What to do if iPhone can't connect to the App Store

According to a recent survey, the majority of iPhone owners said they couldn't live without their phones. This makes sense when we consider that the iPhone can practically do everything in our daily lives and work, listen to music and radio, watch TV programs, shop, do and check schedules, play games, keep in touch with friends and family, etc. D.

These actions are actually completed by a set of applications. And the millions of exclusive apps in the App Store are another appeal of the iPhone. So, you can imagine how frustrating it is to see the “Unable to connect to the App Store” error. In this guide, we will share some solutions that will help you solve this problem.

Part 1: Can't connect to the app store? For what?
Part 2: Common Ways to Fix the “Cannot Connect to the App Store” Error

Check if the App Store is working

Perhaps the problem is on Apple's side, and right now no one can access the App Store. In this case, you need to check the System Status page, which indicates the status of all online services of the company. The App Store is number one on the list. If the problem started recently, it may not have been detected yet. The page is updated every few minutes.

If the circle opposite the App Store is not highlighted in green, you just have to wait for Apple to fix the problem.

Part 1: Can't connect to the app store? For what?

Several factors can cause the App Store to fail to connect, such as:

Outdated software. Although some people still use iOS 8 and earlier, there are many compatibility issues that can cause the App Store to work abnormally.
Poor internet connection. You can open websites or a search engine with slower internet speeds, but the App Store usually requires a good internet connection.
Not enough space. The App Store app isn't very big, but it needs room to open and work properly.
Incorrect settings. If the date and time on your iPhone are incorrect, the App Store server cannot be connected successfully.
Something is wrong on the Apple and App Store servers.
Unknown bugs or errors.

Check your DNS settings

The Domain Name System (DNS) allows Macs to resolve domain names (such as apple.com) to IP addresses (such as 17.172.224.47). If the DNS server you are using is down, slow, or faulty, you may experience problems when trying to connect to a site or service.

It's possible that the DNS server is configured incorrectly or is blocking connections to the App Store on ports 80 and 443. But this method is recommended for more advanced users, otherwise things can only get worse.

How to check the availability of your Internet connection

If the user uses Wi-Fi when connecting to the store, there may be problems with the signal or Network settings. First you need to find out if the Internet is functioning. To do this, you need to go to the browser and open any video from the Internet to evaluate how fast it works (low-speed Internet simply will not open the App Store). If the video loads at low speed, then the cause of problems with the store lies in a weak signal.

There is no access to the Internet, so the online store does not open

Important! It is worth contacting your Internet provider for help (contacts are always indicated on the official website), but in the meantime you can connect to another available Wi-Fi network.

Enable downloading over 3G or 4G

This shouldn't prevent access, but if your device is set to download apps over Wi-Fi, it won't be able to do so over a cellular network. Try connecting to a reliable Wi-Fi network and installing the app. You can also go to “Settings”, “Cellular” section and check that the switch near the App Store is highlighted in green.

In addition, in the “iTunes Store and App Store” settings section there is a “Cellular Data” item, which also needs to be activated.

Part 2: Common Ways to Fix “Cannot Connect to App Store” Error

In this part, you can learn several ways to fix the “Can't connect App Store error” effectively.

Method 1: Set automatic date and time

Step 1. Disconnect your iPhone from any additional devices. Make sure your iPhone is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Step 2: Open the Settings app from your home screen, select General -> Date & Time to check if the date and time is correct.

Step 3: If you're not sure, toggle the switch next to Install Automatically to turn it on. This feature can automatically set the date and time based on your time zone.

Step 4. Try again on the App Store, the error that cannot connect to the Apple Store should be gone.

Method 2: Sign out and sign in with Apple ID

If the "can't connect to the App Store" error persists, you can try signing in to your Apple ID again to resolve the issue.

Step 1: Launch the iPhone Settings app, scroll down to find the “iTunes & App Store” option, tap on it to open the next screen.

Step 2: Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen, then tap Sign Out.

Step 3: Then sign in again with your Apple ID and password on the iTunes and App Store screen.

This method works in most cases when you can't connect to the App Store.

Method 3: Clear storage

As already mentioned, the App Store requires space to operate, which is also limited by the iPhone. So if you're facing the Can't Connect to App Store error, it's time to manage your storage and clean up your iPhone.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage and tap on the Manage Storage option under the Storage section.

