What Percent Of Paywalls Offer Only 'Restore Purchases' As An Exit?
- By Ali Abouelatta
- n = 2,708
- Published
- Updated
- 2 min read
- paywall · monetization · checkout · mobile · ux-patterns
Short answer
Of 2,708 mobile paywall screens tracked by Lazyweb Research, 151 (5.6%) offer only a 'Restore purchases' link and no dismiss, X, or text-link exit — across 56 companies source[1]. Restore-only is the least common visible pattern, behind the X (517) and the 'Maybe later' link (193) source[2]. For a new user, restore-only is effectively a hard paywall: the link recovers a prior purchase, it does not let them leave source[1].
151 of 2,708 paywall screens (5.6%) give only 'Restore purchases' — no real exit — across 56 companies, Lazyweb Research, July 2026.
The finding
On 151 screens (5.6%) the only escape-shaped control is a 'Restore purchases' link, with no dismiss, X, or worded opt-out present source[1]. These span 56 companies source[1]. In the precedence taxonomy, restore-only ranks below both the visible X and the text link, so these are screens where restore is genuinely the sole option source[2].
Why restore-only is a soft-looking hard gate
'Restore purchases' exists for users who already paid and reinstalled; it does nothing for a first-time visitor. So a restore-only paywall functions as a hard gate for the audience that matters for conversion, even though a link is present source[1]. Treat these 151 screens as near-hard when you benchmark, not as soft.
How to apply it and caveats
If your goal is to soften a paywall, adding 'Restore' does not achieve it — you need an X or a worded opt-out that a new user can act on source[2]. If your goal is a hard gate but you must satisfy store review, restore-only is the minimal pattern 56 companies use source[1]. Caveat: counts are extraction-based lower bounds and what-shipped only source[1].
Real in-market screens
Screens from real, in-market apps, tracked by Lazyweb Research.
Uber1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Evgo1206 × 2622opens the full image 
Zero1179 × 2556opens the full image 
Disney1125 × 2436opens the full image
The numbers
| # | Stat | Computed from |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | 151 restore-only screens (5.6%) across 56 companies | restore_only_screens: 151/2,708 = 5.6% |
| [2] | restore-only ranks below X (517) and text link (193) in precedence taxonomy | exit_type_taxonomy |
Methodology
Restore-only is a branch of the exit taxonomy over 2,708 screens: a Restore CTA with no other exit. Extraction-based lower bound, what-shipped only. July 2026.
Sources
- [1]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 2,708 paywall screens (mobile app corpus, 56 companies), July 2026
Restore-only = a 'Restore' CTA present but no dismiss/X/text-link exit; a lower bound.
- [2]
Lazyweb Research analysis of 2,708 paywall screens (mobile app corpus), July 2026
Mutually exclusive exit taxonomy with visible-X precedence.
Source: Lazyweb Research — proprietary analysis of real, in-market app screens. Cite as Lazyweb Research, 2026-07-07.