Change your App Store location through your account settings
Your App Store location is tied to the country or region where your Apple ID payment method is registered. To change it, you go into your account settings, remove your current payment method, and add a new one registered to a different country. The App Store will then update your region automatically. This process takes a few minutes but requires a valid payment method for the new region — you cannot leave the payment field blank.
The steps differ slightly between iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but the principle is the same on all devices. You cannot change your location temporarily or set a fake address; Apple verifies that your payment method matches the region you select.
Key Takeaways
- Your App Store region is determined by the country where your payment method is registered, not your physical location.
- To change regions, you must remove your current payment method and add a new one from the country you want to switch to.
- You need a valid payment method (credit card, debit card, or local payment option) registered to the new region before you can complete the change.
- After you update your payment method, the App Store region updates within a few minutes, and you will see different apps and pricing in your local currency.
- You can switch regions as often as you want, but you must have a payment method for each region you want to use.
How to change location on iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top. Select Media & Purchases, then tap View Account. You will see your current country or region listed. Tap Country/Region to see the option to change it.
Tap Change Country or Region. A list of countries appears. Select the country where your new payment method is registered. You will be asked to review and accept the terms and conditions for that region — read through them, then tap Agree at the bottom.
Next, you need to add a payment method for the new region. Tap Add Payment Method and enter the details of a credit card, debit card, or other payment option registered to that country. If you have an Apple ID balance (store credit) from the previous region, you must spend it before switching — you cannot carry it over.
Once you have entered your payment details and they are verified, your region is updated. This usually happens within a few minutes. Your App Store will now show apps, pricing, and content for the new region.
How to change location on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions). Click General in the sidebar, then scroll down and click Language & Region. This changes your system language and region, but not your App Store region.
To change your App Store region on Mac, open the App Store app. Click your account icon in the bottom-left corner of the window, then select Account Settings. Under Country/Region, click Change. Select your new country from the list and accept the terms. Add a payment method registered to that country, and your App Store region will update.
What happens when you switch regions
When you change your App Store region, several things happen at once. Your library of purchased apps remains accessible, but you will only see new apps and updates available in the new region. Some apps you previously bought may not appear in the new region's store if they are not distributed there — you can still download them from your purchase history, but you cannot re-download them if you delete them.
Pricing changes to the currency of the new region. A subscription you were paying for in US dollars, for example, will now charge in euros or pounds depending on where you moved. Some subscriptions may not be available in the new region, and you may need to cancel and re-subscribe at the new regional price.
Your Apple ID balance (any store credit you had) cannot be transferred between regions. You must spend any remaining balance before you switch, or it will be lost. Some regions also have different content restrictions and age ratings, so parental controls may behave differently.
Why you might need a different payment method
Apple requires that your payment method be registered to the same country as the App Store region you want to use. If you have a US credit card but want to switch to the UK App Store, you need a UK-registered payment method — a UK debit card, UK credit card, or a UK-based digital wallet.
If you do not have a payment method for the region you want to switch to, you have a few options. You can ask a friend or family member in that country to add their payment method to your account (though this carries security risks). You can open a bank account or get a prepaid card in that country. Or you can use a service that issues virtual cards for different countries, though Apple's verification process may reject some of these.
If you want to use the App Store in a region where you do not have a payment method, you can add a gift card from that region instead. App Store gift cards are region-specific and can be used as your payment method for that region's store.
Switching back to your original region
If you change your App Store region and later want to switch back, follow the same process: go to your account settings, select the original country, and add a payment method registered to that country. There is no limit to how many times you can switch regions, but you must have a valid payment method for each region every time you switch.
Before you switch back, check whether you have any active subscriptions in the current region. If you do, you will need to cancel them or they will continue charging in the new currency. Your purchase history from the previous region will still be there when you return, and you can re-download any apps you bought there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a VPN to change my App Store region?
No. A VPN changes your apparent location, but Apple verifies your region based on your payment method, not your IP address. Even with a VPN active, the App Store will show the region where your payment method is registered. You must actually change your payment method to switch regions.
What happens to my apps if I change regions?
Apps you have already purchased remain in your library and can be re-downloaded. However, if an app is not distributed in your new region, you cannot re-download it after you delete it. Updates for apps will continue to work if they are available in the new region. