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You cannot use one Samsung-wide switch to remove every in-app purchase option. To require a check before a purchase, turn on purchase authentication separately in Google Play and Galaxy Store. For a child’s account, use Samsung Family controls where available and configure Google Play’s child-purchase controls separately. These settings add a checkpoint; they do not hide purchase offers inside apps.
Choose the control that matches your goal
| Control | What it covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play purchase authentication | Google Play purchases on that device | Requires authentication before a purchase is completed. |
| Galaxy Store purchase authentication | Galaxy Store purchases | Requires a password or biometric check before buying. |
| Samsung Family controls | A supervised child profile, where supported | Lets a parent manage downloads and purchases, including Galaxy Store approval options. |
| Google Family Link purchase controls | A child’s Google Play activity | Manages Google Play approvals separately from Samsung and Galaxy Store controls. |
If you use both stores, set up both store-level checks. A setting in one store does not control purchases in the other.
Require authentication for Google Play purchases
- Open the Play Store.
- Tap the account icon.
- Open Settings, then Authentication.
- Tap Require authentication for purchases.
- Select For all purchases through Google Play on this device.
This is Samsung’s documented path. Play Store labels and menu locations can change with app updates, so if the wording differs, look in the store’s settings for purchase authentication. The selection applies to Google Play purchases on that device, not Galaxy Store purchases.
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Require a password or biometric check in Galaxy Store
- Open Galaxy Store.
- Tap the menu, then open Settings.
- Enable Require password/biometrics to buy.
Galaxy Store authentication is separate from the Google Play setting. The exact menu presentation may vary by software version, model, region, or store update.
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Set purchase approvals for a child
Samsung Family controls
On supported devices, open Settings > Samsung account > Family, then select the child profile. Samsung documents child-profile controls for downloads and purchases. Its US guidance specifies Galaxy devices running One UI 5.1 or later; its UK Galaxy for Families guidance specifies One UI 6.1 or later. These are region- and page-specific requirements, not a guarantee that the controls appear on every device meeting either version threshold. Samsung also says Family Group parental controls are available only in select regions. Check the options on the child’s device and Samsung account.
Choose the Galaxy Store approval scope
Samsung’s UK parental-control guidance describes approval choices for all downloads and purchases, paid content only, or in-app purchases only. Choose the narrowest option that matches your needs if those choices are available in the child profile’s settings.
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Configure Google Play separately
Samsung advises managing other stores, including Google Play, through Google Family Link. Samsung Family settings for Galaxy Store do not govern Google Play, so review the child’s Google Play purchase-approval controls separately in Family Link. The available controls and labels can vary.
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Authentication and parental approval add a checkpoint to a purchase; they do not remove purchase buttons or offers from a game or app. Samsung explains that an offer can still appear, but a purchase requires the relevant Google or Samsung password before it can be bought. These controls are intended to reduce unauthorized or accidental completed purchases, not to disable subscriptions universally or change how an app displays its offers.
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If you still see purchase prompts after setting authentication, that is expected. Check that you configured the store used for that purchase, and for a child, that you also configured the relevant family controls. Store interfaces, supported One UI versions, and regional availability can change, so confirm the current options on your model.
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