Ask To Buy Going To Wrong Device? Reasons & Troubleshooting

If you are using the “Ask to Buy” feature on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to manage your children’s purchases and downloads, you may have experienced the frustrating situation of notifications going to the wrong device.

This can be a problem if you’re not receiving approval requests on your own device, or if your children are receiving approval requests on their own devices rather than yours.

In this blog, I will explore the possible reasons why “Ask to Buy” notifications going to the wrong device and provide steps on how to fix the issue.

Why Is Ask To Buy Going To Wrong Device?

If “Ask to Buy” notifications are being sent to the wrong device, it could be because the devices are associated with different Apple IDs or because the “Ask to Buy” feature is not set up correctly.

Below are some possible Causes of “Ask to Buy” Notifications Going to the Wrong Device:

1. Different Apple IDs

“Ask to Buy” notifications can only be sent between devices that are associated with the same Apple ID.

If the devices are using different Apple IDs, the notifications may be sent to the wrong device.

2. Incorrect “Ask To Buy” Settings

If the “Ask to Buy” feature is not set up correctly on each device, it could potentially cause the notifications to be sent to the wrong device.

3. ICloud Issues

If there are problems with the iCloud servers, it could cause “Ask to Buy” notifications to be sent to the wrong device.

How To Fix Ask To Buy Going To Wrong Device?

Steps to Fix “Ask to Buy” Notifications Going to the Wrong Device:

1. Verify That All Devices Are Using The Same Apple ID

On the device that you are experiencing the problem:

  • Go to the “Settings” app.
  • Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
  • Tap on “iCloud.”
  • Check that the Apple ID listed at the top of the screen is the same as the Apple ID being used on the other devices.

If the devices are using different Apple IDs, you will need to sign out of the iCloud account on each device and then sign back in with the correct Apple ID.

2. Check The “Ask To Buy” Settings On Each Device

On the device that you are experiencing the problem:

  • Go to the “Settings” app.
  • Tap on “iTunes & App Store.”
  • Under the “PURCHASES AND IN-APP PURCHASES” section, make sure that the “Ask to Buy” switch is turned on.

Repeat above process on each of your device to ensure that the “Ask to Buy” feature is enabled on all relevant devices.

3. Check For Any Issues With ICloud

On the device that you are experiencing the problem:

  • Go to the “Settings” app.
  • Tap on “iCloud.”
  • Make sure that the device is connected to the internet.
  • Tap on “Sign In” and enter your Apple ID and password to sign in to iCloud.

If you are unable to sign in to iCloud or if there are errors when trying to access iCloud services, there may be a problem with the iCloud servers.

In this case, you can try again later or contact Apple Support for assistance.

4. Reset The Device’s ICloud Account

On the device that you are experiencing the problem:

  • Go to the “Settings” app.
  • Tap on “iCloud.”
  • Scroll down and tap on “Sign Out.”
  • Tap on “Sign Out” again to confirm.
  • Enter your Apple ID password when prompted.
  • After signing out, tap on “Sign In” and enter your Apple ID and password to sign back in to iCloud.

5. Contact Apple Support

If none of the above steps have resolved the problem, you can try contacting Apple Support for further assistance.

To contact Apple Support, you can do the following:

  • Visit the Apple Support website (https://support.apple.com/)
  • Follow the prompts to choose a method for contacting Apple Support (phone, chat, or email).
  • Provide as much detail as possible about the issue you are experiencing and the steps you have already taken to try to resolve it.