How To Connect To Itunes Store On Iphone 5

One of the errors all iPhone users may see sometimes is "Cannot Connect to iTunes Store". In most cases, the problem is caused by the bad internet connection or the fact App Store is currently updating. Sometimes, the servers may go down in which case you won't be able to connect to the store. When that is not the case, there are some solutions you can check out, and get rid of the issue. These are some of the error messages: "Cannot connect to the iTunes Store. An unknown error has occurred", "We could not complete your iTunes Store request" or "iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store."

See also: How To Fix iPhone/iPad Won't Download Or Update Apps

Ways to fix iPhone cannot connect to iTunes store

Solution No.1: Switch Network

This is pretty simple. If you have been using Wi-Fi, switch to cellular data. If you have been using cellular data, switch to Wi-Fi. Before you do this, exit iTunes app/App Store.

Solution No.2: Make sure the servers are working

You can visit the Apple system page to check if the iTunes Store system is down. This page is available on Apple's official website and contains information about the system status of Apple Services, Stores, and iCloud. The green square box indicates that the service is normal, while the orange triangle box indicates some issues. You can see the current system status on the Apple System Status web page.

Solution No.3: Enable LTE

To be able to connect to iTunes, what you need is a stable and fast Internet connection. If you are using cellular data, try to enable LTE for a faster Internet speed. Head to Settings, tap Cellular Data, and make sure it is on. On the same screen, tap Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data > select 4G.

LTE 4G 3G

Solution No.4: Date & Time

You can fix the problem by changing the Date & Time settings. Here is what you should do:

Go to Settings, choose General, and click on Date & Time
Make sure that Set Automatically is ON.
From the multitasking switcher exit App Store and iTunes, and then open them again.

set automatically iPhone steps

Solution No.5: Internet connection

One of the main reasons why the iPhone won't connect to the iTunes store is a poor internet connection. If you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, start solving the problem by restarting your router. Turn your router off, leave it like that for ten seconds and turn it on again. If that does not fix the problem, navigate to Settings, enable the Airplane mode, leave it on for about 15-20 seconds and turn it off. You can also reset network settings. To do that, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Tap your passcode and then tap Reset Network Settings. If you are having issues with your Wi-Fi network, and the solutions we just mentioned didn't work, read the following article that offers additional workarounds: How To Fix iPhone/iPad Won't Connect To Wi-Fi.

Solution No.6: Restart your iPhone

Press and hold the sleep/wake button, drag the slider to power off your phone, and then press and hold the sleep/wake button to turn it back on.

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Solution No.7: Update iOS

iOS updates are very important, not just because a new version can fix tons of bugs, but also because it brings performance improvements and introduces new features. To update iOS, connect your iPhone to a power source and a Wi-Fi network, and then navigate to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install.

Update the Software steps

Solution No.8: Turn off VPNs

If you are using VPNs on your iPhone, try to turn it off for a while:

Go to Settings > VPN
Tap the green button next to the Status section under VPN CONFIGURATIONS, to turn it off.
Try to reconnect to iTunes

Solution No.9: Sign out from Apple ID

Try to sign out your Apple ID and sign in again. Make sure you are using the correct Apple ID. This simple step can fix can't access iTunes store issue.

Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store
Tap on your Apple ID
Tap "Sign Out".
To sign in, go back to iTunes & App Store screen, and tap "Sign In".
Enter your Apple ID and password. Make sure you enter the correct ones.

Sign out Apple ID steps iPhone

Solution No.10: Erase your iPhone

You can erase all content and settings on your iPhone. We suggest you back up your data before you start the process. Navigate to Settings >> General >> Reset >> Erase All Contents and Settings. Tap Erase iPhone. Once the process of erasing is completed, your device will reboot. What you need to do next is just follow a few simple steps and set up your device as new.

erase iPhone steps

Solution No.11: Restore your iPhone to factory settings using iTunes

The restoring process will wipe all the things on the iPhone including the OS and firmware. Don't forget to backup your data. To restore your iPhone to factory settings using iTunes, follow the steps below:

Make sure your iPhone is charged and that you have the latest version of iTunes
Ensure your iPhone is connected to stable WiFi. This is important, otherwise, you may face an issue known as iPhone stuck in recovery mode
Connect iPhone to Mac/PC
Launch iTunes
Click Restore on the Summary tab
iTunes will download the firmware first
Wait until the restoring process is completed
Set up your iPhone as a new device

Restore iPhone using iTunes

These solutions are effective on iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE.

If you tried all the solutions listed in this article, and your iPhone can't connect to the iTunes store, contact Apple or visit one of their stores nearby.

What to do if you can't connect to iTunes Store on your Mac?

Internet connection

The first thing to do is to make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet. When it comes to Internet troubleshoots, there are many. You may try it one by one.

Turn off the WiFi of your Mac and turn it back on. Try to connect to iTunes.
Try another WiFi network, if there is any.
Try to open a website on your browser. If it works well, the problem is not on your Internet network.
If you have another device, try to use the same Internet connectivity.
Reset your WiFi router.
Connect your Mac to the Internet using a LAN cable.
If you cannot open any website on your browser, contact your Internet service provider.

Update the software

Make sure your Mac Software is up to date. Here are the steps:

Click the Apple  logo in the upper-left corner.
Click App Store or Software Update.
The Mac App Store will open automatically and you will see the available Update Software.
Click Update on the Software you are going to update or click Update All.

Update iTunes and Safari

Check if there is a new version of iTunes available. If it is, you can fix the problem with the iTunes store by updating the iTunes software and Safari. But, before you start with the updating process, make sure your Mac is eligible for the iTunes minimum system requirements.

