Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

How do i remove an app update notification for an app i don't have?!

When i go into app store i'm told theres an app update from 2013 for Angry Birds on my macbook. I don't have Angry Birds! Its really annoying that it won't go away, and when i click update it says its for another apple ID, not my own. I don't understand how that works! An help appreciated, because not being able to get rid of that little red circle is so irritating!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 8, 2016 7:49 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Feb 8, 2016 1:29 PM

You installed at least one hacked app, originally from the Mac App Store. It contains the receipt for a different app, downloaded using an account that you don't control. You need to identify and remove the hacked app.

Important: The app you need to remove may not be the one named in the update notice. For example, the App Store could prompt you to update "Angry Birds" or "Twitter," but the hacked app could be "Final Cut Pro." Don't make any assumptions about which app you're looking for. To find it, you must carry out a systematic search with Spotlight.

1. Please triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:

kMDItemAppStoreHasReceipt=1

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

2. In the Finder, press command-F to open a search window, or select

File Find

from the menu bar. In the search window, select

Search: This Mac

from the row of tokens below the toolbar. Below that is a popup menu of search criteria, initially showing Kind. From that menu, select

Other...

A sheet will drop down. In that sheet, select

Raw Query

as the criterion, then click OK or press return.

Now there will be a text box to the right of the menu of search criteria. That's where you enter the raw search query. Click in that box and paste the text you copied earlier by pressing command-V.

3. The search window will now show all the App Store products that are installed. Compare those search results with the list of your purchases from the App Store. To see the complete list, you may need to unhide hidden purchases. If any apps were downloaded from the App Store using other Apple ID's that you control, sign in to the store under each of those ID's and check the purchases.

4. At least one of the apps in the Spotlight search results is not among your purchases in the App Store. Delete each such item.

5. Quit and relaunch the App Store. Test.

If you find these instructions confusing, ask for an alternative method.

2 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Feb 8, 2016 1:29 PM in response to miillsy

You installed at least one hacked app, originally from the Mac App Store. It contains the receipt for a different app, downloaded using an account that you don't control. You need to identify and remove the hacked app.

Important: The app you need to remove may not be the one named in the update notice. For example, the App Store could prompt you to update "Angry Birds" or "Twitter," but the hacked app could be "Final Cut Pro." Don't make any assumptions about which app you're looking for. To find it, you must carry out a systematic search with Spotlight.

1. Please triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:

kMDItemAppStoreHasReceipt=1

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

2. In the Finder, press command-F to open a search window, or select

File Find

from the menu bar. In the search window, select

Search: This Mac

from the row of tokens below the toolbar. Below that is a popup menu of search criteria, initially showing Kind. From that menu, select

Other...

A sheet will drop down. In that sheet, select

Raw Query

as the criterion, then click OK or press return.

Now there will be a text box to the right of the menu of search criteria. That's where you enter the raw search query. Click in that box and paste the text you copied earlier by pressing command-V.

3. The search window will now show all the App Store products that are installed. Compare those search results with the list of your purchases from the App Store. To see the complete list, you may need to unhide hidden purchases. If any apps were downloaded from the App Store using other Apple ID's that you control, sign in to the store under each of those ID's and check the purchases.

4. At least one of the apps in the Spotlight search results is not among your purchases in the App Store. Delete each such item.

5. Quit and relaunch the App Store. Test.

If you find these instructions confusing, ask for an alternative method.

How do i remove an app update notification for an app i don't have?!

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.