Some iPhone owners complained about App Store not working on their devices. This kind of problem could be minor but there were cases in the past that suggest this could also be a serious firmware issue.
The App Store is where you can download new apps for your Apple device either for free or via purchase. In short, it’s a marketplace for iOS apps. In order to access the App Store, your device must have fast and stable Internet connection via Wi-Fi or cellular data. Lined up below are recommended solutions to fix App Store that’s not working on an iOS device, particularly the iPhone. Read on to find out what to do to fix App Store not working on your iPhone.
Before troubleshooting, check and ensure that your device has enough storage to allocate new apps. If your iPhone storage is running low or insufficient, app downloads won’t go through because there’s no more space to storing new contents. In this case, all you have to do is to free up some space by deleting old and unwanted contents such as unused apps and files as well as old messages from your device. If the memory isn’t the problem, the next thing you should check is your Internet connection. To ensure that your device can access the Internet, open your browser app then navigate to different websites and pages. If all sites and pages are loading successfully, it denotes that the Internet is working fine. Hence, the next things to rule out are software-related issues that might have prevented the App Store from working properly on your iPhone.
Possible solutions to App Store not working problem
Don’t forget to launch the App Store after completing each procedure to determine whether or not the problem is solved. If necessary, proceed to the next applicable solution until the ultimate fix is found.
First solution: Clear all background apps then restart App Store.
Even built-in iOS apps can give into minor glitches when triggered by some factors. This is usually the case if you were able to access the App Store on your device but then all of a sudden it’s not working. The app might have stayed idle or suspended in the background and eventually had crashed. To clear this out, you need to force close the App Store on your device.
If you’re using an iphone x or later variants, force closing or clearing all background apps is carried out with these steps:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen and then pause slightly in the middle of the screen.
- Then swipe right or left to navigate through the app previews.
- Swipe up on the App Store app card/preview to close it.
If you see other suspended apps, follow the same steps to quit them all so that none of them would interfere with App Store later on. If still App Store not working after this, move on to the next solution.
Second solution: Reboot your iPhone.
Random app glitches can also be triggered by minor firmware crashes or system errors. Note that your phone system is comprised of interrelated apps and services. That said, if the main system or any of its sub-component crashes, there is a tendency for other apps to become unstable and stop working. To make sure that this isn’t what’s halting the App Store from working, soft reset or reboot your iPhone.
To soft reset or reboot an iPhone X or later, refer to these steps:
- Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button until the Power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to power off your iPhone completely.
- Then after 30 seconds, press the Side button again to turn your iPhone back on.
If you’re using an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or earlier variants, follow these steps instead:
- Press and hold the Top or Side button until the Power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to power off the phone completely.
- After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Top or Side button again to turn the phone back on.
Wait for your device to finish booting up and once it’s done, launch the App Store to see if the problem is gone. If app store not working still after this, move on to the next applicable solution.
Third solution: Refresh your Internet connection.
As mentioned earlier, Internet connection errors can also result to this problem and therefore should be considered among other factors to rule out. There are many ways to refresh your Internet connection.
For Wi-Fi networks at home, rebooting the wireless router or modem is by far the most effective way to refresh the Internet connection. So if you’re near the router or modem at the moment, consider this as the first option. Here’s what you should do then:
- Locate the Power switch on your wireless router/modem then press or flip it until the device powers down.
- While it’s turned off completely, unplug its AC adapter from the power source and leave it that way for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- After the elapsed time, plug it back in then turn back on.
- Wait until the router/modem’s signal to stabilize.
Then allow your iPhone or other connected to devices to re-establish Internet connection. To confirm if the Internet is restored, open your browser app and then navigate through various websites and pages to see if they’re all loading up as expected. And if they do, then all other online apps and services including the App Store should be working properly again unless other factors are interfering.
Fourth solution: Turn off restrictions for App Store.
If you have enabled restrictions on your iPhone, chances are that the App Store and its relevant services are restricted and so they won’t be able to work as intended. To make sure this isn’t the root cause of the problem, try turning off your iPhone restrictions to allow all apps and services to run on your device.
