How to Track Your App Spending on iPhone

You'd think Apple would make it easy to see how much you're spending on apps each month. After all, they're the ones collecting the money. But surprisingly, there's no simple "total spent this month" screen anywhere on your iPhone. Here's how to piece it together.

Why Tracking App Spending Matters

The average smartphone user spends more on apps and subscriptions than they realise. Small recurring charges — a pound here, two pounds there — add up quickly. Without actively tracking your spending, it's easy for app costs to quietly balloon.

Method 1: Screen Time Spending Notifications

Your iPhone can actually show you weekly spending summaries through Screen Time:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time
2. Tap See All Activity
3. Scroll down to see app usage and related spending data

However, this is limited and doesn't give you a comprehensive spending breakdown.

Method 2: Check Your Apple ID Subscriptions

To see your active recurring charges:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap your name at the top
3. Tap Subscriptions

This shows all active and expired subscriptions with their renewal dates and prices. It's useful, but it only covers subscriptions — not one-off purchases or in-app spending.

Method 3: Review Bank Statements

Your bank or credit card statements will show all Apple charges, usually appearing as "APPLE.COM/BILL" or similar. The downside? These charges are often bundled together, making it hard to tell which app each charge relates to.

Method 4: Apple's Purchase History

For the most detailed view Apple provides natively:

1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases
2. Tap View Account, then Purchase History

This shows individual transactions with dates and amounts, but you'll need to manually add everything up yourself.

Setting Up a Monthly App Budget

Once you know what you're spending, set a monthly limit:

• Audit your subscriptions — Cancel anything you haven't used in the past 30 days
• Set calendar reminders — Mark free trial end dates so you can cancel before being charged
• Use Ask to Buy — If family members share your payment method, enable purchase approvals
• Review monthly — Pick a day each month to check your app spending

The Problem With Manual Tracking

The biggest issue with all these methods is that none of them give you a proper overview. You're left jumping between Settings screens, bank apps, and email receipts trying to build a complete picture. It shouldn't be this complicated.