Learning games without ads or in-app purchases: a checklist

By the Playlearnia team · 6 min read · updated 3 November 2026

Ads and in-app purchases are the two usual ways a children's game earns money, and both can pull a child's attention away from learning. A game can have neither, one or both, and the App Store page does not always make that plain. This checklist is about money and ads. For privacy and permissions, use the safe kids app checklist.

Can a learning game really have no ads and no purchases?

Yes, but it has to be paid for some other way. Common models are a one-time price, a free app from a school or public body, or a free app with a paid upgrade. Be careful with free apps that sell nothing visible: if you are not paying, ask who is. The question is not "is it free?" but "how does it make money, and does that touch my child?" A game with no ads and no purchases is not automatically a good game, and a game with purchases is not automatically a bad one. What matters is whether the money questions ever reach your child.

How can you spot ads and purchases before you download?

• Look beside the Get button. Apps that sell in-app purchases usually say so under it, and list them further down the page.
• Read the App Privacy section. Apple's privacy labels show which data an app collects and whether it is used to track you. An app that shows ads often says so there.
• Check the Kids Category. Apple's guidelines say Kids Category apps should not include third-party advertising, with limited exceptions, and must keep purchases behind a parental gate.
• Search recent reviews for "ad", "pop-up", "subscription" and "charged".

What do ads and purchase nudges look like?

Pattern	What it looks like	What to do
Banner or video ad	A strip or full screen between games.	Delete the app.
Reward video	"Watch to continue" or "watch for a hint".	Delete, or pay once for a version without them.
Pop-up offer	A sale or countdown after a game.	Delete if a child sees it.
Locked content	Padlocks on levels, with a shop button close by.	Check where the shop is and who can open it.
Trial that renews	Free for a few days, then a charge.	Read the terms and set a reminder.

How do you test for ads in ten minutes?

1. Play three full games in airplane mode. An app that works offline cannot load ads.
2. Reconnect and play three more. Watch for anything new.
3. Tap every logo, link and "more games" button.
4. Find the shop and see what it takes to open it.
5. Look for the price in plain words before any payment.
6. Ask your child afterwards what they saw. Children often notice offers that adults miss.

How do you stop accidental purchases on your own device?

Apple's parental controls page explains Screen Time's content and App Store settings and Ask to Buy, which sends a purchase request to a parent in a Family Sharing group. It says Ask to Buy may be on by default for children under 18, depending on where you live. Check the settings on your own device rather than assuming. Set a Screen Time passcode your child does not know, and review the list of subscriptions in your Apple ID settings from time to time. If a grandparent or a babysitter borrows the device, tell them the same rules.

What if a game has no ads but does have purchases?

That describes Playlearnia, and we would rather say so than hide it. It has no ads and no account. It does have purchases: an annual subscription and a one-time lifetime unlock, both inside the PIN-protected parent area. Apple handles payment, and the app shows the price before you buy.

Here is the access model as it stands. The first 7 days include full access with no card, and nothing renews. After that, 5 different mini games are free every day. So Playlearnia would not pass a strict "no in-app purchases" test, though a child cannot reach the shop without the PIN. Prices are not final. The app is in testing and not on the App Store yet, so there is no store page to check. Details are on the parents page.

The short version

• Decide what you need: no ads, no purchases, or no purchases a child can reach.
• Check the product page, the privacy label and recent reviews.
• Test in airplane mode and find the shop.
• Set up Ask to Buy and a Screen Time passcode on your device.

Sources

Links open other sites. Checked on 3 November 2026. Guidance changes, so check the current version.

• Apple Support, About privacy information on the App Store: What the App Store privacy information shows.
• Apple, App Review Guidelines (1.3 Kids Category and 5.1.4 Kids): Kids Category rules on third-party advertising and parental gates.
• Apple Support, Set up parental controls on your child's iPhone or iPad: Screen Time, App Store settings and Ask to Buy.