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If you use the iTunes Store, you may have come across this error message: “Cannot connect to iTunes Store”. Learn how to find out if this is a problem with Apple’s servers, your ISP or your device.
The iTunes Store sells millions of songs and videos and usually works without issue. Sometimes users are confronted with connection problems. The most common error message is “Cannot connect to iTunes Store”. This problem could be caused by a variety of issues. Let’s take a look at how to troubleshoot this problem…
Retry Accessing the iTunes Store
If you receive an error while trying to connect to the iTunes Store, the first thing to do is just try again. These issues are usually intermittent. I find when I retry the transaction a few seconds later, it works fine. If you are using iOS or Mac OS X, simply try to purchase or download the item again. If the iTunes Store couldn’t connect upon launch, close the application and try again.
Problem With Apple’s Servers?
Apple’s data center is very reliable, however, like any data center, it’s not perfect. Servers go down due to a variety of issues. Sometimes the telecommunications company connecting Apple’s data center to the Internet is having problems. High volume can also overwhelm servers, making it difficult to connect to the iTunes Store.
Fortunately, it is easy to check the system status of every Apple service. Simply go to the Apple System Status web page to check if the service you need is running. This web page displays the status of every Apple service, including the iTunes Store, iCloud, iMessage, Siri, iTunes Radio, the App Store and many more. The web page also has a timeline showing past issues. If there is a problem with the service you are using, you will need to wait until it is fixed. You can also contact customer support, however, if the issue shows up on the system status web page, Apple already knows about it.
Problem With Your ISP?
The most common reason for the “Cannot connect to iTunes Store” error is a problem with your Internet connection. This is easily verifiable. You can try connecting to a web page on your iOS device or computer. If you experience this issue on your Apple TV, you can try connecting to a third-party service such as Netflix, YouTube or Sky News. If you can’t connect to any other services or web pages, there is a problem with your Internet connection. Contact your Internet service provider (ISP) to help troubleshoot the problem.
I have also experienced iTunes Store problems when my Internet connection is slow. It is possible that you can access the web or other services, but your connection is simply too slow to work with iTunes. Basically, the connection is so slow that the authentication (login) process times out. This is usually a combination of a slow Internet connection and high demand on Apple’s servers. You can verify your Internet connection speed using Ookla Speedtest. Ookla also makes a Speedtest app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. There is no specific speed requirement for the iTunes Store to work. However, if you notice that your Internet connection is unusually slow, this is likely the issue.
Problem With Your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
If Apple’s servers and your Internet connection are not the problem, it could be an issue with your device. Problems connecting to the iTunes Store are usually caused by two issues — incorrect date and time settings and obsolete software.
First, make sure that your date, time and time zone settings are correct. This will ensure that you can sync with iTunes Store servers. Tap on Settings > General > Date & Time and verify that the settings are correct. You can also toggle Set Automatically off and on, if the setting exists. This should automatically fix problems with the date, time and time zone. (continue…)
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KPKeelan says
January 17, 2019 at 6:04 amI just get a blank white screen when I try to access the iTunes store. These guys must be losing a lot of money if their customers can’t access their site to spend it!
Rendo says
August 6, 2019 at 7:05 amMine does the same. Does anyone know how to fix this?
Ren says
August 7, 2019 at 3:15 pmYou’ve got that right.
Matt says
August 12, 2019 at 5:25 pmCertain restrictions from your internet provider causes this especially with stuff that involves card details. Plusnet causes this issue on the day your bill is due.
D says
August 31, 2019 at 5:16 pmAgreed. Can’t connect to iTunes store and yes they are loosing money. I wrote to them over a week ago on the feedback page but no reply. iTunes-you suck. What does it take to get their attention?
Rose says
September 9, 2019 at 12:34 pmI can not connect to the App Store nor ITunes on my iPad. Yet I can on my iPhone. How long till it is fixed
angell says
October 20, 2019 at 8:49 pmI’m having the same issue with my iPad mini but not on my XR.
Anonymous says
November 2, 2019 at 8:06 pmMe too
Michele Canose says
September 14, 2019 at 9:07 pmI can’t either. Tried everything !
Anonymous says
September 30, 2019 at 11:33 pmJust flashes white and back to icons. Help I’m new at this.
Babzy says
December 22, 2019 at 11:07 pmPls what is post code
Babzy says
December 22, 2019 at 11:09 pmNeed help pls on how sign into iTunes
Appledystopia says
December 23, 2019 at 12:17 amIt’s a code used by many nations to identify a location. For example, in the United States, we have a Zip Code for addresses, which helps the postal service sort and direct mail. The famous show, Beverly Hills 90210 refers to a Zip Code – 90210. Other nations, such as Canada and the UK have similar codes for sorting and directing mail.
Abubakarr caonteh says
January 31, 2019 at 10:15 amMy iTunes is not working.
Stef says
July 17, 2019 at 5:47 pmNeither is mine.
Ali says
March 20, 2020 at 6:36 pmI want download a app and AppStore says connect to iTunes I tried everything
June says
April 1, 2020 at 12:51 amMy iTunes is totally messed up. Nothing works. It keeps rejecting the sign in…not incorrect password response…..just keeps rejecting it and sign in appears again and again. OR…it will say session has expired but I can click on anything in the store and session is active. Movie says rented on iPhone but “problem downloading”. OR….movie not shown OR pending on laptop. This is ridiculous. But I’ll bet there will be no problem with them BILLING me for the rental.
Appledystopia says
April 1, 2020 at 4:32 amFrom what I understand, due to the pandemic and billions of people under stay at home orders, the Internet is getting hammered. I think Apple’s data center is having some problems. We’ve only just begun…
hassan Raza says
January 31, 2019 at 11:36 pmCan’t connect to iTunes. Need help.
Usman says
February 1, 2019 at 9:03 amI’m Facing issue with the App Store: “CANNOT CONNECT TO APP STORE”. Please help to resolve the issue.
Zuhayr says
February 5, 2020 at 5:58 amSame aswell
Anika says
February 1, 2019 at 1:16 pmWhen I go into the App Store it says it Cannot Connect and when I try to Reinstall my Offloaded apps it won’t let me even though I have plenty of storage and Wi-Fi!!??? I don’t know how to fix it?
Appledystopia says
February 1, 2019 at 7:03 pmThere seems to be either a massive problem in Apple’s data center, or some problem with major Internet service providers. I am seeing so many page views for this article today. I mean, record page views!
Hang in there. It’s clearly a systemic, server-side problem today — not something you can fix on your own. You have to wait until Apple or the responsible telecom company fixes the issue.
Anonymous says
October 27, 2019 at 9:27 pmHow long to wait? Issue is only with iPad. Not my iPhone 11. Getting sick with this. Something is wrong with iTunes. Reinstalled maybe 20 times. Same issue.
pupup says
February 4, 2020 at 10:50 amhey do you know how to cancel the itunes bill bcs my itunes doesnt working but it still take my money
Anonymous says
February 1, 2019 at 8:23 pmI believe it is Apple forcing everyone to update to iOS 12. My kids are updated and works. Mine does not.
Appledystopia says
February 1, 2019 at 8:41 pmYou make a very valid point. I just tried it, and I can access the iTunes Store. I am on iOS 12.
That said, I do think it is a data center issue. I checked Apple’s system status, and they admit that there’s a problem with the iTunes Store, App Store and other services. I provide a link to Apple’s system status website on the first page…
It may be some software configuration issue as a result of rushing out this FaceTime fix, which is delayed.
The root cause is that the Silly Con Valley job market is red hot, and Apple can’t hire excellent people. It will be like this until the next recession – buggy products and software that doesn’t work. As bad as Apple’s quality is, you can do much worse. I use Windows 10 sometimes. The grass is not greener elsewhere.
I was at Target yesterday and I had to swipe my card three times, with multiple resets from an employee. I commented that it is 2019 and technology seems to be worse than it was 4 years ago. Internet access is spotty and the basics don’t work, as tech companies undertake ambitious goals with mediocre staff. Tech companies seem content to sprinkle glitter on t—-d, yet can’t get the fundamentals right.
J says
February 2, 2019 at 5:59 pmHaving a problem signing into iTunes and the App Store, it always says “could not sign in, there was a problem connecting to the server”
How do I solve this problem?
yara says
November 21, 2019 at 1:32 pmapple ID make me tired I really fed up with it maybe it is not suitable for my country ,I have i phone 10 x max and i will never buy an i phone again i am wasting my time trying to access my account.
for now please help me how i will solve my problem.
having a problem signing into iTunes and the App Store, it always says “could not sign in, there was a problem connecting to the server”
ROBERT CRUZ says
February 7, 2019 at 10:11 pmI have an Apple iPad 1 iOS 5.1 and I can’t connect to the iTunes Store. Any suggestions?
Appledystopia says
February 8, 2019 at 1:52 amI did a quick search and Apple hasn’t issued an “end of life” notice for the original iPad. Although they don’t provide software updates any longer, it should still be able to interface with the Apple ecosystem. You should be able to access the iTunes Store.
Please try the steps in this article. If it doesn’t work, try calling Apple support. They still support this model. Amazing!
Nicole says
February 21, 2019 at 12:22 amI just purchased the iPad pro and I set it up, it was really struggling to set up my cloud and now the Istore, the cloud nor the appstor work
It’s not the Internet because on my other devices the internet is completely fine
Please help.
Amber says
March 2, 2019 at 1:24 amThis was the problem with my kids iPad when I reset it. Thanks for this note!
Heather says
March 3, 2019 at 5:55 pmI am having trouble logging in to iTunes on my computer. I am trying to buy songs from the iTunes store for my iPod nano 7th generation. Whenever I try to log in, it does nothing on my screen. My sons’ iPhones are connected to my account and whenever I try to log on, my son gets a text with the verification code. Only problem, there is no place for me to enter the code on my computer to move forward. Please help! I am beyond frustrated. This should not be this complicated!
Thanks!
Appledystopia says
March 3, 2019 at 7:20 pmI had this happen to me. It’s a great example of how bad iTunes has become. You need to add the verification code directly after your password, with no spaces between the password and code.
It’s horrible usability. They don’t instruct users as to what to do and their workaround is a kludge. The correct design is to have a field for the code, if it is needed. They should at least inform users as to where to enter the code. It’s all the more reason I stopped using iTunes. I use Google Play instead now.
Anonymous says
March 30, 2019 at 1:24 pmyou want me to continue buying music? then ya need to fix this i can get into my own library but itunes store will not open. I havee updated the software, my internet connection is very good and my computer is very new. So the problem is indeed on Apple’s side. I am not uninstalling and reinstalling again because i lose all my playlists every time i do that, not to mention the hours that you force on me to re-create all my playlists, and in addition, each time i do that, all my songs duplicate. you have no easy way to eliminate duplicates, therefore next time you tell me i need to uninstall and reinstal, i will let go of Apple alltogether
this problem has been going on way too long and it is time for a fix, or i’ll start aquiring my music from another of hundreds of plaves to do so. This is the Final Straw for Apple.
March 30,2019
Appledystopia says
March 30, 2019 at 4:54 pmI stopped using Apple Music after the trial expired. I found it to be horribly defective. I guess they still haven’t fixed the duplicate tracks issue. This does not surprise me. Apple’s apps and services are not very good. They make great devices and one excellent OS (macOS). iOS is pretty good.
I use Google Play Music on my Apple devices.
Anonymous says
March 30, 2019 at 1:30 pmI’m still getting same thing and now it’s almost April. I am about to part ways with Apple over this, and I will not move to Android at all for music. Ya think Apple has problems? (which they do), but try listening to music on Android… cannot crossfade, can’t produce good playlists, can’t do easy searches, etc… all around there are hundreds of music players out there that do just as much, if not more than this continued problematic service.
John says
April 2, 2019 at 10:27 amHi. I can’t sign in. My Apple ID in the App Store and my iPhone display Cannot Connect to App Store on my iPhone 6 running iOS 12, but I have another iPhone, iPhone 5s that runs iOS 10 and I can use the App Store. What’s my iPhone 6’s problem?
Appledystopia says
April 2, 2019 at 10:56 pmI’d try the network reset. It’s a bit of a pain, as you will need to reenter WiFI passwords, but I think it may work.
Before you do that, just try a soft reset. Hold down the Home and Sleep/Wake button for 10 seconds (until you see the Apple logo), and then release both buttons. Your iPhone will do a soft reset, which may clear out some cached data. That might be the problem.
John says
April 4, 2019 at 4:56 pmI choosed erase all content and setting in reset section and I did all the things you said I changed my DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 but my problem did not solve. I use same wifi network and same apple id on my iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s.
Sorry for my bad language.
Hammer says
April 8, 2019 at 9:33 amMy clash of clans account won’t connect so I can’t buy a gold pass.