Step 2. Next, you can view the apps on your iPhone and memory usage. If an app takes up more than 500MB, you should remove it from your iPhone or clear cache data.

Step 3: To remove an app you don't need, tap on it in the list, tap "Uninstall" and tap "Delete" again to confirm it. If large apps are important to you, open each app on your home screen and clear cache data.

Step 4: To close apps running in the background, double-tap the Home button or use the gesture command to open the multitasking screen, swipe up on the app to exit it, do the same for other apps and free up space.

Method 4: Enable Background App Refresh

Another way to fix the can't connect to the App Store error is to enable the app's background refresh feature.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.

Step 2: Make sure the Background App Update feature is enabled.

Step 3: Toggle the "Apple Store" switch to turn it on and manage other apps you don't want running in the background.

Method 5: Force an update to the App Store

Although it sounds crazy, you can force an App Store update to get rid of the “cannot connect to App Store” error.

Step 1. Launch the App Store app from the home screen. You may see an error and several icons such as Top Charts, Explore, Search and Updates.

Step 2. Keep clicking on any of these icons for about 10 times and the App Store will start updating itself.

Method 6: Update your device

Anytime you encounter errors on your iPhone, updating the software is one of the effective solutions, so cannot connect to the App Store error.

Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is connected to a good Wi-Fi network. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Step 2: If an update is available for your iPhone, click "Download and Install" to begin updating the software. When prompted, enter your PIN to verify you are the owner of the device.

Step 3. After updating iOS, restart your iPhone and open the App Store to check if it works normally.

Method 7: Reset all settings

If the above solutions don't work and the "can't connect to App Store" error still appears, you should consider taking a more drastic action by resetting all settings. It will erase all personal settings on your device, so make a backup of your iPhone first.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Reset and click on Keep all settings.

Step 2: Click "Restore All Settings" again in the confirmation dialog to begin erasing customized settings from your iPhone.

Step 3. Once this is done, your device will reboot and everything should work fine.

Other messages when connecting

The steps in this article may also help troubleshoot issues related to the following error messages:

"Can't connect to the iTunes Store. An unidentified error has occurred."
"The iTunes Store request failed. The iTunes Store is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later."
"iTunes was unable to connect to the iTunes Store. Make sure your network connection is active and try again."
"The iTunes Store request failed. This network connection cannot be established. An error occurred in the iTunes Store. Please try again later."

Method 10: Reset settings

It is extremely rare, but it still happens that none of the methods discussed above can restore normal operation of the App Store and “force” it to download applications again. The only solution in this case is to reset the settings - first only the network, and then, if the problem is not resolved, the entire operating system. We previously talked about how to do this in separate articles.

Read more: How to reset network settings on iPhone How to reset all iPhone settings

Important! Before you begin such a radical procedure as resetting your settings, be sure to create a backup copy of your data. The following instructions will help you do this.

Problems on Apple servers

Don't forget that Apple has problems too. There was a massive collapse in March 2015 when all services associated with the iTunes Store went down. Thousands of people have tried to download an app or song but only received an error message. No one is immune from a repeat of those events, so before you start panicking and changing something on your devices, go to the official Apple website and make sure that the necessary services are highlighted in green (this signal means that the service works all over the world and everyone has access to him access).

What else could cause this problem?

To resolve this issue, try a few more simple steps. Update iTunes to the latest version. Do this through the official website or through the program itself. Do not use third party resources. Disable your firewall. It may cause operational problems. If you cannot or do not want to disconnect, please add this store to your exclusion list. Try going to Internet Options. If you have proxy servers in your settings, remove them and then try logging into the iTunes Store through a direct connection.

The last thing you should check is the hosts file. It is saved in a folder located at C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC. Once you run it, you will see the IP addresses. Find the line 127.0.0.1 localhost, and then delete all addresses below it. Next, close and save the data to a file.

Finally, scan your PC with an antivirus. It is worth noting that all the above actions will not affect the data on your phone in any way. All files, without exception, will be saved on your iPhone safe and sound.

Parental Control Settings

Sometimes a situation where you can’t connect to the iTunes Store on an iPhone, iPad or Mac arises because age restrictions were set at one time. To check this, you need to:

open the iTunes application;
go to the “File” menu (in the upper left corner);
select the “Settings” sub-item;
there you need to find the “Parental Controls/Restrictions” submenu (yellow circle with images of people);
when you see several “checkboxes” at the bottom, make sure there is no checkmark next to the iTunes Store; if there is, uncheck it.

