How to Fix “Cannot Connect to App Store” on iPhone 16

Learn what to do if you see "Cannot Connect to App Store" error on your iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max

By Moses Johnson - Editor
4 Min Read

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • If your iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro cannot connect to App Store, start by checking Apple’s system status, then check for internet connectivity issues, time and date settings, DNS errors, outdated software, or network settings. You might also want to try restarting your device and signing out of the App Store.

Are you getting a "cannot connect to App Store" error message when you try to open the App Store on your iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max? The most common reason for getting this error message is because your iOS device has no connection to the Internet.

This article explains what to do if your iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max can’t connect to the App Store. It is essential that you troubleshoot this problem because If you do not resolve this problem, you will not be able to access the App Store, and further you will not be able to download or update your apps.

Check Your Internet Connection

There’s a good chance you’ve already done this, but a problem connecting to the App Store on your iPhone 16 is commonly caused by a problem connecting to the internet. The first thing you should do is make sure that your device is connected to the internet

  • Use any web browser to connect to any website. If nothing loads, use another device on the same network to see if it can connect to any website.
  • If other devices can access the internet, disable VPN on your iPhone. To do this, open your VPN provider’s app and disconnect. You can also try switching servers, to see if the problem is caused by your configuration.
  • If no other devices can access the internet, turn off your Wi-Fi router, then turn it on again to reset it.
  • If only your first device can’t connect to the internet, toggle Wi-Fi off under Control Center. You can access the Control Center by swiping down from the upper-right corner of your iPhone screen. If Wi-Fi is enabled then the icon will be blue.

If possible, try to connect using a different network. If you’re able to connect using a different network, contact your network administrator or internet service provider to report the issue.

If you use cellular service to connect to the internet on your iPhone 16, make sure that you have cellular data turned on for the app that you’re using. To do this, open the Settings app, tap Cellular, then turn on Cellular Data.

Open the App Store and try connecting again. Don’t forget to enable your VPN again when you’re done

Make Sure the Date and Time Are Set Correctly

You may encounter problems connecting to App Store if the date and time are incorrect. Make sure that the date and time on your iPhone 16 are set correctly for your time zone. If the date and time are incorrect, update them or turn on the option to set date and time automatically by going to Settings > General > Date and Time. Turn on the switch next to "Set automatically".

On top of this, allowing the App Store access to your location under Settings > Privacy and Security > Location Services may help too.

Try Changing Your DNS Server

If nothing has worked, it might be time to try some extreme troubleshooting options. DNS stands for Domain Name System and it’s used to bridge the gap between domain names and the IP addresses they refer to. Problems with your DNS server of choice could cause issues connecting to services, including the App Store.

Set your DNS server manually on an iPhone
Try changing DNS server settings on your iPhone 16 to one of our recommended third-party alternatives under Settings > Wi-Fi > [Your Network] > Configure DNS. Options like quad9, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS may be faster, more secure, and more reliable than the DNS server provided by your internet service provider (the one you are using by default).

Update Your iPhone

Updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version could fix your issue. You can do this by going to Settings > General > Software Update, downloading any pending updates, and installing them.

Restart Your iPhone

A simple restart can resolve any temporary glitches that may be preventing your iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro from connecting to App Store. You can restart your iPhone 16 by activating Siri and then say: "restart my iPhone." This will power down and then power up your device.

Alternatively, you can restart your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Shut Down. Drag the power off slider from left to right, then wait a few seconds, and then turn it on again.

Sign Out then Sign In Again

Though the App Store problem is likely a connectivity issue, signing out and then in again is also worth a shot. You can do this by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases by tapping the "Sign Out" button. This will sign you out of the App Store while leaving your main Apple Account signed in.

You can then sign in and attempt to access the App Store again, using the same menu. A more drastic maneuver you might want to try is signing out of your entire Apple Account by going to Settings > [Your Name] though this will involve syncing things like Contacts and Keychain with iCloud again.

Check the system status page

The first thing you need to do is find out if there’s an outage for the App Store service in your country or region. To do this, check Apple’s System Status page. If you see "All services are operating normally" then the connection problem is likely on your end.

If you see a message saying that some services are encountering problems, click on the " " plus icon to expand the full list of services. If you see "App Store – Available" then you can move on to the next step below. If Apple is having problems with the App Store, give it some time and then try again later.

Consider Resetting Network Settings

If you’ve tried everything and you’re iPhone 16 is still throwing a "Cannot connect to App Store" error, consider resetting your network settings. Doing this will restore settings like DNS and proxy configurations to factory defaults, and you’ll also lose all of your saved Wi-Fi credentials for any wireless networks you have added to your device.

If you’re sure you want to do this, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset and pick "Reset Network Settings" from the list of options that appear. Confirm your choice and wait for the reset to complete.

Once the reset process is complete, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and connect to your local wireless network. You can then try connecting to the App Store again.

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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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