Anna says
April 27, 2019 at 4:02 amMy Apple TV will not connect to iTunes Store, but says that I have a WiFi connection. As well, it says the activation failed, but won’t let me sign in to iTunes to activate. It was working a week ago, and now it isn’t, and I have no clue what to do. I have tried EVERYTHING. Please help me!
hannah says
April 28, 2019 at 10:19 amMy music wasn’t playing on my Mac so I signed out of iTunes. When I try to sign back in nothing happens. If I do the wrong password it’ll make me type it in again but when I put the correct one in nothing happens and I’m still not logged in. I’ve tried restarting my Mac, signing in and out of iCloud, etc. but nothing will work. Please help!
Gina Thompson says
May 2, 2019 at 8:37 pmThis is awesome! Resetting my network settings was the fix I needed. Thanks so much!
Kashi Raza says
May 5, 2019 at 2:53 pmWhenever I open my iTunes app, there’s nothing shown except “open the iTunes U app”. How can I fix it?
Scotty Puerto says
August 6, 2019 at 12:24 amSame thing with mine. It’s so annoying I have tried everything already I guess. Still the same issue not fixed.
Tabaka says
May 6, 2019 at 2:12 amHey, so I messed up a section of my screen where the numbers of the passcode are needed, my phone restarted and my fingerprint refuses to work. I am currently not in a country where I can get the phone fixed and was wondering if anything could be done. I tried reseting my phone through iTunes but it refuses to login to my Apple Id.
Appledystopia says
May 6, 2019 at 3:57 pmIf you set up Find My iPhone, you can use recovery mode to reset your iPhone passcode. You can access these features from any web browser using Apple’s iCloud website. Apple also has an Apple ID website, which you can use if you have forgotten your Apple ID or the associated password. If all else fails, take it to an Apple Store or call support.
Jerry says
June 23, 2019 at 5:21 pmI am in shock! I “grew up” on Apple computers. I’m not a “techie”, but I have generally enjoyed all things Apple. Now I am one of those who can’t get into the iTunes Store. As I set about searching for solutions, I picked up on this article. To find that people have been struggling with this same issue for over FOUR YEARS is a very bad business practice, not supporting their customers, besides missing all the revenue those customers would have provided! Since any honest business person would want to fix a major component of their business, it seems that they are not being honest or they do not read these requests for help.
Come on Apple! Show us you are a good company!
Appledystopia says
August 4, 2019 at 5:34 pmThis is the most popular article on my website, but I wish Apple would fix this issue.
wavehare says
July 13, 2019 at 8:35 amUgh! Everything, everything EVERYTHING I’ve tried is NOT working. Please help! I’m using an iPad Pro.
Rozan says
July 29, 2019 at 7:22 pmI just updated my iPad to iOS 13 then my AppStore says cannot connect to the App Store. I tried all methods please help me…
Ron Carr says
July 29, 2019 at 10:19 pmHow can I get into my profile for iTunes?
Olamide says
July 31, 2019 at 5:36 pmI can’t download an app on my tab. The problem is always cannot connect to iTunes Store. Please help me.
Lillie says
August 4, 2019 at 9:41 amWhy won’t it work?
Dale says
August 20, 2019 at 6:36 pmI was having trouble with the iTunes Store app on my iPhone as well when no connected to wi-fi. I then remembered about letting it access via cellular so I checked and I did have to turn it on in the Celluar settings in order for it to work.
Appledystopia says
August 20, 2019 at 9:17 pmThanks for the tip! I will incorporate it into the article soon.
Angry person says
September 3, 2019 at 8:36 amStill no iTunes Store. It comes up but can’t search anything can’t buy anything. Keeps saying retry to connect. Closed it then opened it up 10 min. Later it came up but wouldn’t load anything now it’s saying cannot connect. This is crazy.
Rose says
September 9, 2019 at 12:39 pmMe too, still can not connect to App Store.
Anonymous says
September 11, 2019 at 6:30 pmme too
Anonymous says
September 15, 2019 at 3:44 amI am experiencing the same problem and APPLE is making me go through all of these troubleshooting steps when they know what the problem is. All of this happened after their IOS update. This is ridiculous how they’re trying to trick ppl into upgrading their device. High way robbery!!!
Human Rights says
September 28, 2019 at 10:33 amAll of your comments are recent. Did you all update your device to iOS 13? After updating the software to iOS 13, my app store would not load, even with 20mbps internet.
