Hacker News Reader

Comment by r00fus | Hacker News Reader

It would easily be sufficed with a "free app" and "paid app". Apple just doesn't make this seamless. Consequently, the "freemium" model is born through in-app "upgrades".

As someone who hasn't bought a single in-app purchase (I might if Carcasonne add expansions), are these transferrable across devices like the apps are?

View on HN

Yes, iOS in-app purchases are transferrable across devices that are linked to the same app store account. It is a somewhat strange experience when you do it the first time because you are basically expected to "buy" the item on the additional device and then at the last moment the system determines that you already paid for it and provides it for free -- I had visions of getting a bill for multiple in-app purchases of the same item but in the end it all worked out.

For this reason (and for clean installs) there's an option in the API for "restore purchases". Applications should provide this option in addition to "buy".

Another benefit of it is that it restores all in-app purchases for this app. Very helpful in case the application provides more than one purchase product.

> Applications should provide this option in addition to "buy".

I recall reading that this is a hard requirement for apps that offer in-app purchases.

> It would easily be sufficed with a "free app" and "paid app". Apple just doesn't make this seamless.

In-app upgrades from free to full are exactly that, and generally seamless... What are you whining about exactly?

> are these transferrable across devices like the apps are?

Yes.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com