In the same menu, you can open or close access to other Apple services, but only the computer administrator can do this.

Why do you need the iTunes Store?

Absolutely all Apple users are familiar with the iTunes program and services. This is a powerful media combine combined with a store for applications, music, podcasts, books and films. Recently, the music streaming service has also been linked to your iTunes account.

This is a necessary element of the iOS and macOS software ecosystem, without which the point of using gadgets developed in Cupertino is lost. Therefore, it is very important to have a working iTunes account that functions smoothly at all times, so that you do not lose access to your music collection and programs used on your iPhone or iPad. Alas, everything does not always function smoothly, and iTunes refuses to work, responding only with a connection error message.

Why can't I connect to the iTunes Store? Let's consider all the options that interfere with the normal operation of the service.

Why is this happening?

The reason for this problem may be the following:

the date and time are incorrectly determined, there is no reference to the correct time zone;
the error may occur on the smartphone if its serial code is hidden;
Sometimes you can’t connect to the iTunes Store due to a poor Internet connection; it’s best to use Wi-Fi, because mobile traffic may not load “heavy” programs (games, for example).

Expired certificates stored on a smartphone can also become a problem.

Software update

Top managers from Cupertino insist that every owner of a smartphone, tablet or computer from Apple should use only the latest software and call this almost the most important solution to all the problems that arise with their gadgets. To update your device to the latest software:

open the Settings application;
go to the “Basic” submenu;
select the “Software update” sub-item and wait until the update is completed.

Setting the date and time

Apple gadgets have an interesting dependence on date and time. Many people remember the resonance caused by a glitch that destroyed smartphones and tablets simply because the date changed to 1970, which speaks of iOS’s special love for punctuality. Moreover, many devices (not necessarily from the Apple corporation) cannot access the Network at all if the wrong date is set on them, since this prevents web resources from verifying the authenticity of the certificates.

The Internet is already smart enough to calculate the time on your device and the real time in your time zone, and they should match each other. To change the date on a smartphone or tablet running iOS, you need to:

go to the “Basic” submenu;
then open the “Date and Time” sub-item;
Then there are two ways - either you turn on the “Automatic” toggle switch, and the gadget will set the time itself, or find out the exact time and set it manually.

Rebooting devices

If before you discovered that you couldn't connect to the iTunes Store, you were using it without problems on the same Network and with the same gadget, then you may need to resort to a mass reboot. This is perhaps the easiest way to fix anything.

Start with your router. It is enough to turn off the power by unplugging the plug from the socket, and after half a minute (this time is necessary for a complete reboot) turn it on again. If this does not help, restart your smartphone, computer or tablet. To restart your iPhone or iPad, hold down the Home button and the Lock button at the same time and wait 10 seconds. To restart your macOS computer, hold down the power button for 15 seconds.

Restarting the AppStore

If the AppStore starts but does not work on your mobile device, try updating it. Essentially, the application is a browser, but it does not have a separate “Update” button. Therefore, you have to use a little trick: press the button on the bottom panel 10 times.

Whether you're using your iOS, Mac, or Windows device to connect to one of Apple's digital content stores, you may be plagued by "Can't connect to the iTunes Store" or "Can't connect to the App Store" errors. This can happen at any time, even the most inconvenient moment, when you try to use the App Store, iBooks store, and even iTunes.

If you can't sign into iTunes

Problems may also arise with the iTunes Store. In this case, there may also be several solutions to problems.

First of all, you need to check the date and time. This may cause failures, so it is advisable to install automatic detection of these parameters via the Internet.
You can also try restarting your computer. Sometimes such errors are associated with trivial software errors that can be resolved by restarting.
But the most common cause of failures is the lack of the latest updates. If iTunes is running on previous versions of updates, then errors will inevitably appear. This is due to the fact that with each new version of applications, Apple adds innovations, the absence of which causes such problems.

Apple System Status Page

Apple's systems status page lets you know if all services are working correctly

The first thing to do when you encounter apps that aren't working, like iMessage waiting to be activated , is to check the status of Apple's servers. This can be done when some functions do not work: updating and installing applications are among them. To do this, follow the link and view the information: if there is a green icon next to the service, then everything is in order, if it is red or yellow, there has been a failure and you need to wait for some time.