iOS in-app purchases now always require password

Apple's in-app purchasing mechanism has suffered a small, but important change in iOS 4.3. Whereas before you could make as many in-app purchases as you pleased without having to enter your iTunes password for 15 minutes after last entering that password (for example, when purchasing an app or game), from now on entering the password will be required for each and every in-app purchase. This will surely make parents everywhere breathe a collective sigh of relief, since it certainly seems like they were the biggest proponents of such a change.

Why? Well, imagine this. Your child asks you (nicely) to enter your iTunes password so he or she could download the latest and greatest game that all their friends are playing (the game may even be free). You do so, and then they start playing, but, unknown to you, they purchase a $99 in-app item such as an 'animal', or who knows what. Children may not even understand that they've used real money off your credit card for that purchase. Then, at the end of the month, your credit card statement comes in, and... you get the idea. The above isn't possible anymore, and that's certainly a good thing. And, perhaps, one more reason to update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest version of the OS.

Let's hope Google decides to implement such security measures for in-app purchases from the beginning, whenever it finally decides to launch that system for Android-powered devices.

Tags: Apple, in-app purchases, In-appPurchases, IOS, ios 4.3, Ios4.3, ipad, iphone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, security