If Tonic still says Free after you paid, the fix is almost always one tap. Open Settings inside Tonic and tap Restore Purchases, and make sure you are signed into the same Apple ID you bought with. Family Sharing and restricted in-app purchases are the other common causes.
First, try Restore Purchases
This is the fix almost every time. Your Unlimited subscription is tied to your Apple ID, so after a reinstall or on a new device, Tonic needs one tap to pull it back in.
- Open Settings inside Tonic.Scroll to the bottom of the Settings screen.
- Tap Restore Purchases.Tonic checks with the App Store and turns Unlimited back on if it finds your subscription.
- Give it a few seconds.If it worked, the Free label disappears and your Unlimited access is back. No need to pay again.
Still says Free? Check these
Restore Purchases only finds a subscription that lives on the Apple ID you are currently signed into. If the tap did nothing, one of these is usually why.
- Different Apple ID. If you bought Tonic on one Apple ID and you are now signed into another, the purchase will not appear. Check Settings on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, and confirm it is the same Apple ID you used to pay. Then tap Restore Purchases again.
- Family Sharing. Subscriptions are not always shared across a Family Sharing group. If a family member bought it, that purchase stays on their Apple ID, not yours.
- Restricted in-app purchases. If Screen Time content restrictions are turned on for this iPhone, in-app purchases and restores can be blocked. Open the iPhone Settings app, go to Screen Time, then Content and Privacy Restrictions, and make sure In-app Purchases is allowed.
- Payment still processing. If you just subscribed, or used Ask to Buy, the App Store may still be confirming the charge. Wait a few minutes and try Restore Purchases once more.
What restoring cannot do
Restore Purchases only finds a paid subscription on the Apple ID you are signed into right now. It cannot move a purchase from one Apple ID to another, and it will not charge you a second time. Your rituals, limits, and history are saved separately, so they are safe either way.
Good to know
You will not lose anything while this is being sorted. Your saved setup stays put, and Tonic keeps working on the free tier in the meantime. Once Unlimited is restored, everything you had picked is right where you left it.
Still stuck? Email [email protected] and we will sort it out.
Related: How do I cancel my Tonic subscription or get a refund? · What's free in Tonic and what do I get with Unlimited? · How do I give Tonic permission to use Screen Time, and is my data private?