In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to get free apps from the iPhone or iPad App Store without Face ID or Touch ID authentication and without entering your Apple ID password.
Also see: How to download Mac apps without Touch ID or password
When App Store asks for the password while downloading apps
You’re asked to confirm via password or Face ID/Touch ID only when you download a free or paid app you have never downloaded or purchased before. Such apps show the GET button (if the app is free) or show the price (if the app is paid).
Apps you have downloaded or purchased in the past and then uninstalled show a download arrow. In this case, you’re just re-downloading the apps; thus, the App Store doesn’t ask you to enter the password or authenticate via Face ID or Touch ID.
Which password you’re asked to enter
You’re asked to enter your Apple Account password when you download apps on your iPhone or iPad.
But that can get cumbersome. To address this, go to Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode and enable iTunes & App Store. After this, whenever you tap GET to download an app, you’re asked to authenticate via Touch ID or Face ID. You don’t have to enter the long Apple ID password.
Exception: You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password if you made changes to your Apple Account, like added a new address, edited the payment method, and so forth.
Why I’m not okay even with using Face ID or Touch ID for downloading apps!
Confirming via Face ID or Touch ID to download a free app or purchase a paid app is pretty easy. But this is only true if you download apps occasionally.
In my case, as an iDB writer, I download several apps every week to test before mentioning them in our articles. So, authenticating 15 times in a row to download 15 new apps in a span of a few minutes can be irritating. Plus, with my iPhone kept on the table, it gets annoying to pick it up every time for Face ID to work.
Overall, I don’t particularly appreciate authenticating free app downloads using Apple Account password or even Face ID (or Touch ID). So, I set my iPhone not to ask me for authentication while downloading free apps. Please allow me to share those steps with you.
Download iPhone apps without Apple ID password, Face ID, or Touch ID
1) Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2) Tap your name from the top.
3) Tap Media & Purchases and choose Password Settings.
4) Turn off the toggle for Require Password under Free Downloads and tap Done.
5) Return to the first page of the Settings app and tap Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode. After that, enter your iPhone passcode to get inside.
6) Turn off the toggle for iTunes & App Store.
Going forward, when you tap GET to download a free app from the iPhone App Store, you won’t be asked to enter your Apple ID password or confirm the purchase by Touch ID or by double-pressing the Side button and confirming via Face ID. All you need to do is tap GET and then tap Install. No other authentication is required, and the free app will start downloading.
Note: You may be asked to enter your Apple ID password the first time you download an app after following the above steps.
But what about paid apps?
Go to the Settings app > your name > Media & Purchases > Password Settings and make sure “Always Require Password” is checked under When Purchasing. With this setting, your iPhone will ask you to enter your Apple Account password whenever you try to buy a paid app. Free apps will continue to download without authentication (if you followed the above steps.)
Take me back to my password days!
If you are handing over your iPhone or iPad to your kid and want them to be blocked by the authentication screen even when they try to download a free app, follow these steps to download even free iPhone apps only after verification:
Download free apps only using your Apple Account password
Go to iPhone Settings > your name > Media & Purchases > Password Settings and enable the toggle for Require Password under Free Downloads. After that, tap Done.
Next, go to iPhone Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode and turn off iTunes & App Store.
From now on, whenever you or your kid tries to download a free app from the App Store, it will show the screen to enter the Apple Account password (not the iPhone/iPad passcode or Touch ID or Face ID).
Download free apps just by using Face ID or Touch ID
Go to iPhone Settings > your name > Media & Purchases > Password Settings and turn off the toggle for Require Password under Free Downloads. After that, tap Done.
Next, go to iPhone Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode and turn on iTunes & App Store.
From now on, whenever you or your kid tries to download a free app from the App Store, it will ask to authenticate via Face ID or Touch ID. It won’t ask for the Apple Account password or your iPhone/iPad passcode.
Check out next: