On the desktop, changing your iTunes or App Store region is as simple as scrolling down, clicking on the current country flag icon and then choosing a new country flag. On iPhone and iPad, not so much. It's still possible to change store locality, it's just not as easy. If you really want or need to change, here's how!
- How to change your local iTunes Store and App Store country
- How to switch between multiple iTunes or App Store countries
How to change your local iTunes Store and App Store country
If you're moving or otherwise want to change your iTunes Store and App Store at least semi-permanently, here's what to do.
Note: If you have subscriptions to Apple Music, iTunes Match, or another service attached to your local Apple ID, you'll need to cancel those first, then re-sign after you've switched over.
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap on iTunes & App Store.
- Tap on Apple ID.
- Authenticate with Password or Touch ID, if required.
- Tap on Country/Region.
- Tap on Change Country or Region.
- Choose a new country or region.
- Tap on Next.
- Tap on Agree to consent to the terms and conditions.
- Enter your payment details.
- Enter your billing information.
- Tap Next.
You'll now be set up in your new country and ready to go.
Of course, most people don't want to change countries as much as they want to switch back-and-forth between them. That's especially true of people outside the U.S. who often want to get their digital hands on the more plentiful content available inside...
How to switch between multiple iTunes or App Store countries
If what you really want to do is jump into the U.S. store — or another regional store — to grab an app, game, show, movie, etc. that's simply not available in your store, you can do that too. First, you need to log out of your current regional iTunes or App Store:
- Launch App Store from your Home screen.
- Tap on Apple ID: [your current email] at the very bottom.
- Tap on Sign Out.
Next, you need to change the region on your iPhone or iPad:
- Launch Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap on General.
- Tap on Language & Region near the bottom.
- Tap on Region
- Check off the new country you want to access (for example, Unites States).
Now, you need to create the new account for the new store you want to access. For that you need to find a *free** app that's only available in the U.S. store (or only available in the store you want to switch to). Network TV apps are often the best choice. I'll use Hulu, the U.S. streaming service, for this example.
- Go to the Hulu listing on the App Store on your iPhone or iPad. (Tap that link!)
- Tap Change Store if it stays stuck on your old region and says the item isn't available in the current store.
- Go to the Hulu listing on the App Store again if it gets stuck on the feature page.
- Tap Get.
- Tap Install.
- Tap Create New Apple ID.
- Check United States if it isn't already checked.
- Fill out the required information.
- Tap None for billing information. You can get away with that for a free app, and you can always buy U.S. iTunes gift cards later if you want to purchase other content from the store.
- Launch Mail to verify the email address you used for the U.S. account.
Finally, download Hulu (or your region-specific app of choice):
- Go to the Hulu listing on the App Store on your iPhone or iPad. (Tap that link!)
- Tap Get.
- Tap Install.
- Login to your new U.S. iTunes Account if you aren't already logged in.
- Repeat the Get and Install steps if you have to.
That should start your Hulu download and, with it, your switch to the U.S. Store.
From this point on, you should be able to switch stores simply by logging into and out of your iTunes or App Store account for the appropriate region. You can then tap on your favorite region-exclusive app to high-tail it back into the proper store. (Bookmark 'em to make it fast and easy.)
Any questions on switching iTunes or App Stores?
If you have any questions on how to switch iTunes or App Store accounts, drop them in the comments below!
Updated January 2019: Updated for iOS 12.