I am using an iPhone 7, which is already “outdated” in Apple’s standards, and the app store does not work.
My roommate has an iPhone Xs and using the SAME 20mbps internet, and the app store loads in just 3 seconds.
What I am trying to imply is that, this is all just a ploy to get us to buy the latest releases of Apple because our devices all of a sudden become sluggish.
Emaa says
September 30, 2019 at 12:05 pmMy iTune store isn’t working.. help me to fix it!!
Peter says
October 12, 2019 at 1:36 amI am unable to install apps onto my new apple watch via my phone. Message comes up on my watch “The iTunes Store is unable to process purchases at this time.”
Anonymous says
November 11, 2019 at 2:26 pmI have the same issue. Do you have it fixed yet?
Parash says
October 17, 2019 at 6:34 pmMy one not opening App Store help
Alexa says
October 19, 2019 at 6:32 pmI just came back from the store with a new iPhone 8, and I can’t log into the iTunes Store with my Apple ID? My phone is logged in on its settings, but it refuses to connect to the iTunes Store. It’s a brand new phone, with a strong WiFi connection. Any advice/ is anyone else relating?
pixi says
October 28, 2019 at 8:45 pmSOFT RESET WORKS!!! hold on-off button AND home button at the same time for 10 sec till apple logo pops up, then release and phone will reload-fixes this bug! good luck yall
Oliver says
October 28, 2019 at 9:43 pmIf you have a VPN, check it’s switched off. I had a VPN routing to the UK, with a Canadian time zone. Turned off the VPN and I was able to access the store.
Nadine says
October 30, 2019 at 1:06 amThank you! I disconnected my vpn and voila the App Store connected. I had not been able to connect after the iOS 13 update . I rebooted my iPad after the App Store connected and then reconnected my vpn. I hope this helps someone.
Appledystopia says
October 31, 2019 at 7:07 pmGood point about VPN! I will add that to the article.
Linda Masia says
November 11, 2019 at 10:41 amGood day;
My network is connecting as I can google anything on Safari, however my iTunes and App Store doesn’t connect, error: Cannot Connect To App Store or iTunes. Please advice.
CineCal says
November 14, 2019 at 5:27 amNot being able to connect to the App Store is very frustrating. None, not one good fix for this issue. Connect via cellular, try a different Wi-Fi network, turn it off, then turn it back on. I’m really having a hard time stopping myself from wanting to smash this phone against a wall. Another issue is Twitter, tweets won’t load for days at a time, it’s maddening. Really holding back from destroying this goddamed device.
james says
November 14, 2019 at 8:42 pmI am having same problems on my MacBook Air when I try to log into iTunes its giving me error 1001 and no server try later NOT good . I do not have problems with my iPod or iPad or phone just my MacBook Air when is apple going to get there act together
Anonymous says
December 24, 2019 at 3:41 amI’m using Windows 10 & I can’t even log into the iTunes Store. I can the following errors:
Error Code 0x80090302
Error Code -50
I tried everything.
Uninstalling & reinstalling the app…didn’t work
Removing cookies & temp files…didn’t work
Restarting my machine…didn’t work
There is music I want to buy & I can’t get it due to these technical issues.
iTunes 12.4 is a piece of garbage.
Sergius Ghannyuymo says
December 24, 2019 at 7:52 pmPlease somebody help I am having iPhone4 and I am having a problem to connect to App Store and iTunes (cannot connect to iTunes)
Mac D says
December 31, 2019 at 3:26 pmPlease help! Windows 10 and I phone 5 S. Cannot upload my photos from phone to laptop via I tunes app!!!! It’s driving me insane!!! Tried EVERYTHING!!!! I need to empty phone. Thanks!!!
Stevee says
January 13, 2020 at 6:12 amThis step helped me heaps Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and tap Reset to confirm.
Thanks
Heba says
March 24, 2020 at 11:28 pmI can’t connect to App Store
Tried sign in and out, but nothing
MacRobert Andrew says
March 28, 2020 at 8:38 ammy problem was nord VPN try disabling it and it worked
Grace says
March 31, 2020 at 4:18 pmMy brother recently shut off all my internet access but then turned it back on, I’m with cox. Our bill isn’t due until April 10th. I can’t send gifs through messages and I can’t open the App Store and I can’t open some websites like YouTube.com and other things, it says it can’t connect to a server or connect to secure server, I’ve tried everything.