If Apple is asking for a parent’s permission, there is no general supported way to download the app without it. Ask to Buy requires approval for eligible downloads, while Screen Time can separately block installing apps or limit access by age rating. The right next step depends on which control is active, your age and region, and whether the app is personal or school-managed.
First identify what is blocking the download
“Parent permission” can refer to different Apple controls. Ask to Buy is an approval request for eligible downloads and purchases. Screen Time can prevent app installation or restrict access to apps above a set age rating. A school may also distribute required apps through managed accounts.
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| What you see | Likely control | Who can address it |
|---|---|---|
| A request to get approval for an App Store download | Ask to Buy | The family organizer or a parent/guardian |
| Installing apps is disallowed, or an app is unavailable because of its age rating | Screen Time restrictions | The parent or guardian who manages Screen Time |
| A school-required app is not available through your personal App Store route | School-managed distribution may apply | Your teacher or school IT administrator |
Apple documents Ask to Buy and Screen Time as separate controls, so an approval request and an installation restriction may need different action. Apple’s Ask to Buy guidance and its App Store restriction guide explain the respective settings.
If the request is Ask to Buy
Use the approval request shown on your device and wait for the family organizer or a parent/guardian to decide. Apple says Ask to Buy can apply to eligible App Store downloads, in-app purchases, and redownloads of shared apps, regardless of the app’s age rating. If the adult approves, the item can download; if they decline, it will not. Whether Ask to Buy is enabled by default or can be turned off depends on the child’s age and the country or region. Apple says it may be on by default and not turn-off-able for a child under 18 in some jurisdictions. See Apple’s current Ask to Buy instructions for details.
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If Screen Time blocks the app
Ask the parent or guardian who manages Screen Time to check whether app installation is disallowed or the app exceeds the configured age rating. Screen Time can control installing or deleting apps, in-app purchases, and access based on age ratings. These are restrictions, not the same thing as an Ask to Buy request; approving a purchase request alone may not remove an installation restriction. Apple describes the controls in its guide to App Store settings and restrictions.
For an app above its age rating
A child can request an exception for an app that exceeds the configured rating. The parent or guardian decides whether to allow it, and Apple says granted exceptions can later be removed. Follow the on-device request flow and have the managing adult review it. See Apple’s app-exception guidance.
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If the app is required for school
Ask your teacher or school IT administrator whether the app is distributed through the school. Apple says Ask to Buy does not apply to apps or other content distributed by a school when the child’s account was created with Apple Account for Students. That exception is for school-distributed content; it does not remove approval requirements for personal downloads. Apple’s Ask to Buy guidance for Latin America describes this distinction.
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Apple documents alternative app distribution for Brazil, Japan, and countries or regions in the European Union. Eligibility depends on both the Apple Account’s country or region and the user’s physical location, and availability or features can vary. Apple also says Screen Time and parental controls continue to apply to alternative distribution, including restrictions for marketplaces and web distribution and age-rating exceptions. It is therefore a region-limited option, not a reliable way to bypass a parent’s settings. Check Apple’s pages on installing through alternative app distribution, availability and limitations, and parental restrictions on alternative distribution.
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What not to do
- Do not try to bypass a parent’s passcode or defeat family controls; use the approval or exception flow instead.
- Do not assume a free app is exempt. Ask to Buy can cover eligible downloads regardless of age rating.
- Do not change account details or switch marketplaces expecting a universal substitute for approval. Age, region, account settings, and parental controls still matter.
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