Purchase or restore problems

Use this page when Pinwork does not show active access, restore does not unlock the app, or a device stays in read-only recovery.

Pinwork access is handled by the App Store and StoreKit. Pinwork can refresh and read entitlement state, but Apple owns the purchase, renewal, cancellation, and billing record.

Restore purchases first

If you already bought Pinwork:

1. Confirm the device is signed in to the App Store with the same Apple ID.
2. Open Pinwork.
3. Choose Restore Purchases from the access screen or Settings.
4. Wait for the restore to finish.

If an active subscription, trial, grace-period subscription, or lifetime purchase is found, Pinwork unlocks access.

Check the Apple ID

Restore cannot find purchases from another Apple ID.

On the affected device, check the Apple ID used for App Store purchases. This can be different from the iCloud account used for sync.

If the purchase was made with another Apple ID, switch to that App Store account or use Apple’s subscription management to confirm the purchase owner.

App Store account matters

iCloud sync and App Store purchases can use different Apple IDs. Restore checks the App Store purchase account.

Pending approval

Some purchases can be pending approval, especially with Family Sharing or Ask to Buy.

While a purchase is pending, Pinwork waits for StoreKit to report a successful transaction. Access unlocks after Apple approves and reports the purchase as active.

Billing retry, expired, or revoked

If a subscription is in billing retry, expired, or revoked, Pinwork can enter read-only recovery.

Your data remains visible, but editing is blocked until access is restored.

Use Manage Subscription to update billing, renew, or check the subscription state in Apple’s subscription management.

Grace period

Grace period still counts as Pro access.

If Apple reports the subscription is in grace period, Pinwork keeps editing available and may show a non-blocking billing warning. Use the warning to fix billing before the grace period ends.

Grace period is not the same as expired

If you see a billing warning but can still edit tasks, you are in grace period. Fix billing through Apple’s subscription management before the grace period ends to avoid entering read-only recovery.

TestFlight transactions

In TestFlight, purchases are sandbox transactions.

They are used to test purchase and restore behavior and are not real App Store charges. Sandbox purchase state can behave differently from production and may need another restore attempt after reinstalling or changing devices.

Apple Watch still locked

Apple Watch receives access state from iPhone.

If iPhone has active access but Watch is still locked:

1. Open Pinwork on iPhone.
2. Keep iPhone and Apple Watch near each other.
3. Open Pinwork on Apple Watch.
4. Wait for the Watch to receive the updated access state.

If iPhone is also locked, restore or manage access on iPhone first.

If restore says no active purchase

That means StoreKit did not return an active Pinwork entitlement for the current App Store account.

Try:

• confirm the Apple ID
• open Apple’s subscription management page
• check for billing issues
• check whether the subscription expired or was canceled
• restart Pinwork
• try Restore Purchases again

Contact support

Contact support if you still cannot restore access and Apple’s subscription management shows an active Pinwork purchase.

Include:

• device model
• OS version
• Pinwork version and build
• whether this is TestFlight or App Store
• purchase type, subscription or lifetime
• the exact restore message or error
• whether access works on another device

Do not send full payment details.

See Contact support.