Among the new features of iOS 7.1 is the addition of a warning message for users concerning the 15-minute in-app purchase window. This quarter-hour window allows you to buy IAPs on an iOS device without further authorization for 15 minutes following the correct entry of a password.
The feature (which can be turned off in the “Settings” menu) is likely related to Apple’s settlement with the FTC, which saw the company refund $32.5 million to customers on the back of a lawsuit over IAPs. At the time Apple said that it would not only issue refunds to those affected, but also modify its in-app billing system to make the process clearer for users. These changes came with a March 31 deadline from the FTC.
Cult of Mac will keep you updated on whether this cuts down the amount of issues caused by IAPs.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
