Odd iOS Question

[Vince, Pt. II]

My Google-fu is failing me here, and I'm an Android guy, so I don't have a lot of personal experience. So I thought I'd enlist the help of the masses here to see if anyone has a thought / idea / answer.

My goal is to buy an app on my buddy's iPad without him paying for it or knowing about it at all until a later date. I've digitized his entire sheet music collection for him, and it's going to take some work to get it into the app once it is installed on the iPad, and I wanted to get that done before I "gift" it to him.

I have the iPad without his knowing, thanks to his wife. But everything I've found online (and in the iPad itself) indicates I have to use his account to make purchases on it. And if buy the app as a gift, it goes through his email, which would spoil the surprise of the gift.

Short of getting into his email (which he doesn't have set up on the iPad), can you all think of a way to get this done?

[albionmoonlight]

I am sure you have thought of this, but could you time the purchases with his wife (assuming she has access to his email) so that as soon as you buy it, she logs in and deletes the email?

[bhlloy]

You can hide a purchase - How to Delete Purchase History on iPhone or iPad [2020 Updated] but I don’t think that is going to stop the email going out though. And changing the email will just generate security alerts - syncing up with the wife to try to delete it seems like the best bet

[Vince, Pt. II]

Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to have to do. Sigh, more subterfuge. Why can't apple just let me pay with a damned credit card for one purchase?!!?

[stevew]

how much is the app? I'm thinking you could probably just buy it under his wife's ID on his iPad and move stuff over that way.

[Vince, Pt. II]

It's $20. I didn't think about using her info; I wonder if she's got an account. That's a good idea.

[jbergey22]

I wouldnt buy it under her apple ID. Otherwise it forces her stuff to always be attached to that Ipad. It will be constantly wanting to put her apple id password on his Ipad.

For example if he gets a new Ipad in 3-4 years. He will need his apple ID login and hers to get that app back on.


It sounds like a fantastic idea and a fantastic gift however I think you might just have to buy him an Apple gift card and help him once it is installed. Or have the wife delete the email after purchase strategy.

[bhlloy]

+1 to that. Apple in this household has been a PITA ever since we decided to just use my apple ID years ago and then split them at some point (and no I'm not JimmyWint or anything - it's just always maddening to find that odd app that requires me to enter my apple password on my wife's devices, and then I have to actually remember what my password is)

[Kodos]

You should try a password manager like LastPass.

[QuikSand]

Likely your best resource online:

Is it Possible to Fudge a bank Statement? - Front Office Football Central

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

(and no I'm not JimmyWint or anything)

okay, caught that after I posted, dibs granted

[Vince, Pt. II]

It's easy to forget how great that thread was.