How to disable app downloads on iPhone
Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Installations & Purchases > Installing Apps, then choose Don’t Allow.
This setting prevents new installations. It does not delete, hide, or block apps already installed. On some iOS versions, App Installations & Purchases may instead appear as iTunes & App Store Purchases.
Installation, purchases, and deletion are separate controls. Use Installing Apps for downloads, In-app Purchases for spending inside apps, and Deleting Apps only when installed apps must not be removed.
Block new app installations
- Open Settings > Screen Time.
- Lock Screen Time settings if needed. Create a passcode if another person must not change the restriction.
- Open Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn the main switch on.
- Tap App Installations & Purchases. On some versions, this is labelled iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Tap Installing Apps, then choose Don’t Allow.
Existing apps and their data remain installed. Test the restriction by opening the App Store and confirming that a new app cannot be installed.
Prevent purchases separately
To stop spending without blocking every download, use the purchase controls in the same Screen Time area. Set In-app Purchases to Don’t Allow, or configure the available password requirement.
For a child in Family Sharing, Ask to Buy provides an approval workflow instead of a complete installation ban.
Use Ask to Buy instead of a complete block
For a child in Family Sharing, Ask to Buy lets a parent or guardian review eligible App Store download and purchase requests. On the family organizer's iPhone, go to Settings > Family > [child] > Ask to Buy, then turn on Require Purchase Approval.
Ask to Buy is an approval workflow, not a blanket installation restriction. Use Screen Time installation restrictions when no new apps should be installed at all.
Alternative marketplaces and web installs
Where alternative distribution is available, restricting the App Store alone may not close every installation route. In Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Installations & Purchases, set App Marketplaces and Web to Don't Allow when those options appear.
Review unrated-app and age-rating settings separately. Restrictions on App Store in-app purchases may not cover purchases made through alternative distribution or external websites.
If apps can still be downloaded
- Confirm the main Content & Privacy Restrictions switch is on.
- Confirm Installing Apps is set to Don’t Allow for the correct device or Family Sharing member.
- Keep the Screen Time passcode private if the restriction is for somebody else.
- Where alternative distribution is available, restrict App Marketplaces and Web as separate installation routes.
How to allow downloads again
Return to the same Screen Time purchase settings, enter the Screen Time passcode if asked, and change Installing Apps to Allow.
If the goal is stopping yourself from reinstalling distracting apps, download restrictions may help, but they are not a substitute for access control. Fella blocks selected installed apps; it does not replace Apple’s App Store installation restrictions. Each blocking session includes one 5-minute emergency unlock for a genuine need.
Prevent app deletion separately
Blocking installation does not stop someone from deleting an app that is already installed. Deleting Apps is a separate control. See the dedicated guide to prevent apps from being deleted on iPhone.
If the goal is limiting access while keeping an app installed, use Screen Time or an app blocker instead. That is different from preventing new installations.
Blocking app downloads FAQ
Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Installations & Purchases > Installing Apps, then choose Don’t Allow. On some versions, the purchase menu is labelled iTunes & App Store Purchases.
Yes. Installation restrictions and automatic updates are separate settings. Existing apps can continue updating while new installations are disallowed.
Manage the child’s Screen Time through Family Sharing and restrict installations for a complete block. Use Ask to Buy when you want approval instead of a complete ban.
Yes. In the same Screen Time purchase settings, set In-app Purchases to Don’t Allow or configure the available password requirement.
In regions that support alternative distribution, app marketplaces and web installations have separate Screen Time controls. Set those routes to Don’t Allow as well.
Yes, but Deleting Apps is a separate Screen Time control. See the dedicated app-deletion guide for that setup.
Check that Content & Privacy Restrictions is on, Installing Apps is set to Don’t Allow for the correct device or family member, and alternative installation routes are restricted where available.
