How to fix the Apple App Store not working error

If you're using an Apple product like an iPhone or iPad, connecting to the App Store is critical, but it doesn't always work. There could be several reasons why the "Apple App Store is not operating" issue appears. Check to see whether Apple is having problems before doing any of these actions. There's nothing you can do on your end to fix the situation if Apple services are unavailable. If everything appears to be working normally for others and the problem is unique to you, you can go to the next step.

Try closing and re-opening the App Store first — it's the quickest way to see what's wrong. Double-click the home button, swipe the app up to close it and then select it from your list of apps to open it again. If that doesn't work, you might want to wipe the cache in your App Store. To do so, press the app icon ten times from your home screen (this works with any app). Reopen the App Store to see if everything is working properly. You can also try logging out and back into the App Store using the settings on your smartphone.

Following that, there are a few more device-level settings to double-check. Make sure you're connected to the internet – it may seem obvious, but if you're not actively online when the connection goes down, you may lose it without realizing it. Your device should also have the correct date and time settings, as many features outside of the App Store will not function properly without them. If your device's operating system isn't up to date, you should update it. You can also perform a hard reboot by pushing and holding the power button while the computer is turned off.

There's one more technical item to look at to see if the issue is coming from your end. Apple devices connect to the App Store and iTunes using specific internet ports: 80 and 443, respectively. You can check this by visiting websites that use the same ports. Google uses port 443, so it's simple. If the webpage loads, then that port is working properly. Try a website like 3DV for port 80. If that also loads, your other port is working properly. If one or both don't load, turn off your home network in the internet settings on your device. To reset your ports, fully rediscover and reconnect.