With mictrotransactions and an increasing focus on addictive qualities, younger players might need some light supervision when playing their favorite games. The Xbox Family Settings mobile app on iOS and Android that came in 2020 gives parents or guardians a closer look at what people on the family account are doing and now it has a few more features like purchase approval, spending limits, and “Ask to Buy.”
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The “Ask to Buy” feature is exactly what it sounds like. The parent or guardian can get a notification on their app every time the child wants to buy something they don’t have the money for. They can add money to the account or just deny it outright. Spending limits and adding money directly to the child’s account goes with this new feature. These spending limits and the ability to add money seem to make it possible to add a decent bit of money to the account and slowly dole it out when necessary or earned.
Parents can also now view how much money is left in the child’s account as well as see their purchase history. All of these features are designed to give parents a better look at the money going out while also allowing for better communication. Microsoft said as much in a blog post, saying that it wanted families to “avoid any unexpected surprises or bills.”
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In the same post, Microsoft said it wasn’t done adding features to the app. It gave the example of its May update that let families approve and customize multiplayer access.