How do I delete my Apple app purchase history?

Quick Answer

There are a few different ways to delete your Apple app purchase history depending on what device you use. For iPhone and iPad, you can go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Tap your Apple ID > Purchased > Swipe left on an app and tap Hide. On Mac, go to the App Store > Purchased > Right click on an app and select Hide Purchase. You can also sign into your account on apple.com to view and hide purchases.

Overview of Deleting Apple App Purchase History

Your Apple app purchase history contains a record of all the apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books you’ve ever gotten from the App Store or iTunes Store. This purchase history is tied to your Apple ID and is viewable across your devices signed into that same Apple ID.

You may want to delete parts of this purchase history for privacy reasons or to simply clean up your records. Hiding purchases in your history won’t delete the items from your devices, but it will remove them from the purchase record associated with your Apple ID.

Here’s an overview of how to delete app purchase history on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the web:

On iPhone/iPad

– Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iTunes & App Store
– Tap your Apple ID at the top
– Choose Purchased
– Swipe left on an app or item and tap Hide to remove from history

On Mac

– Open the App Store
– Click Purchased at the top
– Right click on an app and choose Hide Purchase

On apple.com

– Sign into apple.com/account
– Go to Purchase History
– Click Hide for any app or content purchase

On Apple TV

– Go to Settings > Accounts > iTunes & App Store
– Select your Apple ID
– Choose View Apple Account
– Navigate to Purchase History and hide purchases

Hiding purchases will only affect their appearance in your history; the items will still be available for download or use if they are installed on your devices. The primary effect is removing them from your record of purchases on that Apple ID.

Detailed Steps to Delete Purchase History on iPhone and iPad

Here are the detailed steps to view your purchase history on an iPhone or iPad and hide apps and content to delete them from your records:

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device
2. Scroll down and tap on your name at the top (your Apple ID)
3. Select iTunes & App Store
4. Tap on your Apple ID near the top again
5. Choose View Apple ID
6. Enter your Apple ID password if prompted
7. Under Purchase History, select Purchased

This will show a list of all your purchased apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books through the App Store and iTunes Store.

To hide a purchase:

1. Swipe left on the app or item you want to remove
2. Tap Hide
3. Confirm by tapping Hide again

This will instantly remove that particular purchase from your history. The app itself will still be available for download or use if already installed. Repeat steps 1-3 for any other purchases you want to hide.

When finished, you can go back to Purchase History and confirm they no longer show up. The items will now be hidden from your records.

Important Notes

Here are some key things to keep in mind when deleting your Apple app purchase history on iPhone and iPad:

– Hiding a purchase only removes it from your Apple ID records, the content will remain usable if already downloaded
– You can still search for and re-download hidden purchases
– Family Sharing members may still see your hidden purchases
– You can reveal purchases again by toggling the Hide button
– Music, movies, TV shows work the same way as apps
– Books require a computer to hide purchases

So in summary, hiding an app purchase essentially deletes it from your purchase history without affecting its usability across your Apple devices or Family Sharing plan. It’s an easy way to clear your records of unwanted content.

How to Delete App Purchase History on Mac

You can also view and manage your app purchase history on a Mac computer. Here are the steps:

1. Open the App Store on your Mac
2. Click on your profile icon in the lower left corner
3. Select Purchased from the menu bar at the top
4. This will show a list of all your purchased iOS and Mac apps
5. To hide a purchase, right click on the app
6. Choose Hide Purchase
7. Confirm by clicking Hide again in the popup

The app will now be removed from your purchase history. Just like on iPhone and iPad, the app will still work if already installed but won’t show in your records.

Repeat steps 5-7 to hide additional purchases as needed. You can re-find the hidden apps by choosing Purchases > My Purchases > All. But they won’t display in your main purchase history.

Additional Tips for Mac

Here are some additional important points for deleting your app purchase history from a Mac:

– You can bulk hide multiple apps at once
– Purchased movies and TV shows can be hidden in the same way
– iOS app purchases show in your Mac App Store history
– Updates may re-add some hidden purchases back into history
– You can also hide purchases at apple.com/account

So in summary, the Mac App Store provides an easy way to clean up your purchase records by hiding content you no longer want displayed in your Apple ID history.

How to View and Delete Purchase History Online

You can also manage your Apple app and content purchase history online from any web browser. Here’s how:

1. Go to apple.com and sign into your Apple account
2. Click on Account in the top right
3. Choose Purchase History
4. View your entire purchase history for apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books
5. Click Hide next to any app or item to remove from history
6. Confirm by clicking Hide again

This instantly hides that purchase from your records. As on your devices, the content will still be usable if already downloaded.

Tips for Deleting History Online

Here are some useful tips for deleting your Apple purchase history online:

– You can bulk hide multiple items at once
– Content is hidden from all your Apple devices
– Books require a Mac or PC to hide purchases
– Family Sharing members may still see your hidden items

Managing your purchase history online is useful for permanently removing content from your Apple records. Just keep in mind that hiding purchases only affects your Apple ID history, it doesn’t delete the items themselves if present on your devices.

How to Delete Books and Audiobooks from Purchase History

Books and audiobooks purchased from Apple follow a slightly different process for removing them from your history. Here’s how:

On iPhone/iPad:

– Books and audiobooks cannot be hidden directly on iOS devices

On Mac:

1. Open Books app on your Mac
2. Click Purchased at the top
3. Right click a book and choose Hide Purchase
4. Confirm to remove from your history

On apple.com:

1. Go to account.apple.com
2. Select Purchase history
3. Click Hide on books you want to remove
4. Confirm by clicking Hide again

So in summary, you’ll need a Mac computer or manage your purchase history online to hide books and audiobooks. Purchased titles will still be available for download even if removed from your records.

