App Store Not Working? How to Fix Common App Store Issues (2023)

What to Know * If you can’t connect to the App Store, check your network and data settings. * If you can't download apps, check your iPhone storage and your Screen Time Settings. * To enable in-app purchases, go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > In-app Purchases > Allow. The App Store is one of the iPhone’s most defining features. It’s where you go to download other apps onto your phone. But what do you do when the App Store is not working? Whether you are having trouble connecting to the App Store, downloading apps, or making in-app purchases, we are here to help. In this article, we’ll go over how to troubleshoot the most common App Store issues. Jump To: * What to Do When You Cannot Connect to the App Store * Why Can’t I Download Apps on My iPhone? * How to Enable In-App Purchases * Why Won’t the App Store Load on My Mac? What to Do When You Cannot Connect to the App Store It can be incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to download an app, and you keep getting an App Store error that tells you to try again later, or you simply can’t connect to the App Store in the first place. For more App Store troubleshooting advice, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Now, let’s get started with what to do when you cannot connect to the App Store. Check Your Network Connection The first thing to do whenever you are having connectivity problems is to check your device’s network connection. The easiest way to do that is by opening the Control Center. You can do that by swiping down from the top right edge of the screen on iPhones without a Home Button or by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen on iPhones with a Home Button: * In the top left of the Control Center, you’ll see your carrier name and connection status. An LTE, 4G, or 5G icon indicates that you are connected to your cellular network. * If you see the fan-like Wi-Fi icon, you are connected to Wi-Fi, and you should have no problems connecting to the App Store. If you have a strong network connection but the App Store is still not working, the next step is to check that you have cellular data enabled for the App Store. Check That Data Is Enabled for the App Store One of the many useful features of iOS is that you can restrict certain apps from using cellular data. This can be useful if you are not on an unlimited data plan, but it can also be a double-edged sword if an app that you need to use while out and about has its access to cellular data disabled. To check: * Open the Settings app, and tap Cellular. * Scroll down and find the App Store in the list under Cellular Data. Make sure the toggle is green and positioned to the right to indicate that the App Store has access to cellular data. * If the toggle is gray and positioned to the left, that means cellular data is disabled for that particular app. You can tap the toggle to enable it. If cellular data is already enabled for the App Store and you’re still having trouble accessing it, you’ll want to make sure the date and time are correct. Check Date & Time Settings Sometimes, if your device’s date and time settings are incorrect, it can interfere with other operations. * Open the Settings app, and tap General. * Tap Date & Time. * If the toggle next to Set Automatically is not enabled, tap it so that it turns green and is positioned to the right. Generally, it is a good idea to let your device set the date and time automatically. Your iPhone can use your location and internet connection to set a more precise date and time than if you were to set it manually. Check Screen Time App Limits Screen Time allows you to set App Limits so that you can only use specific apps for a certain amount of time. Here’s how to check if you accidentally set an App Limit that is preventing you from downloading apps: * Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time. * Tap App Limits. * If you see an App Limit for the App Store, swipe left on it. * Tap Delete. * Tap Delete Limit to confirm. If you do not see an App Limit, then you’ll know that Screen Time is not preventing you from opening the App Store. Check for iOS Updates Apple regularly releases updates with bug fixes, so if there is a software-related glitch preventing you from connecting to the App Store, updating your device might help solve the problem. You can check for updates in the Settings app. If your iPhone is up-to-date, and none of the other solutions above seem to have made a difference, it might not be a problem on your end at all. Check Apple Support System Status If nothing you have tried has worked so far, and you still cannot connect to the App Store, check the Apple Support System Status page. This page can tell you whether or not the App Store is currently experiencing an outage of some kind. Why Can’t I Download Apps on My iPhone? So you’re able to connect to the App Store but you can’t download apps. What now? There are a few things you can try to remedy this situation. Firstly, I would recommend going through the steps in the previous section if you haven’t already. The App Store not working and being unable to download apps are similar problems, so it doesn’t hurt to troubleshoot them the same way. If those tips don’t work for you, there are a few extra steps to try to fix when you can't download apps on iPhone. Check iPhone Storage One possible reason for being unable to download apps is that your iPhone’s storage is full. Every electronic device has a limited amount of storage, and when you run out, you won’t be able to download any more apps. Here’s how to check: * Open the Settings app, and tap General. * Tap iPhone Storage. * On this screen, you can see how much storage is available, what types of files are taking up space on your device, and clear out any excess apps or files that you don’t need. For more advice on clearing out your device storage, check out these tips for freeing up space on your iPhone, as well as this article about clearing out System Data. Check Screen Time Restriction Settings If you use Screen Time to manage your phone use, you may have accidentally set a restriction for downloading apps. * Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time. * Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. * Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. * Tap Installing Apps. * Tap Allow, if it is not already selected. This setting should allow you to download apps again. How to Enable In-App Purchases If you are trying to make in-app purchases on your iPhone, but you are seeing a pop-up that tells you in-app purchases are not allowed, that likely means you have a Screen Time restriction set up. Here’s how to enable in-app purchases in Screen Time: * Open the Settings app and tap Screen Time. * Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. * Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases. * Tap In-app Purchases. * Tap Allow, if it is not already selected. With In-app Purchases set to Allow, you should have no problems making purchases in other apps. If you are wondering how to turn off in-app purchases, you can follow the same steps outlined above, but tap Don’t Allow instead. Why Won’t the App Store Load on My Mac? App Store won't load on Mac? We have you covered. Check out this article on fixing all your Mac App Store troubles. The fixes covered there should help you get back online. How-ToiPhoneApp StoreApple SupportSettingsCellular Service & DataControl CenterScreen TimeSoftware UpdatesStorageWi-FiDevice ManagementMaster your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.
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