Friday, June 25, 2010

Tip for international iOS users

If you buy an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, and you happen to be a user of the iTunes online store in more than one country, take note which country's store you're viewing in iTunes when you plug in the device for the first time. Because this will be the country the device will register with, and you will be forever barred from purchasing or even updating free apps from anywhere else. The only option out is to delete everything on the device and do a full restore.

A said:
I have iTunes accounts for 3 different countries and I've never had any problems buying apps from the different stores on the same device (iPhone or iPad) and I update the apps from the different countries all the time. Yes, having to switch the account with which you are logged in is a pain, but it's not impossible.

5 comments:

Robb in Houston said...

Interesting. Thanks for that info - I'll pass it on to my Apple-Friendlies.

(They're bastards, aren't they...?)

Michael Burton said...

I would word your tip a little differently: "Don't buy an iPhone."

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I'd call that Throwing Out The Baby With The Bath Water.

Besides, the regions are not Apple's fault, it's the big publishers/content providers trying to control timing and pricing differently on different continents.

Anonymous said...

I have iTunes accounts for 3 different countries and I've never had any problems buying apps from the different stores on the same device (iPhone or iPad) and I update the apps from the different countries all the time. Yes, having to switch the account with which you are logged in is a pain, but it's not impossible.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Thanks, you're right, I was misinformed. I've updated the post.