New phone and lost your theory test app progress or purchase? How to get it back

If you bought a theory test app and changed phone, you can usually get the purchase back for free: sign in with the same Apple Account or Google Account, reinstall the app, and tap its "restore purchases" option. Progress is different. Whether your scores come back depends on where the app stored them, so check before you delete anything.

This page uses Apple's and Google's own help pages, which we checked on 26 October 2026. It covers the purchase first, then your progress, then what to do if neither comes back.

Getting a paid app back

On iPhone or iPad

Apple's page if you can't find or use your Apple In-App Purchases says to restore the purchase inside the app you used to buy it:

1. Open the app you bought the upgrade in.
2. Look for an option to restore. Apple says you may find it in the App Store, main menu, Settings menu or Options menu of the app.

Apple says you might be able to restore a non-consumable purchase, such as an upgrade to a pro version, or a subscription. Consumable purchases, which run out as you use them, cannot be restored.

If you tap restore and nothing happens or you get an error, Apple's steps are:

• make sure you are signed in to the same Apple Account you used to buy it
• make sure In-App Purchases are allowed on your device
• restart your device

On Android

Google's page reinstall and re-enable apps says you can use apps you bought on Google Play on any Android device without paying again, as long as each device is signed in to the same Google Account. To reinstall, open Google Play, tap your profile icon, then Manage apps and device, then Manage, and choose the app.

If an in-app purchase still does not show, Google's page on problems with in-app purchases says to check your internet connection, then force stop and reopen the app. If that fails, it says to contact the developer.

Moving between iPhone and Android

Apple and Google run separate stores, and the pages above only cover restoring within the same store. If you bought an upgrade on one and moved to the other, ask the developer whether it can move your purchase. Some apps link purchases to an account with the developer, and some do not.

Why your progress may not come back

Your purchase is held by Apple or Google. Your progress, such as your scores, the questions you got wrong and your mock test history, is held wherever the app keeps it. That might be:

• On the phone only. Apple's troubleshooting page warns that deleting an app and downloading it again may lose data that was stored in the app.
• In a phone backup. Apple's page what does iCloud back up? says iCloud Backup includes app data for the apps you have downloaded, and that restoring from a backup restores your device settings and app layout too. So if you set up a new iPhone from an iCloud backup of the old one, the app's data may come with it.
• In an account with the developer. If the app asks you to sign in, your progress may be saved to that account and come back when you sign in on the new phone.

Before you change phone, check which one applies. Look in the app's settings for an account, a sign-in or a sync option, or ask the developer.

If neither comes back

1. Contact the developer. Apple says that if you were charged and still cannot restore a purchase, you should contact the app developer, and you can also report a problem to Apple. Our guide to apps whose videos won't play has Apple's steps for contacting a developer and asking for a refund.
2. Do not pay twice by mistake. If the app offers you the same upgrade again, try restore first. If it is a subscription, check whether it is still active, because a subscription you no longer use keeps charging. See how to cancel a theory test app subscription.
3. Rebuild your weak-topic list. Lost scores are annoying, but what you need back is a picture of what you still get wrong. A fresh 50-question mock test will show it again.

If you are choosing a new app, our page on which theory test apps are actually free lists what each one gives you before the paywall. If you are back because your theory pass ran out after 2 years, see resitting after your pass expires. If tiny text or a voiceover you cannot turn off is why you are switching, see revising for the theory test with dyslexia.

How theorytest.ai stores your progress

theorytest.ai is a web-based UK car theory test practice site, independent and not affiliated with the DVSA. There is no app to install. You sign in with your email address, and your progress and any plan you buy are saved to your account, so you sign in again on a new phone or computer to carry on.

Our plans are Monthly Premium at £6.99 a month (Cancel anytime) and Lifetime Access at £12.99 (Pay once. No monthly charge.). They are paid on our website, not through the App Store or Google Play, so they will not appear in either store's restore option. There is also a free plan. theorytest.ai does not offer hazard perception clips at the moment.

Start free

If you have lost your progress, find out quickly where you stand now. Take the free 10-question theorytest.ai diagnostic: no payment and no account, and it shows which topics to work on first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay again for a theory test app on a new phone?

Usually not, if you use the same store. Google says apps bought on Google Play work on any Android device signed in to the same Google Account. Apple says to use the restore option in the app.

Where is the restore purchases button?

Apple says it may be in the App Store, main menu, Settings menu or Options menu of the app you bought it in.

Why did I lose my theory test progress when I changed phone?

The app may have stored your progress only on the old phone. Apple warns that deleting and reinstalling an app may lose data stored in it.

Can I move a theory test app purchase from iPhone to Android?

Apple and Google run separate stores, so ask the developer. Some apps link purchases to an account with them, and some do not.