Unable to purchase.

I'm having a similar issue also. Iphone 4 32GB, iOS 5.0.1. Whenever I try to purchase certain apps, I get a message like, "This item is being modified, please try again later" and it stops trying to download the app. It happens whether I do it on my phone or in iTunes on my MacBook for the affected apps. "Trying again later" has not helped yet! Just adding my voice to list in case Apple needs critical mass to pay attention.

As many have already stated, the most recent update has a few issues. One of which include the "Unable to Download <App Name> and (xx) other Applications." message. I have searched everywhere; currently, there is no fix. The (XX) represents the ammount of applications you've successfuly downloaded since the onset of the error message. Yes, despite the error, applications may still be downloaded. Nevertheless, this deserves some attention simply based on the annoyance factor. 🙂

"Item is being modified at this time"

Boring.

Cannot download any new paid of free apps on phone or desktop.

...silence from Apple. As usual.

Now we're talking about more than one issue in the same thread.

The original issue we're talking about here doesn't affect what you're downloading. It's just an annoying pop up that you have to dismiss in order to continue on with downloading an app.

FWIW - i posted earlier with same problem re: can not download this app and XX others...

i now am also getting these errors stating item is being modified at this time, can not download. this is for paid apps, free apps, or from my already purchased area. seems like the same problem to me. i can download on occassion though, but typically not often. would love to hear from apple or to have a fix posted. i tried the beforementioned unlink payment info and re-enter the the data plus ipad power cycle... didn't work.

Also add me to this list. I'm getting both errors - 'being modified' everytime I wanna download CamCam Pro or Law & Order and 'cannot download' only once.

Yep, as usual, Apple is silent.

I tried this, but it unfortunately didn't help me.

I think that I may have fixed this in my case. It seemed to have happened when I downloaded a PRO version of a game that I already had on my IPAD. So, after the download, I had 2 versions of the game on my IPad, and then I deleted the old one. After that, the messages started to pop up, naming the PRO version of the game and 1 other (unnamed) app.

What I did: I went to the iTunes store on my Mac, and went to the apps listing, and deleted the original version of the game (keeping the PRO version). Then I synced. My next download happened without a message! I guess only time will tell if it's gone for good.

In addition to having the "cannot download [app] and XX others" message, I am also now getting a message saying, "item is being modified at this time."

This has gone from being merely annoying to effectively creating a roadblock to purchasing certain apps.

Here are the things I have done so far to attempt to correct this problem:

1.) Reset and restored iPhone from backup.

2.) Changed the credit card on my account and signed out, closed down App Store and rebooted iPhone.

3.) Turned all restrictions off in settings.

Nothing has worked so far. But as I said before, I believe this to be a problem within the data stored on Apple's account servers. At any rate, Apple holds all of the keys to fixing the glitches in our accounts that are producing these errors.

It pains me to say this, but Apple's quality control seems to have taken a huge nose dive. In just the past 6 months, I have had the following big bugs that still haven't been resolved or possibly addressed by Apple:

1.) On my iMac, Lion freezes coming out of sleep about once a week - requiring a full reboot.

2.) My iPhone's (4s) keyboard freezes up a few times a month, also requiring a reboot .

3.) Now I have these issues in the App Store, which in addition to being annoying, are preventing downloads.

Apple needs to bring their quality and responsiveness up. I feel like I'm spending more time troubleshooting issues on Apple products as of late than I ever did with any competitor products in the last several years.

Quality control, customer service, and attention to principles of good design are why we are willing to pay more for your products. Fix these issues Apple!

Let me add my name to the list too.

Ever since a week I have experienced the same "Unable to Download" message. What is more weird, is that it concerns apps I never ever bought or have seen in my life.

At the moment I will deal with the message, however annoying it may be. It would be nice though if Apple chips in and responds. But then again, as has been said before, as long as it doesn't hit the newspapers, why bother 😝

<Edited by Host>

I need someone to report this bug directly to apple.... anyone can?

I tried to do ...at bugreport apple....site...but it said I must register first. I'm tired of register again and again on several apple's forum.

My problem is still the same...plus when the error message ( unable to purcahse...)pop up...for me... there will be another error icon comes together that is the icon of waiting -stage app (that I downloaded before and have deleted it.) it comes again! and I can't delete that error icon except I have to wait till the new app 's loading is finish.

( sorry for my poor grammar eng.)