- To manage or configure this feature, go to your iPhone Settings-> General-> Restrictions menu. Then toggle the switch to turn Restrictions off.
After making necessary changes to this setting, restart your iPhone then retry loading the app to see if everything is working fine already. If the App Store not working issue continues to bug your iPhone, try the next solution.
Fifth solution: Update your iPhone to the latest version.
Updates can also be the key to fixing the problem if tough bugs and system errors are to blame. Software updates released by Apple usually contains enhanced security features including fix patches to get rid of existing issues that are attributed to system bugs and malware. If your iPhone has fast and stable Internet access (preferably via Wi-Fi), has ample of storage space, and battery life, then you can go ahead and install available iOS update via over-the-air (OTA).
- To check for new iOS update, go to your iPhone Settings-> General-> Software Update menu. You should see an update notification if a new iOS version is available. If there is, then read and review the update details and once you’re all set, follow the onscreen prompts to start downloading and installing the update on your phone.
After updating, reboot your device to refresh its memory and to save the recent system changes. Restarting can also prevent apps from acting up following the recent system transition. Try and see if that solves the App Store problem on your iPhone.
If you can’t update your iPhone via over-the-air (wirelessly), try to use iTunes on a computer instead. This will require you to connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable. To evade from any possible syncing problems with iTunes, be sure to use the original cable or Lightning cable to connect your iPhone to the computer’s USB port.
Sixth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone.
Performing resets is usually needed if the symptom is able to withstand the prior methods. What you’re dealing with could be a complex system error and that must be obliterated completely. If the App Store problem instigated from an update installation or settings customization, then complex system errors are likely to blame. In this case, resetting all settings on your device is usually needed. So here’s what you’re going to do then:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down to and then tap on Reset.
- Choose the option to Reset all settings. Doing so will erase all your phone’s customized settings and then restores the original options and values.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode to proceed.
- Then tap the option to confirm that you want to Reset all settings on your iPhone.
Wait for the reset to finish and then start enabling necessary features so that you can use them again on your phone. If you haven’t already, reconnect to your Wi-Fi network to get back online and use online apps including the App Store.
This reset does not affect any saved data on the internal memory and so you don’t need to create backups beforehand. After this, try to see if App Store not working still on your iPhone and move on to the next solution if it’s not.
Last resort: Factory reset your iPhone (master reset).
If problem continues after performing all prior procedures, then it could be more than just a messed up setting that’s halting App Store from working on your iPhone. What you’re dealing with is more likely a fatal system error, which often requires full system reset to be rectified. And this is when factory resets and iOS restores play their role. Should you wish to troubleshoot further, you may resort to a factory reset first. This will wipe everything from your iPhone including all downloads, customized settings, and other saved information. Tough bugs and major system errors are likewise cleared out in the process. But before you proceed, be sure to back up all your critical files to iCloud or iTunes so you’d still be able to recover them later. Once you’re backup is secured, follow these steps to factory reset your iPhone through settings:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Select General.
- Tap Reset.
- Choose the option to Erase all content and settings. This will wipe everything from your device.
- Enter your device passcode when asked to continue.
- Then confirm that you want to erase your iPhone.
Allow your phone to complete the reset and then reboots automatically when done. By then you can use the start-up wizard to set up your device from scratch like a new device.
Major software issues are usually remedied by a factory reset, thus any associated symptoms are also gone after the reset.
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If the App Store is still not working on your iPhone even after performing a factory reset, then you can resort to iOS restore. At this point, your next option would be to restore your iPhone in iTunes via recovery mode or DFU mode. To get this done, you will need to use a computer either Windows or Mac, with the latest version of iTunes app installed. Then connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable/Lightning cable. Allow the phone to sync with iTunes and once it’s recognized, follow the commands prompts to start restoring your iOS device.
If you’ve exhausted all possible means but still ended up having App Store not working on your iPhone, then you should now consider contacting Apple Support to escalate the problem. You can ask them to double-check the current status of the App Store server from their end. There might be some technical problems that might have caused App Store app and relevant services to stop working or become inaccessible at the moment.
I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!