Steps to update iTunes

Launch iTunes on your Mac.
On the menu bar, select iTunes > Check for Updates.
Follow the given instructions until the process is completed.

Steps to update Safari

Open the Mac App Store application.
Click the Update tab, and let it check the availability of the update.
Find the latest update for Safari and click Update.

Make sure Apple's system is not down

You can visit Apple's system status online page. If you see the orange triangle sign next to "iTunes", it means that system has issues.

Check your firewall

Check the firewall settings on your Mac and make sure that it doesn't block the iTunes Store connection.

Go to the Apple  menu on your Mac Menu Bar and click the System preferences app.
Click on Security & Privacy.
Open Firewall Options.
Configure the firewall and make sure it allows your Mac to connect to iTunes Store.

Check VPNs

Similar to the iOS, VPNs can cause Mac cannot connect to iTunes Store error. You can check VPNs in System Preferences > Network. On the left panel, you will see a VPN with its indicator light. If you are using VPNs, try to disconnect them by clicking the "Disconnect" button on the right panel.

Reset your Mac keychain

In some cases, the Mac keychain is responsible for this issue. Resetting it might help you to get rid of the problem.

Open Keychain Access in the "Utilities" folder or "Other" folder.
Choose Preferences.
Click General.
Click Reset My Default Keychain.
Authenticate using your account login password.

What to do if you can't connect to iTunes Store on your PC?

Internet connection

There are some troubleshoots you can try to make sure that the issue isn't related to the Internet connection. These are: toggling WiFi on your Windows PC, try another WiFi network, reset your router, use LAN cable, try the Internet on the other device, etc. If you have tried all of those, but you can't connect, contact your Internet service provider.

Update iTunes

Make sure you have the latest iTunes installed on your PC. The steps to update iTunes on PC is quite similar to on Mac. But, make sure that your PC meets the iTunes system requirements first.

Launch iTunes on your PC.
On the menu bar, click Help > Check for Updates.
Follow the given instructions until the process is completed.
In case you cannot find the menu bar, click on the Menu icon on the top-left side of iTunes. Then, select "Show Menu Bar" from the menu list.

PC firewall settings

Check the firewall on your PC and make sure it's not blocking the iTunes Store connection. To do that, follow these steps:

Click the Windows key on your PC keyboard or press the Control (Ctrl) and Escape (Esc) keys altogether.
Type "firewall. cpl" on the searching box.
Click "firewall.cpl" and the Windows Firewall window will appear.
If you are using Windows 8 or 10, click "Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall."
For Windows 7, you can click "Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall."
Then, click "Change settings."
Ensure that iTunes is selected for both private and public networks and Bonjour is selected for private networks only.
If you don't see iTunes and Bonjour, click "Allow another app" for Windows 8 and 10. For Windows 7, click "Allow another program."
If you don't see iTunes on the list, click "Browse" and go to iTunes program in C:\Program Files\iTunes\.
For Bnjour, select "Browse" and go to mDNSResponder in C:\Program Files\Bonjour\.
The next step will be, selecting one of those programs.
Click Open.
Click "Add" in the "App an app" window (Windows 8 and 10) or click "Add" in the "Add a program" window (Windows 7).
Choose OK.
Close the Windows Firewall window.

Reset the Hosts file

You can follow these steps to reset the host's file back to default. These steps are for Windows 8 or 8.1.

Open Notepad.
Copy and paste this text to Notepad.

# Copyright (c) 1993-2009 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to hostnames. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding hostname.
# The IP address and the hostname should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

# localhost name resolution is handled within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost
0.0.0.0 keystone.mwbsys.com

Go to the File menu and click Save As.
Type "hosts" in the file name box and save it to the desktop.
Close Notepad.
Find and click Search on the top-right corner of the screen, and type "run".
Click the "Run" icon.
Type: %WinDir%\System32\Drivers\Etc in the Open box and click OK.
Rename the Hosts file with "Hosts.old".
Copy and paste the Hosts file to %WinDir%\System32\Drivers\Etc folder.
Click Continue.

What to do if you can't connect to iTunes Store on your Apple TV?

Date & Time

Make sure the date and time on your Apple TV are set correctly. Go to Settings > General > Date and Time.

Internet connection

Make sure you have an active Internet connection, and to do that go to Settings > Networks. You can also check if the Internet that you use on Apple TV works on the other devices. If it's not working, reset the router. In case you're still having this issue, contact your Internet provider.

Update the software

Every Software update always brings some bug fixes meaning you can solve the issue by installing the latest software version. You can check if there is an update for your Apple TV Software by going to Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software.

Restore your Apple TV

Try to restore your Apple TV using Mac/PC. To do so, follow these steps:

Make sure you have an active Internet connection.
Make sure you have the latest iTunes version installed on your computer.
Open iTunes application on your Mac/PC
Connect Apple TV to the computer.
If you are using Apple TV 2nd gen, you can connect it to Mac/PC using a micro USB cable.
For Apple TV 3rd gen, connect it to Mac/PC using micro SD cable and plug the Apple TV into a power source.
For Apple TV 4th gen, connect it using a USB type C cable to your Mac/PC and plug your Apple TV into a power source.
On the iTunes app, select Apple TV and click "Restore" on the Summary tab.
Let iTunes download the firmware first before it continues the Restoring process automatically.
Let the restoring process complete.

These problems/solutions are found and effective on iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus,iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad Air, Mac, PC, and Apple TV.