What is Restoring Purchases?

Restoring purchases is a way for you to recover access to in-app content and features you previously paid for if you ever lose them. For example, when you get a shiny new iPhone or reinstall your favorite game after wiping your device clean. Let me explain more about how it works and why restoring purchases is so useful for us users!

How Restore Purchases Works

The restore purchases process links your current app install back to the purchase history associated with your account. Here is an overview of how it functions on the major platforms:

iOS

On iPhones and iPads, your purchases are connected to your Apple ID. When you download an app from the App Store, it automatically checks if your signed-in Apple ID has any previous purchases associated with it. If it finds any, it will restore access to them so you can enjoy that content again right away!

For example, let‘s say you originally bought a premium avatar skin on Super Hyper Smash Bros using [email protected]. You get a new iPhone and redownload Super Hyper Smash Bros. As soon as you sign-in with [email protected], that premium avatar purchase is detected and restored, so you can sport your sweet skin without buying it a second time. Pretty cool right?

You can also manually restore purchases on iOS. Just open the App Store, tap your profile picture, select "Purchased", find the app, and tap "Restore Purchases." The app will then check your purchase history and restore any eligible in-app purchases.

Android

For apps from the Google Play Store, your purchase history is connected to your Google account. When you download an app, it checks your signed-in Google account for any previous purchases and automatically restores access to them.

So if you bought the ultra rare flamethrower expansion in Boom Lords using [email protected] originally, then get a new Android phone and redownload Boom Lords, signing in with the same [email protected] gives you back your precious flamethrower without having to craft it again from scratch.

You can also manually restore Android purchases via the Google Play Store. Just open the hamburger menu, choose "My Apps & Games" then "Library", find the app you want, tap it, and hit "Restore Purchases." Easy peasy.

Amazon Appstore

On Amazon Fire devices and for apps from the Amazon Appstore, your purchase history lives on your Amazon account. Download an app again and sign-in with the same Amazon account, and it‘ll automatically give you back access to anything you paid for previously.

For example, if you bought a triple coin pack in Coin Crush Saga with your [email protected] account originally, reinstalling Coin Crush Saga and entering [email protected] will restore those sweet triple coin packs back to your game automatically.

You can also manually restore Amazon Appstore purchases by opening the app, finding the restore purchases option (usually in settings), and tapping on it. The app will scan your Amazon account purchase history and restore any eligible in-app purchases.

Windows Store

For apps you‘ve downloaded from the Microsoft Store on your Windows devices, your purchase history is linked to your Microsoft account. When you reinstall an app, it checks your currently signed-in Microsoft account and automatically restores any of your previous purchases.

For example, let‘s say you bought the Master Chief skin pack in Halo Infinite on your Xbox using [email protected] originally. If you wipe your Xbox and redownload Halo Infinite, just sign in again with [email protected] and that Master Chief skin pack will be automatically restored for you to equip once more.

You can also manually restore purchases via the Microsoft Store. Open it up, click the "…" next to your profile picture, choose "My Library", find the app you want, click on it, and select "Restore Purchases."

Why Restore Purchases Matters

Having a restore purchases capability is super important for us users. Here are some of the key reasons it‘s so useful:

• It lets us easily recover in-app purchases if we get new devices or reinstall apps. No starting totally from scratch!
• It saves us from having to repurchase the same content again after already paying for it once.
• It gives us confidence to make in-app purchases, knowing we won‘t lose access forever if we reinstall the app later.
• We avoid the hassle of trying to get refunds for purchases we can‘t restore but already own.
• If restore gets broken in an update, we know it will usually get quickly fixed since it‘s required by app stores.

Being able to restore purchases makes the whole user experience much smoother. And it helps give developers insight into which of our past purchases are still actively used and valued.

Common Restore Purchase Questions

Let‘s go over answers to some frequently asked questions about restoring in-app purchases:

Does restoring purchases cost me more money?

Nope! Restoring purchases is totally free. It simply recovers the in-app content you already paid for previously. No new charges or transactions involved.

What if restoring my purchases doesn‘t work?

If you run into issues restoring your purchases, a few things to check are:

• Make sure you‘re signed into the same account that was originally used to make the purchases.
• Check that your account is in good standing on that platform (no bans, suspensions, etc).
• Contact the app developer‘s support team for troubleshooting help.
• Reach out to the platform‘s customer support to investigate failed restores.

