Q: Ipad2 app store can't download apps - get error 'item is being modified, try again later', but daughter IS able to download it just fine!

I'm having the very same issue as you are. Trying to download some free apps and just keep getting this weird message. Using my wife's apple ID I can download the apps immediately.

I have exactly the same problem with purchasing some apps that are on sale in Russian AppStore! This is happening last 4 days and I've already missed some cool apps that were free! I tried all things you mentioned and no results. App developer says its AppStore problem, support says - something wrong with the app. I'm very disappointed already because of missing good apps that I could have free. I will be very happy if apple will do something with this problem and won't close eyes on it...

Count me in. iPhone, not iPad, though.

I've been having this issue for a few days, on only a few apps. I've been able to purchase other apps, but for some reason, I have a few that give me that message.

The three apps that aren't downloading are all free for a few days (i.e. on sale), so I imagine that has something to do with it. I've been searching around on the internet for other people, and this is the first mention I've been able to find on this particular matter. That's surprising, because I know that we're not the only ones coming across this error/bug. I subscribe to a daily review of apps that have become free called AppsGoneFree, and their release yesterday and today mentioned the issue.

I'm having the same problem.  It's not hardware related.  It's not app related.  I'm having the problem on my iPhone4, iPad, iPad2, and iTunes/PC.

My wife isn't having problems purchasing, downloading, and installing the same apps on her iOS devices.

I believe it's iTunes account related and centers around free or discounted apps.  I've attempted to modify everything on this end that I can to include changing credit card details and even deauthorizing/reauthorizing computers and devices.

I've gone through the hassle if completing the online support form to create a case.  I'll post back with any advice, helpful or otherwise, I receive from Apple.

I've never given much thought to jailbreaking my idevices, but issues like these do get one thinking...

I have had the same problem since Friday trying to download several apps that were free for the weekend.   I contacted an app developer (AppsGoneFree) who said it is a problem with Apple's servers.  Hopefully it will be rectified soon, but it has been three days now and I am still geeting the 'modification' message.

It's an App Store problem, and I've already repeatedly pushed Apple support to look into it... it looks like some of the servers are getting stuck after a price change and consider the item to be perpetually in modification, until the next price change. Some free app forums have been filling up with complaints about it this weekend, although I noticed it first stated happening for me last week. But this weekend it won't go away, unlike before.

Maybe something running amuck is slowing everything down on the main App servers?

Yeah. Please count me in too. Same issue I'm experiencing on an iPhone for CamCam Pro and Law & Order - both are on sales. I really want Apple to look into this matter.

Interestingly, I've looked up the US rankings for a couple of big apps that have gone free this weekend that I can't download, and all plunged from moderatly successful (~300-400) to near zero, indicating that we aren't the only ones with the problem. Apps that I have been able to download have risen substantially, as you'd expect. It's ONLY happening in the US App Store, all others are showing the expected ranking increases.

Erm,.. @foxyshadis, what you said might not be accurate. I'm using Singapore App Store and I'm also having the same issue.

I hope Apple staff read our conversations. :|

I am experiencing the same issue with free and discounted apps. I have successfully purchased a few non-discounted, paid apps since this problem started. As tgroman mentioned, I am experiencing this issue across all of my devices (iPad, iPad 2, iTouch), so it is almost certainly an account related issue.

There is one other thing that I will mention that may or may not be related. Around the same time as I started noticing this issue, I had attempted to re-download a "previously purchased" free app (Ccmixter), but the download failed for some reason. Since then, most of the time when I update apps, I will get a message like "CCMixter could not be downloaded." Despite getting the message, the apps do update successfully.

The last time I got the message, it said something like "CCMixter and 7 other apps could not be downloaded." At that point, I had been able to download CCMixter, and it was actually installed when I got the message.

Hi all, I have been having the same problems with my iMac's and all my IOS devices over the past three days.  After viewing all the forums I found the answer.  I was using a "&" symbol in my iTunes account name.  I changed it to an "and" instead and all systems went back to normal.  I can only assume that Apple has done something to their system over the past few days, which has caused problems with accounts using the ampersand symbol.

If your account looks like this: John & Jo Smith

Change it to: John and Jo Smith

Hope that helps.

PS. Apple Support could not help me but the forums did.

@doby_dave, the error message shown in that case is "iTunes Store is Temporarily Unavailable" not "Item is being modified." I've never had an ampersand in my name, so that won't fix this, unfortunately.

Sorry that I could not help, I thought I was onto something when I fixed my issue with the account name amendment.  All the best.

One more with the same problem. I 've detected it a few days ago.

Is there any solution?