Happy App Friday!
Excavate fossils and watch ancient creatures come to life with Dinosaur Park 2, then learn the ABCs with the cute Animals + Bubbles. Plus, a warning about apps that try to trick users into unwanted subscriptions.
Garry Froehlich
Jellybean Tunes
Dinosaur Park 2
by Yateland
Download Dinosaur Park 2 (for free) and excavate fossils from the Ice Age. Reconstruct animals like the saber-toothed cat, wild and woolly mammoths, and ground sloths. Then, go to the fossil dig site and explore more Ice Age animals via in-app purchase.
Animals + Bubbles
by Infinite Hugs
Animals + Bubbles is a classic matching game designed to help learn the alphabet. It features a straightforward design and whimsical art. Letters are spoken aloud when matched, and the child is encouraged to continue playing to collect all the letters in a gallery. Available for free.
Don’t Press the Home Button to Avoid Signing Up for Subscriptions
Some unscrupulous utility apps are relying on user behavior to sign them up for unwanted subscriptions, which sounds odd, but takes advantage of the fingerprint reader in many Apple devices.
“Users open the app and quickly tap a “Start” button or “Continue” button on the first page,” she told me via email. “Unfortunately this loads the Apple payment prompt instead of starting the free app as most users would expect. Users then panic and press the home screen to exit the app – unfortunately, on fingerprint devices, this makes payment or signs up for the free trial.”
I admit, I’ve accidentally purchased an app when I was resting my thumb on the home button (and never did that again), so I can understand this happening. If it does happen, you can immediately unsubscribe from a free trial, or paid subscription, through your app subscriptions.
Open Settings, select iTunes & App Store, then tap on Apple ID. Select View Apple ID from the options. Once your account information loads, scroll down and select Subscriptions. Tap on the subscription you want to change, and then there will be an option to cancel or renew.
If you’ve already been charged, you can also request a refund from Apple.
