Apps that work with paid subscriptions are a success. But the App Store is increasingly plagued by apps that secretly sell users unwanted app subscriptions. Read how you don’t fall for this.
App Store plagued with unwanted app subscriptions
Relatively unnecessary and simple apps such as Scanner App, QR Code Reader and Weather Alarms are high in the top lists. Not because they are that good, but because they make millions from subscriptions that they trick users into taking out. That discovered TechCrunch.
The apps are free to download and then push people to take a premium subscription. To discover its benefits, they first offer a free trial. When people start it, the app will automatically convert this trial period into a subscription within a few days.
Often unintentionally and unseen, because the print in which this is reported in advance is very small. In this way, Scanner App earns a whopping 14.3 million euros per year. Apple has since removed the Weather Alarms app from the App Store due to the same practices.
By only showing a small cross on the subscription page after a few seconds, it seemed to many users as if they had to take out a trial period or subscription. The trial period was then automatically converted into a subscription of 20 euros per month.
This much to the dismay of victims, but also of app developers who use the subscription construction in a fair way. According to several developers, Apple is doing too little to counter these scammers. The Cupertino company, on the other hand, is fighting for more transparency. By now, all app makers must have added a privacy policy to their app.
This way you prevent unwanted app subscriptions
Paying for a subscription that you don’t want at all is never nice. With a dose of common sense and the tips below, you can prevent yourself from falling for an unwanted app subscription.
1. Check the responses
Always check the comments before downloading an app. If an app is bad, users who have downloaded the app for you have often already left a comment about unwanted costs or other wrongs.
2. Look for a cross
When you get an ad to upgrade, hold on. Regularly, a small cross appears somewhere at the top only after a few seconds. For example, the app tries to make it seem like you have no choice.
3. Do not take out a trial period
An app that keeps pushing to close a free trial can be labeled suspicious. It is therefore preferable not to participate in this question, but look for a similar app that does not.
Maybe it means that you have to buy an app, but then you know that you will not be faced with any surprises once you use the app.
Read the fine print
If you think an application can be trusted, you may still want a free trial period to test. Then read the fine print carefully. Read the FAQ and conditions of the app carefully before closing anything.
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