Having trouble downloading, installing, or updating apps because you get an error that your account is not in this store? Wondering why and what you can do about it?
Several users have reported that an error message prevents users from buying/downloading/updating apps. The error message is: Account Not In This Store. Your account is not valid for use in the … Store. You must switch to … Store before purchasing.
For example, account not in this store. Your account is not valid for use in the German store. You must switch to the US store before purchasing.
This message often appears when you are in a different country or region other than your home country, like when traveling for business, taking a vacation, or working and living abroad.
Quick Tips
Follow These Quick Tips To Get Your App Store Working Again
- If applicable, change your country or region for the iTunes and App Store
- If in a Family Sharing Group, verify the country and region settings with the designated Family Organizer
- Sign out of the App Store and then sign back in
- Make sure you do not have any restrictions on your device
- Try turning WiFi on your device off and back on again [add a restart in-between if it doesn’t work at first]
- Check that your billing address on your Apple ID is set to your current country of residence address
- Sign out of your Apple ID on the iTunes & App Store and then sign back in
- Update your country of residence for your Apple ID
Related Posts
- How To Change An Apple ID Email You No Longer Have Access To
- No None Option When Setting Up Apple ID Payment?
- How To Create Apple ID Without a Credit Card
Recently Moved? Change Your Local Settings
If you are indeed in another region or country on a long term basis, you should change your settings to reflect your new address!
Scroll to the section to learn how update your information.
Seeing Account Not in this Store in Error? Sign Out of App Store and Sign Back In!
When you sign out of the App Store app, you usually see a prompt to sign back into the App Store with your Apple ID in the current region or country you’re located in.
How To Sign Out of App Store
- Open the App Store app and choose the Today tab
- Tap the profile picture or icon in the upper-right corner
- Choose Sign Out
- At the prompt, enter your Apple ID and password
- Tap Sign In
- Wait while the App Store connect to Apple’s Servers and verifies your credentials
- When the sign in is successful, tap your Name and Apple ID
- Look at the Country/Region setting and confirm it’s correct
- If it’s incorrect, open a web browser [like Safari] and go to your Apple ID account page and change your Apple ID information
- You must also enter a payment method for your new country or region
- Spend any store credit before changing regions/countries
- Cancel all subscriptions including Apple Music
- If in a family sharing plan, leave that family sharing group. Country and Region settings are managed by the family organizer
- Once you verify information is correct, tap Done
Toggle WiFi
Several readers let us know that simply toggling WiFi off, waiting 20-30 seconds, and then toggling WiFi back on fix this issue. If that didn’t work, try adding a restart or force restart in between the toggling off and on and see if that does the trick.
Check Any Restrictions
First, check that you don’t have any restrictions enabled by going to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
For older iOS, go to General > Restrictions
Sign Out and In of iTunes & App Stores to Fix This Account Issue
- Tap Settings > Apple ID Profile > iTunes & App Stores
- You see your Apple ID; tap it, and a pop up shows up
- Tap Sign Out
- Enter your Apple ID and password to sign back in
- Go to the Home Screen or App Store and try downloading your app again
Try Changing Your iTunes and App Store Country
When you change your Apple ID [App Store or iTunes Store] country of residence, you must spend any current balance you have before you change to a new country setting. Store balances DO NOT transfer.
Update Country or Region on your iDevice
- Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store
- Tap on your Apple ID
- Choose View Apple ID
- Tap on Country/Region
- Choose Change Country or Region
- Choose your new area
- Make sure you choose a location that matches your payment method’s billing address
- Make sure you choose a location that matches your payment method’s billing address
- Agree to the terms and conditions
- Enter a payment method that has your current address [new location] as the billing address
- Tap Next, and you’re good to go!
Can’t Change The Country?
If you are unable to change your country, it’s likely that you are part of a Family Sharing Plan.
Your Apple ID country or region updates for all of your Apple services on all of your Apple products that use the same Apple ID
Update Settings in iTunes or Via Apple ID Website
- Open iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC and sign in to your Apple ID Account Information page and select Account > View My Account at the top of the iTunes window
- Enter Your Apple ID and Passcode if requested
- On the Account Information page, look to the right of Country/Region and choose Change Country or Region
- From the select a country or region menu, choose your new country or region
- Click Change
- On the Welcome to the iTunes Store page, tap Continue
- Agree to the Terms and Conditions and Apple Privacy Policy
- Enter your new payment information and billing address
- You have to enter a valid payment method for your new country or region–you can change your payment method to None later, once your account confirms
When you change your billing address from your Apple ID account page or through the iTunes Store or App Store, it updates your billing address for all of the Apple services with which you use the same Apple ID
Or go to your Apple ID account on the website
- Tap Account > Edit
- From the Country/Region menu, select your new country or region
- Enter your new payment information
- You have to enter a valid payment method for your new country or region. You can change your payment method to None later, once your account confirms
- Click Save
When you change your billing address from your Apple ID account page or through the iTunes Store or App Store, it updates your billing address for all of the Apple services with which you use the same Apple ID
Seeing your country cannot be changed at this time. Learn more?
If your country or region is grayed out and not allowing you to make any changes, it’s likely that your account still has a credit on it. Spend that remaining balance, and it should work.
If you belong to a family sharing group, you must exit the group before changing your country and region.
Before you change your country or region
- Your store credit is associated with the individual country’s or regions store, so spend any remaining credit before changing your country
- Download all your past purchases to your device[s]
- Cancel any subscriptions, including Apple Music! These must be subscribed to again in the new country’s store
- Back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iTunes [your iCloud account is tied to your country, so it’s safer to trust iTunes for this backup]
- If you’re a part of a Family Sharing group, you might not be able to change your country or region until you leave that Family Sharing group
- When you shift iTunes and Apple Store countries or areas, you should download all your past purchases before you change your country or region. You may be able to re-download them after you make the change, depending on the new store’s availability and local laws, but it’s not guaranteed.
Only One iTunes/App Store Allowed
At this time, you cannot purchase any media [music, apps, and so forth] from an iTunes or App Store different from the store where you list your residence on your Apple ID account.
Your billing address [and your credit card] determine which country’s Apple Store you can make purchases from.
When you visit another country, even if for an extended visit, Apple does not allow you to purchase apps from any other iTunes or App stores other than your resident country’s store.
Reader Tips
- For folks seeing this on the Mac App Store, try the following:
- Close the Mac App Store application
- Launch Terminal Application Folder > Utilities folder > Terminal App
- Copy and paste the following command into Terminal: defaults delete com.apple.appstore.commerce
- Close Terminal and try opening the Mac App Store
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz [SK] is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.