How to Delete Your Purchase History on iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide
Keeping your iPhone clean and organized extends beyond just deleting old photos and unused apps. Your purchase history, while a record of your spending, can also become cluttered and potentially reveal personal information you’d rather keep private. While Apple doesn’t offer a straightforward ‘delete all’ button for your App Store or iTunes purchase history, there are ways to hide individual purchases, effectively cleaning up your visible list. This article will provide a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to manage and hide your purchase history on your iPhone, covering everything from the App Store to iTunes and even In-App Purchases.
## Why Delete (Hide) Your Purchase History?
Before diving into the ‘how,’ let’s consider the ‘why.’ There are several reasons why you might want to manage your purchase history:
* **Privacy Concerns:** You might not want others who use your Apple ID (especially family members) to see what apps, music, or movies you’ve purchased. This is particularly relevant if you share an Apple ID with children or other household members.
* **Clutter Reduction:** Over time, your purchase history can become incredibly long and difficult to navigate. Hiding old or irrelevant purchases can make it easier to find the apps and content you actively use.
* **Avoiding Temptation:** Seeing a list of previous purchases, especially impulse buys, might trigger the desire to make similar purchases in the future. Hiding these items can help you stick to your budget.
* **Gift Surprises:** If you’ve purchased a gift for someone using your Apple ID, you might want to hide it from your purchase history to maintain the element of surprise.
## Important Note: Hiding vs. Deleting
It’s crucial to understand that Apple **does not** allow you to permanently delete your purchase history. The methods described in this article will **hide** purchases from your view in the App Store and iTunes. The purchase information still exists on Apple’s servers for legal and accounting purposes. You are essentially removing the purchase from the visible list associated with your Apple ID.
## Hiding Purchases from the App Store on iPhone
The primary way to manage your purchase history on your iPhone is through the App Store. Here’s how to hide individual apps:
**Method 1: Directly from the Purchased List (Easier Method)**
1. **Open the App Store:** Locate and tap the App Store icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. **Tap Your Profile Icon:** In the top right corner of the App Store, tap on your profile picture or initials. This will open your account settings.
3. **Tap “Purchased”:** In the account settings menu, select the option labeled “Purchased.” This will take you to a list of all apps purchased with your Apple ID.
4. **Tap “My Purchases” or “Family Purchases”:** Depending on your Family Sharing settings, you may see two tabs: “My Purchases” (apps you personally purchased) and “Family Purchases” (apps purchased by other family members if you are the Family Sharing organizer and have purchase sharing enabled). Choose the appropriate tab.
5. **Find the App You Want to Hide:** Scroll through the list of apps or use the search bar to find the app you want to hide.
6. **Swipe Left on the App:** Gently swipe from right to left across the app listing. This will reveal a “Hide” button.
7. **Tap “Hide”:** Tap the red “Hide” button. The app will disappear from your purchased list.
**Important Considerations for Family Sharing:**
* If you are using Family Sharing and hiding an app from the “Family Purchases” list, it will only be hidden from *your* view. Other family members will still be able to see it in their own purchase histories.
* Only the person who made the purchase can hide the app from their own account.
**Method 2: Accessing Your Purchased List Through Account Settings (Alternative Method)**
This method is essentially the same as Method 1, but navigates through a slightly different path.
1. **Open the App Store:** Locate and tap the App Store icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. **Tap Your Profile Icon:** In the top right corner of the App Store, tap on your profile picture or initials. This will open your account settings.
3. **Tap on your Apple ID / Name:** At the top of the screen, tap on your Apple ID (usually your email address) or your name. You might be prompted to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password.
4. **Tap “Purchase History”:** On the Account Settings page, tap on “Purchase History.” You might need to scroll down to find it.
5. **Find the App You Want to Hide:** Scroll through the list of apps or use the search bar to find the app you want to hide. Note that this list shows all purchases, not just apps.
6. **Tap on the Total Billed Amount:** Tap on the entry of the purchase you want to hide, you’ll see a recap of the transaction.
7. **Report a Problem:** Tap on “Report a Problem”.
8. **Why are you reporting this problem?:** Select “I didn’t mean to buy this”.
