Change language settings for AppStore/itunes

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Level 1

5 points

Change language settings for AppStore/itunes

Hello

I've been sucked into the Mac product universe! Just this week my wife and I bought new iPhone 4s (16 and 32 GB) and today I bought the wifi and 3G 64 gb iPad. I had the hardest time setting up an iTunes and AppStore account, which I assume is an apple account?

I'm currently living in Germany but I'm an English speaker. This makes for a very frustrating app and iTunes experience when EVERYTHING is in German! How can I set it to where all my iTunes and AppStore menus and things are displayed in English?

Thank you

Ipad, iPhone OS 3.1.3

Posted on Oct 23, 2010 11:10 AM

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Answer 1

Major Danger Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 24, 2010 2:37 AM in response to Major Danger

Really need help on this as i keep getting letters and notifications in german.

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Answer 2

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Oct 24, 2010 2:45 AM in response to Major Danger

according to this support article, the only available language for the German iTunes store is in fact German.

J GG

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Answer 3

Major Danger Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 24, 2010 3:27 AM in response to Jolly Giant

Then here is another problem. I only have german banking information because im living in germany. F i try and set up an american itunes/appstore acct, i get bad address errors and invalid cc info.

I need my appstore/itunes in english.

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Answer 4

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Oct 24, 2010 3:46 AM in response to Major Danger

aye, in order to open a US iTunes store account, you need

*From the itunes store terms of service*:

+to purchase from an iTunes Store in a particular country, you must have both a residential address and a billing address in that particular country. Items on any particular country's iTunes Store are available only for distribution to customers who use a credit card, debit card, iTunes Gift Certificate, or iTunes Gift Card issued in and for that country.+

edit: actually, you should be able to create a US store account even without a CC by following these instructions: _*Create an iTunes App Store account without a credit card*_.

however, that will only give you access to free content - no rentals and no purchases.

J GG

edited by the Jolly Green Giant (where Green stands for environmentally friendly)

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Answer 5

Major Danger Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 24, 2010 6:15 AM in response to Jolly Giant

Ugh this is completly ridiculous. I tried to use an apo address but it still asked me for stateside information which i no longer have because i live in germany now. Is apple really this clueless? i really cant choose my own language preference, and that language s bound to the store i choose?

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Answer 6

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Oct 24, 2010 7:03 AM in response to Major Danger

Major Danger wrote:
i live in germany now.

this might be the time to learn the language, eh ? 😉

sorry i'm unable to help any better. perhaps another user comes up with a bright idea.

best of luck !

J GG

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Answer 7

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,910 points

Oct 24, 2010 8:21 AM in response to Major Danger

http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html

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Answer 8

Major Danger Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 24, 2010 8:48 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Thanks for the link. I think next ill email santa claus what i want for christmas 🙂

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Answer 9

Major Danger Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 31, 2010 10:54 AM in response to Major Danger

I had to figure some convoluted workaround to enable myself to shop in the US store while living Germany because apple is too stupid to think to provide us with that capability.

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Answer 10

Dec 28, 2010 1:44 AM in response to Major Danger

I have the same problem… Im stating to think about finding other cheaper and easier ways of getting my music and app's.

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Answer 11

Mar 5, 2011 1:24 PM in response to Major Danger

@Major Danger, I'm moving my family to Germany next month for 2-3 years, and we're an immersed Apple hardware/software family in the US. Can you help by sharing the "convoluted workaround" you found? You can reach me at stoughsat_mac_dotcom. Thank you!

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Answer 12

Jun 18, 2011 1:04 PM in response to Major Danger

I also ask for a simple "Display Language Preference" somewhere in my App Store account which is disconnected from the credit card billing stuff. I live in France, and my billing address is in France, but I want to view the App Store in English.

Perhaps the people at Apple actually think that everyone who lives in a particular country can read that country's main language well enough. For example, I know many people here in France who have moved here from various parts of the world, and would love to view the App Store in a language of their own preference. Apple might be amazed to learn that even in the US not everyone can read English. Strange, but true...

This restriction is a definite step backwards from Apple's usually multilingual-friendly environments.

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Answer 13

natedog1

Level 1

0 points

Aug 8, 2011 10:26 AM in response to Major Danger

Did you get the language to change to english.......I'm having the same problem also.

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Answer 14

cmitche1

Level 1

4 points

Aug 18, 2011 6:20 AM in response to Major Danger

I purchased a MacBook Pro this past summer in the States and then moved to Korea. While here I had to reinstall Mac OS Snow Leopard (didn't like Lion). When I opened the Mac AppStore to download the many apps I'd accumulated, I found it to be almost totally in Korean. I emailed Apple, but decided to attempt to download a few apps anyway just to see if it would work, since I couldn't find any language preferences for the app store. After signing in and attempting to download an app, I received an error msg stating that this account is only for use in the US Mac App Store. Bummer!

But wait! The App store 'app' restarted itself, this time in English. Voila - problem solved. I can't speak on behalf of iTunes, but as far as the App Store goes, just attempt to download an app and let it switch over to the US store. Hope this helps.

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Answer 15

Aug 22, 2011 6:25 AM in response to Major Danger

I suffer from the very same problems. To this date, there are no reasonable excuses not to offer proper language settings; furthermore, restricting information (such as "top" lists, etc.), reviews and comments by geographical source is tediously harmful for the end user.

Seeing that "App Stores" are said to be "offered" in certain languages is worrying to me, because it seems to imply that this is a choice rather than an oversight.

This is such an obviously flawed design.

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