Obviously if you needed to refund 100 apps in a week you'd probably have an issue, but normal occasional refunds seem to present no problem whatsoever.
amelius 4y ago
You're a minority. Most people don't have strong passwords. Problem solved for Apple.

Gigachad 4y ago

I half believe they do it to get everyone to remember their password since if you forget it, you can't factory reset your device and it becomes unsellable.

Sakos 4y ago
I wish Microsoft would do this. A lot of people have setup a PIN to login to Windows and forget their password (and have no idea that there's a difference or what a Microsoft account is or how to access theirs), then get locked out of their account. There are also plenty of places where the PIN isn't an option (like the recovery console).
- alexdbird 4y ago
  I think this is an under-appreciated piece of UX. Authy get it, they prompt you to enter your backup password, just to check you know it, but you can skip so it doesn't get in your way when you're in a hurry. I have one bank that never re-prompts for their passcode, and I've been locked out of the app since I got a new phone and put the wrong code in; because they name everything differently from all the other banks too. N.B. I can see the same accounts via my business login and phoning them is pain, so...
  - auguzanellato 4y ago
    On the topic of banks: I have an account with an Italian bank that is also one of the biggest European banks, when I switched phone they asked me for (iirc) 3 different codes plus an additional sms otp, after that they first disconnected my old phone from the account and then they asked for my debit card PIN which I didn't remember because my card was replaced less than a month ago. I was then locked out from my account and I still didn't manage to get back in. To be fair I didn't even try to call their customer support, I just drained the account using Apple Pay which luckily was still working.
    - alexdbird 4y ago
      Interesting, here in the UK your PIN stays the same when you get a replacement card. Revealing a card PIN to anything other than ATM/POS hardware seems fundamentally wrong too.

mmiyer 4y ago

You can set it to use FaceId for purchases.

saagarjha 4y ago
It'll still ask you every once in a while.
- timmytokyo 4y ago
  Yes, there appears to be some sort of auth token expiration going on. Even after setting up Face-ID-based authorization, I occasionally get asked for my AppleID password when using the app store.
bamboozled 4y ago
I believe you can only use FaceID to download apps you've already downloaded / purchased.
- gruez 4y ago
  That's incorrect. I just tested and there's definitely a touchid/faceid prompt when you try to download a new app. Also, apps that you already downloaded/purchased require no identification at all.

KennyBlanken 4y ago

Forcing you to enter your password to touch-auth means they have greater defense from people claiming someone else made a purchase on your account.

ztrww 4y ago
It’s understandable for paid apps. but what’s the point in asking for the password each time you want to download a free app?
- ccouzens 4y ago
  And for that matter, why do you have to be logged in to your Apple account before you can download free apps?
  - teruakohatu 4y ago
    "Free" apps are in many cases a gateway to billable IAP. And free apps without IAP are just an update away from having IAP.
    - mynameisvlad 4y ago
      This. If you're tightly managing the phone, for instance because of kids, then you're going to want to restrict access to free apps because it'll inevitably lead to accidental or intentional IAP purchases.
  - elondaits 4y ago
    Apple’s geographical restrictions are account based, not current location based. Some apps are only available in certain countries. Hence, even free, apps are associated with an account in a particular region. Also, it’d be easy to ruin someone’s life by downloading a free app like Tinder or Grinder to their phone.
    - ccouzens 4y ago

andybak 4y ago

It essentially meant I never install apps on my Apple TV unless I'm very motivated. My password is long, unlocking with another Apple device usually means finding my iPad somewhere in the house (the only device I have on my person is an Android phone - Apple don't seem to consider this case). End result - it's too much bother usually.

Maursault 4y ago

> Does anyone else hate the way it's now a requirement to enter your password for an App store purchase? As far as I know, it's always been a requirement, though after entering once, you can install more apps without entering a password for a temporary period. It's a good idea, too, since your AppleID is tied to your debit card or credit card, so if someone got a hold of your unlocked iDevice, if the AppleID password wasn't required, they could install as many apps as your debit card or credit card will allow. That's no good. Getting a refund for an AppStore App is near impossible.

bamboozled 4y ago
I'd be happy if FaceID was enough though?
- g_p 4y ago
  You can turn this on in Settings > Face ID & Passcode - enable the option for "iTunes & App Store", and you can use Face ID for app store "purchases" (free or otherwise). You can disable the requirement for a password for free apps via the Settings > (your name) > Media & Purchases > Password Settings menu.
  - oefrha 4y ago
    I have both enabled since forever but I still get password’ed every once in a while even when installing free apps. The App Store password prompt is also stuck in distant past with no keychain integration, so I always have to cancel the purchase, copy password from password manager, then purchase again. Super annoying.
- roofone 4y ago
  FaceID still works for this, for me. I do not have to enter my password for purchases.
crazygringo 4y ago
> Getting a refund for an AppStore App is near impossible. Don't know what you're talking about -- I've done it several times when an app turned out not to work or not have a feature I needed. The refund was processed every time. Obviously if you needed to refund 100 apps in a week you'd probably have an issue, but normal occasional refunds seem to present no problem whatsoever.

amelius 4y ago

You're a minority. Most people don't have strong passwords. Problem solved for Apple.