9. **Description:** Explain that you want to hide the purchase from your purchase history, due to privacy reasons, or simply because you want to clean up your list.
10. **Submit:** Click on submit, this will hide the app after some time.
**Unhiding Apps in the App Store**
If you accidentally hide an app or decide you want to see it in your purchase history again, you can unhide it.
1. **Open the App Store:** Locate and tap the App Store icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. **Tap Your Profile Icon:** In the top right corner of the App Store, tap on your profile picture or initials. This will open your account settings.
3. **Tap on your Apple ID / Name:** At the top of the screen, tap on your Apple ID (usually your email address) or your name. You might be prompted to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password.
4. **Tap “Media & Purchases”**: Look for and tap on the option labeled “Media & Purchases”.
5. **Tap “View Account”**: In the “Media & Purchases” menu, select “View Account”. This will redirect you to your Apple ID account settings within the App Store.
6. **Scroll down and Tap “Hidden Purchases”:** On the Account Settings page, scroll down until you find the “Hidden Purchases” option. Tap on it.
7. **Find the App You Want to Unhide:** A list of all hidden apps will appear. Find the app you want to unhide.
8. **Tap the Cloud Icon:** To the right of the app’s name, you’ll see a cloud icon with a downward-pointing arrow. Tap on this icon to unhide the app.
The app will now reappear in your regular purchase history list.
## Managing iTunes Purchases (Music, Movies, TV Shows)
The process for managing your purchase history in iTunes (now integrated into the Apple Music and Apple TV apps) is slightly different, and it’s primarily done on a computer (Mac or PC) through the Apple Music or Apple TV applications.
**On a Mac (Using Apple Music or Apple TV):**
1. **Open the Apple Music or Apple TV App:** Launch the appropriate application (Music for music purchases, TV for movie and TV show purchases).
2. **Sign In with Your Apple ID:** If you’re not already signed in, go to *Account* in the menu bar at the top of the screen and select *Sign In*. Enter your Apple ID and password.
3. **Go to Account Settings:** Go to *Account* in the menu bar and select *View My Account*. You may be prompted to re-enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID.
4. **Find Purchase History:** On the Account Information page, scroll down to the *Purchase History* section. You’ll see a *Recent Purchases* section. To see your complete history, click the *See All* link next to Recent Purchases.
5. **Identify the Purchase:** Locate the specific music track, album, movie, or TV show you want to hide.
6. **Hide the Purchase:**
* Unfortunately, the Apple Music and Apple TV app interface does not directly allow you to hide purchases like the App Store. You will have to contact Apple Support, explaining you would like to hide a purchase. Explain your reasoning, whether it be for privacy or organization.
**Unhiding iTunes Purchases (Music, Movies, TV Shows) on a Mac**
Once you have contacted Apple Support, they will be able to hide and unhide the purchases for you.
**On a PC (Using iTunes):**
While iTunes has largely been replaced by separate Music and TV apps on macOS, it’s still used on Windows PCs. The process for hiding and unhiding purchases is similar to the macOS instructions.
1. **Open iTunes:** Launch the iTunes application on your Windows PC.
2. **Sign In with Your Apple ID:** If you’re not already signed in, go to *Account* in the menu bar at the top of the iTunes window and select *Sign In*. Enter your Apple ID and password.
3. **Go to Account Settings:** Go to *Account* in the menu bar and select *View My Account*. You may be prompted to re-enter your Apple ID password.
4. **Find Purchase History:** On the Account Information page, scroll down to the *Purchase History* section. You’ll see a *Recent Purchases* section. To see your complete history, click the *See All* link next to Recent Purchases.
5. **Identify the Purchase:** Locate the specific music track, album, movie, or TV show you want to hide.
6. **Hide the Purchase:**
* Unfortunately, the iTunes app interface does not directly allow you to hide purchases like the App Store. You will have to contact Apple Support, explaining you would like to hide a purchase. Explain your reasoning, whether it be for privacy or organization.
**Unhiding iTunes Purchases (Music, Movies, TV Shows) on a PC**
Once you have contacted Apple Support, they will be able to hide and unhide the purchases for you.