Permanently Deleting Apps from Purchase History

If you want to permanently delete an app itself and not just hide the purchase, you’ll need to offload or delete the app from your devices:

– On iPhone/iPad, delete the app directly from your home screen
– On Mac, drag the app to the Trash to uninstall it
– On Apple TV, go to Settings > Apps and delete it there

Once the app is removed from all your devices:

1. Sign into your Apple account online
2. Go to Purchase History
3. Find the app and click Report a Problem
4. Choose I want to permanently remove this app from my account
5. Confirm by selecting Yes, delete this app

This will permanently remove the app from your account so you can no longer download or access it. Use caution with this approach, as you won’t be able to reinstall the app without purchasing it again.

Does Deleting Purchase History Also Delete the Apps?

A key point to emphasize is that deleting an app or content purchase from your history does NOT also delete it from your devices.

When you hide or remove a purchase using the steps outlined above, the only thing removed is the record of that purchase in your Apple ID account. Any apps or content you previously downloaded will still be available for use and re-download.

You would need to separately uninstall each app or delete downloaded content if you wanted to remove it entirely from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, etc. Just deleting the purchase history entry does not affect the actual item if still present on your device.

So in summary:

– Hiding purchases only affects your Apple ID history record
– It does NOT delete apps/content from devices
– You’ll need to manually uninstall apps you want fully removed

This is an important distinction to understand, as hiding purchases is primarily intended to clean up your Apple account records, not remove actual apps and content from your devices.

Does Family Sharing Share Purchase Histories?

If you use Family Sharing with iTunes & App Store purchases, members of your family group will have access to a shared purchase history that they can view.

However, when you hide purchases from your own account history:

– It only hides it from your personal purchase history
– Family members may still see those purchases in the shared history

To fully remove a purchase from Family Sharing, each participating family member would need to hide the purchase on their own account history.

So in summary:

– Family members can view a shared purchase history
– Hiding it only removes it from your personal history
– Others may still see hidden purchases in the shared history

If you want to privatize a purchase from Family Sharing members, communicate with them to have everyone hide the same purchase on their account. This will fully remove it from the shared history that all members can access.

Should I Periodically Delete My Purchase History?

There are a few good reasons you may want to periodically review and delete parts of your Apple purchase history:

– Remove clutter from old apps or content you no longer use
– Privacy by hiding purchases you don’t want visible
– Troubleshoot issues where new purchases aren’t appearing
– Free up storage space by deleting unused apps
– Tidy up your records and only keep current purchases

It’s a good habit every so often to go through your purchase history and clean up apps and content you no longer need. Hiding unwanted purchases helps keep your Apple ID organized.

Here are some tips for managing your history:

– Audit annually or biannually to hide unused purchases
– Clear out old apps taking up storage space
– Check before making new purchases to see if repurchasing
– Keep essential app purchases visible for easy re-install

Maintaining a clean purchase history improves your account management and privacy. Periodically delete old entries that clutter your records, but balance hiding items you may want to access again one day.

Should I Delete My Purchase History When Selling My Device?

Yes, it’s highly recommended to delete your entire app purchase history when selling or trading in your Apple device. Here’s why:

– The buyer can see your purchase history if not deleted
– They could access or re-download any apps and content purchases
– It exposes personal info about your downloads and purchases
– You want to wipe the slate clean for the next owner

Before factory resetting and selling your iPhone, iPad, or Mac:

1. Sign into your Apple account online
2. View your entire purchase history
3. Hide or delete all apps, music, movies, TV shows
4. Double check nothing is visible anymore

Also be sure to disable Find My, log out of iCloud, remove linked payment methods, and perform a full system restore. This will help protect your privacy and give the new owner a fresh start.

Can You Recover Hidden Purchases?

If you change your mind after hiding an app or content purchase, it is possible to make it reappear in your purchase history:

On iPhone/iPad:

1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iTunes & App Store
2. Tap on your Apple ID
3. Choose View Apple ID > Purchase History
4. Tap on Hidden Purchases
5. Find the app you want to unhide and tap the Hide button again

This will make the purchase visible again in your regular purchase history.

On Mac:

1. In the App Store, go to Store > My Purchases > All
2. Right click a hidden app and select Unhide Purchase

The app will again show in your main purchase records.

So you can reveal any apps or content you may have mistakenly hidden. Just toggle the Hide button again to recover hidden purchases.

Conclusion

Your Apple app and content purchase history provides a convenient record of everything you’ve downloaded to your account. But for privacy, storage management, and account organization, it can be helpful to periodically prune old or unwanted purchases.

The steps outlined above give you full control to view your history and hide particular purchases on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the web. Just remember that hiding an app only deletes the record of getting it – the app itself will still be usable if installed on your devices.

Managing your Apple purchase history gives you the ability to curate a clean record of only the apps and content you want associated with your Apple ID. Periodically reviewing and deleting old purchases you no longer need can free up space and enhance privacy without affecting your ability to reinstall anything in the future if wanted again. Keep your history tidy for efficiency and security!

Platform Steps to Delete Purchase History
iPhone/iPad
  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iTunes & App Store
  2. Tap Apple ID > View Apple ID > Purchase History
  3. Swipe left on an app > Tap Hide
Mac
  1. Open App Store > Click Purchased
  2. Right click an app > Click Hide Purchase
apple.com
  1. Sign into apple.com/account
  2. Click Purchase History
  3. Click Hide button to remove purchases

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