Have you ever gotten a message from the Apple iTunes Store saying:

The item you’ve requested is not currently available in [your location] Store, but it is available in the U.S. Store [or whichever location].

The reason certain apps, TV shows, music, movies, ect, say that you have to change your iTunes Store location is because of licensing terms and other legalities that I won’t go into. It’s the same why reason you can’t watch Hulu outside of the US. However if you’ve recently moved to the US or simply just want to attain certain US apps then you can just change your iTunes Store location.

A Few Important things to Understand

Before you start though, there are a few things I should be clear about. If you change your current Apple ID accounts location, you’ll only be able to update/download the apps that are available for that new location. So if you already have apps on your device and then change the store location, those apps will have re-downloaded from your new store location. Now if you want to continue using and updating your current apps, and still be able to download apps from outside your country then you need to create another account. This will allow you to log out of your current Apple ID and log into your other Apple ID account located in a different country or region. If you simply want to view the app, you can just log out of your account, choose a temporary location and view that location specific app. So there are 3 different ways to change your store location and all of these methods work, whether you are using iTunes on a computer or on an iPad, iPhone or iPod.

Permanently Change Store Location

how do i change app itunes store location on mac windows

Change Location on a Computer

This method should only really be used if you’ve actually moved to a new location. Lets say you are moving from the UK to Canada. All you really need to do is log into your Apple ID account and change your location. You’ll need to update your address, and payment information. On a Mac or PC open iTunes and go to the iTunes Store page. Click on the “Account” link under “Quick Links”. Log into your account if it asks you to and click on “Change Country or Region”. You can also change your location while in the App Store, just like you would in the iTunes Store.

Switch Store Location with a New Apple ID

create new apple account to switch app store location

Create new Apple ID

In order to create a new Apple ID account you need to either have an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch with iOS 5 or later, or a Mac with OS X Lion (10.7.4) or later. Setting up a new Apple ID account (iCloud email address) is super easy. On an iOS device, go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Add Account -> Tap on the iCloud button. Here you’ll be given the choice to log into your current iCloud or “Get a Free Apple ID” account. Once you tap the “Get a Free Apple ID” button, you’ll be required to enter the standard profile information to create the account. When you get to the area where you are required to enter in your location, simply choose whichever location you desire. You may be required to enter in a zip code (postal code), if you can’t think of a proper zip code for the location you want to add just go to google and type in something like “US zip codes”. Now lets say you wanted to download an app with a new location specific Apple ID account. Since it’s an app you’d go to the App Store, log out of your current account, then log into your new location specific account. Once you successfully log in, an alert will pop-up saying, “This Apple ID is only valid for purchases in the U.S. [your desired location] iTunes Store. You will be switched to that Store”. On a Mac go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts & Contacts -> click iCloud -> Create Apple ID.

Temporarily Change iTunes Store Location

quickly temporarily change itunes app store location

Temporarily switch Store Location

This method is handy when you simply want to view an app or iTunes Store item. You can’t download the item with this method, you can only view it. To download the item, use one of the above methods. Open up iTunes on your computer and go to the iTunes Store page. At very bottom of the page on the right hand side is an icon. The icon will represent your current Country or Region, click on this little icon to bring into view all the other locations that you can view. From this window you can choose from quite a few different locations from all over the world. Once you click a location you will be automatically logged out of your currently store location.