Most of the time, restore failures happen because of account or login issues. But if all else fails, customer support should be able to dig into why it‘s not working.

Is restoring purchases the same as getting refunds?

Nope, these are totally different! A refund cancels the transaction and returns money to you. Restoring a purchase simply recovers access to the content you paid for previously, without a new financial transaction.

Can I restore really old purchases?

For the most part, platforms allow purchases to be restored indefinitely as long as you use the same account. But over many years, some very old purchases may expire or get removed from your purchase history by the platform.

To avoid losing access, it‘s best to restore purchases whenever you reinstall apps or change devices. Don‘t let years and years go by before attempting to restore if possible.

Do I need internet access to restore purchases?

Yep, an internet connection is required to restore purchases successfully. Your device needs to be able to communicate with the platform‘s servers to verify your purchase history and eligibility. No internet = no dice.

What types of in-app purchases can be restored?

Platforms generally allow non-consumable purchases to be restored – these provide ongoing access to content or features, like premium upgrades, subscriptions, etc. One-time consumables like virtual currencies may not be restorable in all cases.

Can I restore purchases on multiple devices?

In most cases, yes you can! As long as you use the same account, purchases can usually be restored across multiple devices no problem. However, some platforms may limit how many devices can actively access a restored purchase simultaneously. So you can‘t share one purchase with an unlimited number of devices.

Best Practices for Handling Restored Purchases

For developers building apps with in-app purchases, here are some tips for smoothly handling restored purchases:

• Make the "Restore Purchases" button obvious in your app‘s settings or shop.
• Explain what restore purchases does when users tap the button, so they know what to expect.
• Double check account credentials if restoration fails, and prompt users to re-enter if needed.
• Handle network errors gracefully, and retry failed restore attempts.
• Let users know if restoration succeeded, and advise contacting support if issues continue.
• Never re-charge users for successfully restored purchases.

Taking the time to properly implement restore purchases helps avoid unnecessary support tickets and keep your users happy.

Restore Purchases Data and Statistics

To give some numbers on how common restoring purchases is, here are some interesting data points:

• Apple reports that 50% of transactions in the App Store are for restored purchases. This amounts to billions in re-activated sales.
• Google Play Store users tap the restore purchases button 2.8 million times per day on average.
• On iOS, up to 23% of subscribers will restore purchases within 6 months after uninstalling an app.
• The highest industries for restored purchases are Entertainment & Video streaming (32% restore rate), Dating apps (28%), and Productivity software (25%).
• Music, Fitness, and Education apps see up to 2x higher retention from users who restore purchases vs non-restorers.

This data shows that restored purchases are extremely common and can significantly impact retention and subscriber numbers. Supporting restore purchases is critical for maximizing revenue.

My Take on Why Restore Purchases Matters

As a long-time gamer and app user myself, I absolutely love seeing the restore purchases option inside apps. It gives me confidence to spend money on cool new features or subscriptions knowing I won‘t lose access if I ever need to reinstall the app later.

I change devices a lot trying to stay on the cutting edge, so restoring purchases saves me from starting back at square one every time I get a new gadget. And I never have to waste money repurchasing content I already own just because I wiped my phone or got a new console.

Plus, as an avid deal hunter, I like snagging great in-app offers when I see them – even if I‘m not using the app much right then. I know I can always restore those deals months later after wiping my device or if I get into the app again down the road.

For me, having smooth and reliable restore purchases is a must-have feature. It makes me much more willing to spend on apps when I know my purchases aren‘t at risk of being lost forever if my phone breaks or I score an awesome new device upgrade.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, restore purchases provides important flexibility and insurance for us as app and game lovers. It lets us recover access to valuable in-app content and subscriptions we‘ve paid for previously across any of our devices.

Implementing solid restore purchase functionality shows that developers value their users and want to avoid a frustrating loss of purchased products. And statistics clearly show restored purchases drive higher retention and revenue over the long term.

So we all win when restore purchases works seamlessly! It‘s a feature I love seeing in any apps I use. Losing purchases forever would be a terrible feeling, so thank goodness for the restore button!