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Level 1

31 points

How to change country in App store

I've been fighting with this issue for over several days so I'd appreciate if someone could help me out here.

So I got my new iPad mini about a week ago. While registering it with the iTunes (or maybe App Store, I'm kinda drawing a blank here) it asked me to specify a country. My family originally is from Germany and I speak German, so just for the heck of it, I thought, what if I specify Germany? So I did. Everything installed OK, but then the time came for me to set up the app store to install some apps. And that's when I hit a brick wall.

When I go to App store a popup comes up telling me that some information needs to be entered. I click OK. It then brings me to a window where I'm supposed to specify my payment information -- credit card and such. So I do that. Mind you that I live in US and I specify my US visa card with my US address. When I click Next it tells me that I cannot use this card for this store. It drove me nuts! I even called my bank thinking that my credit card got hacked... they said it's in good standing.

Then if I log out and log back in, the app store has this option "View Apple ID", which I use and then it shows, Country/ Region -- Germany. I click it and it says, "Change country or region". I click it again. Then it says Store - Germany. I click it again and pick United States. Click next. Then confirm EULA, click Next. Now everything looks in English (before it was in German) and I select Visa and type my visa number and then my address and click Next. After which the spinner comes on and after a second or two I get this window (attached) that says,

"Your session has timed out. Please try again. Code: 5107"

I've been trying again since last week. How long am I supposed to keep trying to start using my new iPad????

PS. I am at a point of bringing it back to a store.... seriously!

Posted on Jan 31, 2013 11:19 PM

61 replies

Kimyban

Level 1

0 points

Feb 6, 2013 12:50 PM in response to Demo

I haven't use any gift card nor balance from gift card that belong to any store. Most of my apps are FREE and from US store but now I can't download anymore free apps because for most of apps there comes out an information just before installation runs that I can use apps that are from US store Reason: because I'm assign to Croatian store, how come I don't honestly know but I would like to switch back to US store... But I don't know how because every time when I tried it I didn't succeed and worst of all is because I can't even updated apps that I have... Because they have been installed when my account was registered in US store... So now it is really depressing because apple even charged me $1 for changing my payment info wich I thought was maybe one of the reasons why I can't switch back to US store but it wasn't still I'm without solution

Den B. Author

Level 1

31 points

Feb 7, 2013 6:08 PM in response to Kimyban

I think I got it to work. Eventually... But in my case it was a brand new iPad mini. So I ended up wiping it clean and then had to create a new iTunes account, because for some other unknown to me reason, one cannot delete an iTune account. So that was double frustrating. After that I started from scratch, so to speak, and it worked. (I used only one country for the iTunes/AppStore account and DID NOT change it in the process or any time afterwards.)

From what I could collect in my research is that if you prefer to use AppStore accounts in more than a single country, you need to create two or more separate iTunes accounts and switch between them by signing in and out. DO NOT try to switch the country in a single iTunes account because it will lead to the issue I've experienced. It's not the easiest solution so far, but it seems to work from what I could gather.

Let me conclude this by saying that I had a very frustrating experience dealing with this iPad! This is not a perfectionist Apple that Steve Jobs created. I don't know what they're doing there, but I hope they get their heads out of the sand... and do it quick. No wonder their stock lost almost half of its value... Setting up this iPad was so frustrating! It reminded me of old times -- dealing with Windows 95 and setting up drivers for it. Tell me why do I need to enter my password literally 3 times in a row just to begin using this darn thing??? And I am not exaggerating. Then why do I need to enter it again just to update my apps? And need to repeat it almost daily? Can they update themselves? Android apps can. So (I'm afraid to say this, but) can Apple copy it? They seem to have done that with this iPad mini. So the bottom line, I don't think I am getting another Apple product again. My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and I was thinking to get her this mini as well, but now I made my mind to try out Galaxy Note II, people say it's really good, or Nexus 7 that cost almost half the price of mini. So learn your lessons Apple, until it's too late!

Skip UK

Level 1

5 points

Feb 9, 2013 4:31 AM in response to Den B.

