App Store Says ‘Verification Required’ for Free Apps, How to fix

Get rid of the "Verification Required" pop-up that appears every time you try to install a free app.

By Moses Johnson - Editor
3 Min Read

Sometimes you may see ”Verification Required” prompt every time you want to download a new app or update existing app on the App Store
The error message may ask you to “view billing information” or “verify your payment info.” Even though the message says billing or payment verification, you may get this message when you try to install a free app. The obvious question you may have is, “Why am I getting this to install a free app?” Until it is fixed, this error will keep popping up. You may see this verification prompt on your iPhone or iPad. This article explains what you can do to fix this problem.

You may experience similar error if you are using Family Sharing. If you are the family organizer you may get a similar error asking you to share a code.

Why does ‘Verification Required’ appear?

There can be several reasons the "Verification Required" error appear when you try to install a free app from the App Store:

  • If you never downloaded an app, either paid or free, on your iPad or iPhone before.
  • If you have outdated or expired payment method for your Apple ID. Thus Apple is unable to charge you.
  • If you have pending payments, possibly from a subscription or in-app purchases,
  • If your payment method has not been updated as required by Apple.

There are a few ways to get rid of this error message. The options are listed below and will be explained in more detail in the following sections.

  • Check for failed or pending App Store purchases and complete them. Unless this is done, you won’t be able to remove your payment method.
  • Update your payment details or add a new payment method.
  • Remove your faulty payment details so that no payment method will be associated with your Apple ID. If you do this, you won’t be able to buy paid apps until you add a valid payment method. Furthermore, as stated above, you won’t be able to do this if you have an outstanding balance or an active subscription, including iCloud.
  • If the issue persists, you should try signing out of your Apple ID and signing back in.

Check for Failed or Pending App Store Purchases

Let us start with this one. Follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap your Apple ID name at the top.
  2. Go to Media & Purchases and select View Account from the resulting menu.
  3. Tap Purchase History, look for unpaid or failed payments, and complete them.

Update, add or remove payment method to fix the ‘Verification Required’ error

Perhaps your card expiration date has passed, or your bank blocked your account. Whatever the reason, you can update the payment details that Apple has on file for you. Follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap your Apple ID name at the top.
  2. Go to Payment & Shipping and then tap your current payment method. If you haven’t set up any payment methods, tap Add Payment Method.
  3. Verify your card number, expiration date, and billing information. Use the Editoption in the top-right corner to update any details if required.
  4. Select Remove Payment Method if the current payment method is no longer available. Then, return to the previous menu to add a new method.

If you are unable to remove your payment method, it is probably:

  • You have active subscriptions. You can cancel your subscriptions.
  • You have an unpaid balance.
  • You are using Family Share. You can view your purchase settings. On your iOS device, tap. Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing > Purchase Sharing.

Sign Out of Apple ID and Sign Back In

In most cases, completing pending Apple ID purchases or updating the payment method should stop the verification prompts when installing apps on your iPhone or iPad. However, if the issue persists, you can try signing out of your Apple ID and signing back in. This should help fix any potential glitches and stop the persistent verification prompts.

To sign out of your Apple ID on your iPhone or iPad, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap your Apple ID name at the top.
  2. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID passcode and tap Turn Off.
  3. Enable all the toggles to keep a copy of your iCloud data before you log out.
  4. Tap Sign Out in the top-right corner, then tap Sign Out again when prompted.

Now, restart your iPhone or iPad, open the Settingsapp again, and tap Sign in to your (device name). Log in with your Apple ID credentials, and then try to download an app from the App Store.

One or more of the above tips should stop the "Verification Required" prompts you see while installing free apps on your iPhone or iPad. However, if nothing works, consider contacting Apple support for further help.

See also: Please Contact iTunes Support to Complete This Transaction

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Moses Johnson is the Editorial Director of GeeksChalk.com, who has a keen eye for news, rumors, and all the unusual stuff around Apple products. Moses is commonly referred to online as The Professor, with decades of experience in tech under his belt.
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