Overview

When an active in-app subscription isn’t recognized, members can use the “Restore Purchase” option to reactivate access. This is a normal part of how app platforms like Apple and Google manage subscriptions.

Why Restore Purchase Exists

Apps like yours don’t own subscription data when the member subscribed via the app store; Apple, Google, Roku, and others do. When a member installs a new app (especially after a migration) or switches devices, your app must ask the platform for permission to reconnect to the member’s existing subscription.

That’s where Restore Purchase comes in. It’s a standard, secure process to re-establish access.

Common Situations Where a Restore is Needed:

The app was recently migrated to Uscreen
The member is using a new device
The member reinstalled the app

ℹ️ Important: For migrated apps, members must sign in first before restoring purchases so we can link their subscription correctly!

Key Steps to Communicate with Your Members

Before Attempting to Restore:

Sign In First: Ensure the member signs into their account on the app.
Verify Subscription: Confirm their subscription is active on the App Store (Apple Subscriptions, Google Play Account, etc.).
Follow Platform-Specific Restore Instructions: See below!

Platform-Specific Instructions for Restoring Purchases

For iOS Devices

Guide customers to:

Open their Settings.
Tap Your Name → Subscriptions.
Locate the active subscription.
In your app, instruct them to:
- From the Welcome Screen: Tap Login.
- Enter their email and request a sign-in link or enter their password.
  - Note: They may not have an account on Uscreen if you recently migrated and your former platform did not collect personal information for this user. Learn More →
- From the Home Page: Tap Account → Purchases, then follow on-screen instructions.

For Android Devices

Guide customers to:

Open the Google Play Store app.
Navigate to Menu > Subscriptions to confirm the subscription is active.
In your app, they should:
- From the Welcome Screen: Tap Login.
- Enter their email and request a sign-in link or enter their password.
  - Note: They may not have an account on Uscreen if you recently migrated and your former platform did not collect personal information for this user. Learn More →
- Tap Already a Subscriber? > Restore Purchase.
- From the Home Page: Tap Account > Purchases.

For tvOS

Guide customers to:

Open the app on their Apple TV.
Select Account, then sign in.
Choose Restore Purchase.

For Android TV

Guide customers to:

Open the app and log in.
Play a locked video and select Subscribe.
On the checkout page, instruct them to select Restore Purchase.

For Fire TV

Guide customers to:

Open the app and navigate to Account.
Log in to their account.
Play a locked video and select Subscribe.
On the checkout page, instruct them to choose Restore Purchase.

For Roku

Guide customers to:

Use their Roku remote to select your channel.
Press the Star button.
Follow on-screen prompts to log in and restore their purchase.

What About “Unregistered” Members?

Sometimes, you’ll have a small number of members who signed up through your old app platform but never created an account that you could track.

Why Does This Happen?

App stores like Apple require apps to let users sign up anonymously under certain conditions, meaning no email address no full name is collected.
On Uscreen, we always collect account info because of our community and platform features, so this issue doesn’t occur with new members.
However, for migrated apps, it means we can’t auto-migrate these anonymous users into Uscreen because you never had their information.

How to Solve for Unregistered Members

You’ll need to manually invite these members to create a Uscreen account:

Find the unregistered member (they may contact you saying their subscription isn’t recognized).
Send them a manual invite to create a Uscreen account.
- You can do this directly from your Uscreen dashboard.
Once they accept the invite and sign in, instruct them to:
- Follow the Restore Purchase steps for their device.

✅ After that, their subscription will be properly linked!

💡 Tip: This is usually a small number of members, and once they’re set up on Uscreen, they won’t run into this issue again.

Encourage Customers to Create an Account

✅ Why? Creating an account ensures customers can access their subscriptions on all supported platforms. After restoring their purchase, direct them to sign up if they haven’t already.