We show you how to hide and then retrieve your Mac App Store purchase history
With the Mac App Store, Apple has done much to revolutionise the way users consume software. It all started, of course, with iTunes and the app model popularised by the iPhone and iPad, introducing modular, affordable download experiences. This convenience, however, can for some be viewed as both a blessing and a curse, especially if you’ve dotted your Mac with apps you might rather forget. However, it’s not just about ignoring app indiscretions when it comes to hiding your purchase history. The most likely scenario is that you would like to stop pesky update alerts and omit certain apps from update downloads. You may also prefer to hide your history for privacy reasons if using a shared Mac with a single iTunes account. Luckily, the App Store enables this very simply, while crucially enabling you to reinstate them in the future. Over the next six steps we will show you where to find the purchase history, remove apps and restore them.
“Stop pesky update alerts and omit certain apps”
Knowledge base
Purchase history
If you ever want to find out more information about your purchases, such as the exact date of the purchase or the price you paid, open up iTunes and head to Store>View Accout. Scroll down the page and click See All, to the right of the Purchase History section. On the next screen, you’ll see all your recent purchases listed, along with their order information
Purchases tab
By clicking this icon you are presented with the master Purchases list for the account currently loggedin. This is the list where visible app purchases can be first rendered hidden
Unhide button
To toggle the hidden status of any of the listed apps you must click the grey Unhide button for each. The item will then be ghosted out and returned to the Purchases list
Banished list
The Account Information section holds a backup list of each app you have ever chosen to hide, whether purposefully or by accident. Like your Purchases list, everything is arranged in chronological order
All done
As with any changes to details listed within the Account Information section, make sure you press the Done button to ensure the App Store saves your actions before logging out
Step-by-step Hide Mac App Store purchases
1. Log in to begin
Start by opening the App Store. If you are not already signed in, click the Sign In link within the Quick Links panel on the right side, or via the File menu and Store>Sign In.
2. Purchase history
Click the Purchases icon at the top or hit Cmd+4. Here you should find a chronological list of every app purchased, downloaded or installed with the current iTunes account.
3. X marks the spot
Scroll through the list and identify those apps you wish to hide. Hover the cursor over the chosen app row and click the circular ‘x’ button that appears next to the Install button.
4. View My Account
The app will vanish, enabling the item below to show up. To retrieve, go up and select Store>View My Account from the File menu and enter the same account log-in details again.
5. The Manage link
From the Account Information panel, click the blue Manage link under the iTunes in the Cloud, Hidden Purchases section. From here you will be presented with a list of all hidden apps.
6. Unhide the hidden
The Hidden Purchases section offers your list of hidden apps. This time each app row has a button to Unhide. Hit this to restore apps; the status changes to Unhidden. Hit Done.
Sorting purchases in iTunes
In just the same way as the Mac App Store, you can also hide purchase history from all categories within iTunes. The process of removing them is almost identical, and thankfully you can quickly restore them should you wish to later. Here we cover both stages of the process, so get started by opening iTunes and ensuring you’re logged in to your account.
1. First you hide…
On the storefront, click the Purchased option from Quick Links before toggling the All button in the Purchases screen. Navigate to the desired category, hover over a thumbnail and click the ‘x’ icon and hide.
2. Then you restore
To restore, navigate to Store>View Account from the iTunes File menu and re-enter your login. From the Account Information screen, click the Manage link from Hidden Purchases, find the hidden item and click Unhide.
