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Unable to purchase.

I start having this problem since last Friday. When i go into an App Store on my iPhone 4s and try to download any app I get this error message; "unable to purchase. "Hanging With Friends" and other items could not be purchased at this time.Please try again later". First of all, I already have Hanging installed in my phone.So I click OK,the error messages goes away, and then I asked to put in my password and the phone would start download the app that i wanted to get. Along with that few other apps that i previously owned pop up on my screen with "waiting" status. ones i touch any of them, they go away. after that i can download apps fine for some time but after awhile i get this weird problem again. any suggestions?

iPhone 4

Posted on Jan 24, 2012 11:49 AM

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Posted on Jan 24, 2012 11:53 AM

are you able to purchase the apps from iTunes on your computer?

368 replies

Jan 24, 2012 11:58 AM in response to gdgmacguy

Yes. I can get the apps on my iPhone as well, it just this annoying error message driving me crazy. i reset the phone, reset the network settings, log in and out of my account, did the sync with my Mac. still i get this error randomly. i wonder if this is something on Apple servers. it seem to start happening after they updated the iTunes last week.

Jan 25, 2012 9:03 AM in response to kurskiy74

I'm having the exact same issue on my phone. I've had the phone for a week and it started doing it from the first day. It says, "Voxer Walkie-Talkie PTT" and 4 other items could not be purchased at this time. Please try again later." It give me this message everytime I try to download an app, but then I still can download it right after. The number keeps going up though. It's at "4 other apps" now. This problem is more annoying than stopping me from doing anything, but I would really love for Apple to fix it.

Jan 27, 2012 1:36 AM in response to kurskiy74

I am also having the same problem. It doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes when I download something from the app store, I'd get the "Unable to purchase" pop up of some certain game that I got a while ago.


This also just started happening recently.


I'd like to clarify to everyone that this "Unable to purchase" popup does not concern the app being currently downloaded, and does not affect it. It's not like we are unable to purchase the app we are wanting to download at the moment. For me, it always mentions the same game in the pop up.

Jan 28, 2012 11:51 PM in response to kurskiy74

Same problem. Also with the 4s and latest version of iTunes although idk if it's iTunes's fault though, i thought the update was about textbooks... Apple Care suggested I rest all settings, but I didn't want to do that, especially now that you say it didnt help you. But I sure am happy I'm not the only one with this problem.


Syncing and rebooting and signing in and out of app store don't help btw.


The count of apps it says it can't install has been going up slowly, at 5 now. Of course I am not trying to install the app mentioned in the message (had installed it at one point though), and what I intend to install works fine.

Jan 29, 2012 10:14 AM in response to kurskiy74

A couple of days ago, the App Store informed me of an update available for an app on my phone. The update was for IMDb, I guess they added more social networking aspects to the app. Anyway, I proceeded to click Update and I was taken out of the App Store and onto the home screen like with any other routine update. However, what happened next was a little strange. I was connected to Wi-Fi but the update hanged at the beginning of Downloading. I tried clicking it and opening the App Store but they simply were unclickable. So I rebooted the phone and after it loaded up the app was fine. I've since uninstalled IMDb and re-installed it via the App Store (to be sure I was getting the most recent copy,) and although the app works perfectly fine, I always get the "Unable to purchase. 'IMDb' could not be purchased at this time. Please try again later," whenever I download or update an app. It's just annoying. I am glad to hear I am not alone but it's rather lame we have this issue in the first place.

Jan 29, 2012 6:19 PM in response to kurskiy74

Same problem here, same time frame! I've noticed in the last few days the same type of message. Only my includes app "x" and 7 others etc.

As far as I can tell there's so "issue" other than its annoying. I'm still able to download new apps, but I haven't seen any apps needing an update since this error message has popped up. My worry is that the "x" and the 7 others apps need updating but this glitch prevents it. Not sure yet, I'll have to wait and see. But from the posts this issue has just started recently, weird how it's just started for all of us. I've notice some other temp glitches with app store.

Jan 29, 2012 6:27 PM in response to Natas tmc

I don't think that the Unable to Purchase message is about updates that won't install. I have been able to update apps since the messages began (and by the way updating apps are not immune from this annoying message), and at least one of the apps that it mentions is an app that I had uninstalled.


Interestingly, my count of apps it says it can't purchase has gone down by one. I'm not sure if it's because I deleted it (because it doesn't name all the apps) or what...


@thinkdfrnt: I'm not sure if your error is or is not related to the other ones in this forum. Yours seems to be related to an actual problem installing the app, while the other messages seem to be about something more spontaneous.

Jan 29, 2012 6:35 PM in response to kurskiy74

Just to clarify my error message appears just after I go to purchase an app. After pressing purchase but before my password prompt appears. I clear the message and am able to type in my password and the purchase continues. New apps work after installation. The error has repeated it self several times now, but only while in the app store app.

Unable to purchase.

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