## Managing In-App Purchases
In-app purchases, such as subscriptions, virtual items, or upgrades within an app, are a little trickier to manage directly in terms of hiding from history. However, you can cancel subscriptions, disable in-app purchases altogether, and control spending.
**1. Cancelling Subscriptions:**
The most common reason to manage in-app purchases is to cancel subscriptions you no longer want. Here’s how:
* **Open the Settings App:** Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
* **Tap on Your Apple ID:** At the top of the Settings screen, tap on your name and Apple ID profile.
* **Tap “Subscriptions”:** In the Apple ID menu, select the option labeled “Subscriptions.”
* **Manage Your Subscriptions:** A list of your active and expired subscriptions will appear. Tap on the subscription you want to cancel.
* **Cancel Subscription:** Follow the prompts to cancel the subscription. Keep in mind that you’ll typically retain access to the subscription until the end of the current billing period.
**2. Disabling In-App Purchases (Parental Controls):**
If you want to prevent future in-app purchases, especially for children, you can disable them altogether using Screen Time.
* **Open the Settings App:** Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
* **Tap “Screen Time”:** Scroll down and select “Screen Time.”
* **Tap “Content & Privacy Restrictions”:** If Screen Time is not already enabled, you’ll need to turn it on first. Then, tap on “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
* **Enable Content & Privacy Restrictions:** Toggle the switch at the top to enable Content & Privacy Restrictions.
* **Tap “iTunes & App Store Purchases”:** Select “iTunes & App Store Purchases.”
* **Set In-App Purchases to “Don’t Allow”:** In the “In-App Purchases” section, choose “Don’t Allow.”
With in-app purchases disabled, any attempts to make a purchase within an app will be blocked.
**3. Setting Spending Limits (Screen Time):**
Instead of completely disabling in-app purchases, you can set spending limits using Screen Time to control how much can be spent. This requires using the “Ask to Buy” feature in Family Sharing.
*This feature is designed for parents managing children’s accounts.*
* **Set up Family Sharing:** If you haven’t already, set up Family Sharing with your child’s account. See Apple’s documentation for details on how to set up Family Sharing.
* **Enable “Ask to Buy”:** In your Family Sharing settings, enable the “Ask to Buy” feature for your child’s account. This requires them to get your approval before making any purchases.
* **Review Purchase Requests:** When your child attempts to make an in-app purchase, you’ll receive a notification asking you to approve or decline the request. This allows you to control their spending.
While this doesn’t directly hide past in-app purchases, it provides a mechanism for managing future spending.
## Contacting Apple Support
As mentioned earlier, for hiding iTunes purchases (music, movies, TV shows) and in some cases, for resolving particularly stubborn App Store purchase issues, you may need to contact Apple Support directly.
* **Go to Apple’s Support Website:** Visit [https://support.apple.com/](https://support.apple.com/)
* **Choose Your Product:** Select the product or service you need help with (e.g., App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Music).
* **Describe Your Issue:** Explain that you want to hide specific purchases from your purchase history and the reasons why. Be polite and patient.
* **Follow Their Instructions:** Apple Support may ask for proof of purchase or other information to verify your identity and the legitimacy of your request.
## Tips for Managing Your Purchase History
* **Review Regularly:** Set aside time every few months to review your purchase history and hide any items you no longer want to see.
* **Be Mindful of Sharing:** If you share an Apple ID with others, discuss purchase privacy preferences beforehand.
* **Use Family Sharing Effectively:** Take advantage of Family Sharing features like “Ask to Buy” to manage spending, especially for children.
* **Keep Your Apple ID Secure:** Protect your Apple ID password to prevent unauthorized purchases.
* **Consider Separate Apple IDs:** For greater privacy and control, consider creating separate Apple IDs for each family member.
## Conclusion
While Apple doesn’t offer a direct “delete” button for purchase history, the ability to hide individual purchases provides a reasonable level of control over what’s visible in your App Store and iTunes accounts. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively clean up your purchase history, address privacy concerns, and manage spending more effectively. Remember to regularly review your purchase history and adjust your settings as needed to maintain a clean and organized Apple experience.