Downloading Apps

For those of you who are perhaps new to Apple’s products (iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads) I understand that it may be confusing. So let me explain some things.

When you are on the page of an app in the App Store, you can see the price. Either it will say “FREE” or it will have a number. Now, just because it says “FREE” doesn’t mean that you will end up paying nothing. What that means is that it will not cost you anything to download the app. If says “$1.99″ then it costs $1.99 to download that app onto your device.

Now that you have the app on your device, all you have to do is touch the icon and it will open. Some manufacturers make it so that you now to have to pay to unlock the features inside the app. Maybe you can only do one thing until you pay to unlock more.

Watch out for apps where you have to pay, for example, $0.99 for each feature. If there are ten features and you want to use them all, that’s $9.90 you just spent on one app. These apps, in my opinion, are just for making money.

Not all apps do that though. A lot of good apps let you download the app for free and have it where you have to pay $1.99 to unlock everything on the app. Next to totally free apps where everything is unlocked, these are the best out there.

One example is Word Magic. It doesn’t cost you anything to download it, but some features are locked until you pay $0.99 and unlock everything. So, basically, Word Magic costs $0.99 becasue that is the most you can buy.

However, don’t buy the full version of an app just because you want the full version. Some apps may be great for your child without buying the full version. Download the app, try it out, and if you want the full version (and the price is fair) then buy the full version.

REMEMBER, ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD AN APP, APPLE WILL NOT GIVE YOU A REFUND!

Even if you delete the app later, you will not get a refund, so choose wisely when deciding which apps to purchase.

Also, some app manufacturers make the full version and free version of an app as too separate apps. Another example is LetterSchool.

There is LetterSchool and LetterSchool Lite. These are two individual apps. The only difference between the two apps is that LetterSchool Lite only does letters A to E and numbers 1 to 5 while LetterSchool does the entire alphabet and numbers 1 to 10. Instead of buying within the app (also called an in-app purchase) you go and buy a different app if you want the full version. When you buy the full version of the app, make sure to delete the Lite version. I honestly don’t know why, but you aren’t supposed to keep both versions on one device at the same time.

Another important thing for any iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad user needs to know about is when you delete an app that you already paid for. Let’s say you delete LetterSchool because your child can write all his or her letters perfectly and doesn’t need to work on it anymore. Well, if you change your mind and decide that you want to keep it on your device to have your child practice writing occasionally, you won’t have anything to worry about.

Once you have purchased an app, you will never have to pay for that app again (on that same account). If you paid for Letter School already, then Apple won’t make you pay again. You simply download it again.