Every once in a while you may need to change App Store country or region on your iPhone. Whether you have moved to another country or come across an exciting iPhone app that hasn’t yet been rolled out in your country, you would need to change the location so that you can continue to take advantage of App Store without any restriction. But what if you have hit a roadblock that says you can’t change App Store country on your iPhone or iPad? No worries, here are 6 methods to fix the issue.
Can’t Change Apple ID Country or Region on iPhone and iPad?
There are a couple of important things to keep in mind before switching the App Store country on iOS. First and foremost, make sure you have a valid payment method for your new country or region. You can use Apple Pay (subject to availability), most credit and debit cards, store credit from redeeming gift cards, or from adding funds to your Apple ID or country/region-specific payment methods.
Not all types of content are available everywhere. Therefore, be sure to download your apps, books, TV shows, movies, and music so that you can access them without any issues. You can simply back up your iPhone in order to safeguard most of your personal information as well.
1. Make Sure to Cancel Your Active Subscriptions
The very first thing that you should do to fix the “Can’t change App Store country on iOS/iPadOS issue” is to ensure that you have canceled all of your active subscriptions. Yeah, you read that right! Not only do you need to cancel all of your subscriptions but also wait until the end of the subscription period.
iOS lets you manage your App Store subscriptions with ease. So, you can keep a track of your subscriptions and choose to cancel them at your own will.
- To cancel a subscription on your iPhone or iPad, head over to Settings app -> Apple ID -> Subscriptions.
- Now, select the active subscription and tap on ‘Cancel Subscription’.
2. Be Sure to Cancel Pre-Orders and Movie Rentals
If you have pre-orders, movie rentals, memberships or any season passes, make sure to wait until they are complete. Else, you won’t be able to change your App Store country on your iOS device.
To cancel a pre-order on your iPhone or iPad, open App Store -> your photo at the top right corner of the screen -> Your name -> Pre-Orders/Arcade Games Coming Soon. Now, select the pre-order and then cancel it by following the instructions.
3. Leave a Family Sharing Group
If you are using apps that support Family Sharing, you may be a part of a Family Sharing group, and you may not be allowed to change your country. Thus, be sure to leave the Family Sharing group before trying to change the location in the App Store. Do note that any family member aged 13 or over can remove themselves from a family group. But if you have Screen Time enabled for your account, the family organizer must remove you.
Navigate to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad -> Your profile -> Family Sharing -> Your name -> Stop Using Family Sharing.
4. Make Sure You Don’t Have Pending Apple ID Balance or Store Credit
It’s a must to clear off the pending Apple ID balance or store credit before trying to switch the App Store country or region. Currently, there is no way to transfer the Apple ID balance to App Store or iTunes in another region. Hence, you must spend all of your pending balance beforehand, respective of how much it is. To view your Apple ID balance, launch App Store on your iPhone or iPad -> Your profile. Now, you should see your credit below your profile.
Once you have taken care of these basics, you will able to change the App Store country with ease on your iOS device. Simply go to App Store -> Your profile -> Your name -> enter your Apple ID password -> Country/Region.
5. Sign Out of Apple ID and Sign Back in
If you are still unable to change the App Store region on your iPhone even after checking off all the essentials (mentioned above), sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in. To get it done, go to Settings app -> your profile. Now, scroll down and tap on Sign Out. Next, follow the instructions to complete the process.
After that, sign back in. Now, try to switch the App Store country to see if the problem has gone. You will need to enter your new payment information, billing address and agree to the terms and conditions.
6. Update Software
In most cases, you may not have to come this far. However, we have all come across weird iOS issues at some point or the other. So, it wouldn’t be apt to rule out the possibility of a software bug that may be preventing you from switching the App Store region on your iPad or iPhone. Therefore, if none of the above-mentioned solutions have worked for you, update the software.
Navigate to Settings app -> General -> Software Update. Now, download and install the latest version of iOS/iPadOS.
Tips to Fix the Can’t Change App Store Country or Region Issue on iPhone and iPad
Hopefully, you can now change App Store country on your iOS or iPadOS device. In most cases, you can get rid of the issues by taking care of the requirements like canceling all the subscriptions and pre-orders. However, if the problem persists even after you have checked off these requirements, signing out of Apple ID and signing back in as well as updating software should help you resolve the problem.
Anyway, which one of the above tips has worked for you in fixing the “Can’t change App Store country or region on iPhone” issue? Let us know in the comments below.
Abubakar Mohammed