Not sure if this will help... I'm on IPAD in the UK and was directed to the US Store on a link. Got stuck in the US and couldnt buy anything etc as I'm a UK User. Finally worked out how to get back to the UK store. Log Out on the Home Screen, then when you log back in you will be forced to go back to your home store. Phew!

Vinci2k1

Level 1

0 points

Feb 14, 2013 6:33 PM in response to Den B.

I had the exact same problem. Here's the solution I got from App Tech Folks.

CHANGING THE COUNTRY FROM PHONE WILL NOT WORK - he didn't say it but that's what I found out.

Open iTunes on your Mac/PC

Go to iTunes Store -> Sign in to the ID for which you want to change the country.

Go to iTunes Store AGAIN -> View my Apple ID.

You should now see your account information open up

Click on change Country or Region here and change the country

Click on Done at the bottom of the page.

Sign Out of your apple ID from ITunes store in ITunes on ure Mac/PC.

next step is very important.

In your phone:

Settings -> iTunes and App Store -> Click on Apple ID -> Click on Sign Out

Do the same process again and sign-in to your apple ID again by

Settings -> iTunes and App Store -> Click on Apple ID -> Sign In

Now to check your country in the App Store Now:

Settings -> iTunes and App Store -> Click on Apple ID -> View Apple ID

VIOLA! Your country should be updated now.

kynnism

Level 1

0 points

Feb 15, 2013 4:40 AM in response to Vinci2k1

Worked perfect!

_pb_

Level 1

11 points

Feb 15, 2013 10:17 AM in response to Vinci2k1

Thanks for your efforts. Didn't help here unfortunately.

Apple really need to pull their fingers out and issue an update.

Feb 17, 2013 10:31 AM in response to besjbo

ONLY WAY IS connectıng Itunes via computer and CHange ıt from there and sync

geocorro

Level 1

0 points

Feb 18, 2013 6:36 AM in response to Vinci2k1

this worked perfectly on my Iphone!!! Thank you very much!!!

kiznaps

Level 1

0 points

Feb 21, 2013 1:36 PM in response to Vinci2k1

Thank you so much! This worked for me! 🙂

Mar 1, 2013 7:43 AM in response to _pb_

Hi,

I went to setting clicked on iTunes and App Store, clicked on the apple I.D. I wanted, it asked for my password, and I was switched back from the Canadian to the u.s. store. I have accounts for both.

Alexnt96

Level 1

0 points

Mar 2, 2013 7:30 PM in response to Den B.

I was having the same problem with my iphone 5, i was trying to change the store through my phone, but then i tried to change it in my pc(itunes) and it worked, you could try that

Gimme6

Level 1

4 points

Mar 6, 2013 1:54 AM in response to Den B.

in Settings open Itunes and App stores

- click on your Apple ID at the top

- then View Apple ID

- enter your password

- change Country/Region

If it says US and you want US anyway, do something silly and change US to...... US

then Next etc.

Gimme6

Level 1

4 points

Mar 6, 2013 2:17 AM in response to Den B.

My young daughter found a simple way of changing store in the blink of an eye but she's out playing.

Sometimes I get a message from web sites saying an app is not available on my country's store and would I like to switch to a store where it is available. I accept and get stuck in another country's store when my daughter isn't around and I have to try to remember how to get back "home".

Beware: adults should never leave their country in the absence of a responsible child ;)

Mar 16, 2013 9:30 PM in response to Den B.

I would like to draw the attention of the Apple guys to the fact that some people actually and perfectly legally lives in two different countries and have valid credit cards in both countries. There should be an easy and user friendly way of shifting between two apple stores on the iPad. Remember also that not all iPad users own a computer (my father for example). It should therefore be possible to do these things working only on the iPad.

Mar 19, 2013 9:05 PM in response to Den B.

Easiest way,MUST use USB wire to connect to computer's iTune.

(1) Connect your iphone/ipad to computer

(2) Make sure you sign in to iTune and first authorize the computer you are using [ie. Authorize This Computer].

(3) Click Store > View My AppID > Change Country or Origin

(4) Select the country you want, follow through all the instructions

This way should allow you successfully change the country default on your iphone/ipad account.

I don't know why it only works this way, but if connecting to computer's iTune will help you reduece frustrations, take some time to do it, it will save you hassles.

How to change country in App store