An update for those following this thread. I called this issue in to AppleCare Sunday. I spoke to a level 1 and level 2 technitcian who ultimately referred my case to an iTunes store specialist who requested additional information from me. Below is a copy of the email I just sent. I have excluded the names and you will not be able to see the image attachments referred to but if you are following this thread you probably know what the errors look like anyway. 🙂

Copy of Email to iTunes Support Specialist:

iTunes Support Representative,

I have gathered some additional information since I spoke with the phone representative. After that here are the actions I have taken an examples of reproducing the error:

1) I did complete backup, wipe, and restores of both my iPhone and my iPad. After this I could not duplicate the error.

2) I purchased and updated various apps. No issues presented while purchasing or updating apps at this point.

3) I attempted to purchase an app and received the error that the app cannot be purchased because it is currently being modified. I understand this can be a normal error message and I've seen it on occasion over the years and I know what it means and why I might see it. I didn't worry about it.

4) The next time I had apps available to update I received the error I called In about and is attached as "Error1". Note the error message contains the same app I had attempted to purchase earlier but was unable to as noted in step 3 above.

5) Since then I have had additional app updates and *some* times, not every time, when I hit the update all apps button I see the error and as you see from the attached file "Error2" as time goes on the error changes slightly as time goes on just as it was doing prior to my backup/wipe/restore in step 1. The portion of the text "...and x other item(s)..." the x will increase over time if the errors progress in the same way they were before step 1 when I initiated the support call.

Just to re-state and summarize the issue here are a description of the two different incorrect behaviors I'm experiencing. There are exactly the same as the behaviors I reported when I called in except they didn't present themselves after the full backup/wipe/restore of the devices until the error in step 3 above occurred.

Symptom #1: (This occurs intermittently but far more often than it does not)

1) I launch the App Store app from my device and see that updated are available for installed applications.

2) I select the update all button from the app update screen.

3) *INSTEAD* of presenting me with the enter password dialog I immediately see the error message shown in the attached images except the # representing the number of "other items" will increase over time.

4) I dismiss the error from the attached images.

5) I'm presented with the normal enter password dialog and I properly enter the correct password.

6) My apps update normally.

Symptom #2 (This occurs intermittently but far less frequently than symptom #1)

1) My devices (iPhone 4S and iPad 2) are configured to require a PIN when initiating activity from the lock screen.

2) Immediately after I enter my PIN my device requests that I enter my Apple ID password for no apparent reason.

3) I enter the password.

4) I proceed to use the device normally with no unusual behavior or activity other than requesting my password atypically.

I have never experienced symptom #2 until after symptom #1 has occurred. When I opened the support ticket I stated the erroneous behavior began about 7-10 days prior to my call. I hoped it would self-resolve. I only experienced the erroneous behaviors described after a full backup/wipe/restore of my devices after the "normal" occasional error identified in step 3 of symptom #1 above.

Please let me know if I can provide any additional information to help you identify and resolve this issue. While seemingly non-destructive it is certainly an increasing annoyance.

I would also refer you to the Apple support discussion board thread at this link: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3681763?answerId=17524347022#17524347022

There, as well as other threads, you will find reports of similar and identical behavior being experiences by other customers.

Thank You,

kemajor

Same problem just like everybody else here. seems there isnt much you can do except the obvious 1 or 2 things, which include completely resetting the entire phone. Even if its just a few apps on the phone or a few hundred apps. It is just not acceptable to have to resort to something like that.

I called apple and asked then, all they could come up with was "ummm", "aaahhh", "maybeee", "sorrryyyy", "sorryy cant help", then its just silence from them, them telling you that 'its time to hang up the phone'.

unless there is a formal complain made by all the people with this issue, i doubt something is gonna happen soon.

At the moment seems that the people are not willing to completely reset their phone, are prepared to live with it untill some more appropriate solution comes out.

Error: iPhone 4S 32GB, unable to purchase "xxxxx" and 6 other items could not be purchased at this time....

I don't know if this is related but just now, I turned on my Windows 7 PC withOUT my iPhone attached, yet when I opened iTunes, iTunes SHOWED my iPhone attached, it appeared in the left column with the "wheel" spinning, and it went through all the steps of a sync, up to step 7 where it read "waiting for items to copy" and eventually ended! When I clicked on iPhone in the left column, then clicked on "apps", it showed the apps that ARE in my iPhone! Yet my phone is not atttached! It's not even in the same room!! I use Windows 7.

In addition, is anyone else noticing that even after you update apps in the iPhone 4S, it still shows the same number of apps needing updating until you do it again?

One last thing...I have the Cozi app and every now and then, when I click on the app, it tells me I have to do a "one time only" update which I DO, yet, at some point, I get the same message again.

You're in the wrong thread. Do a search for "iTunes Wi-Fi Sync".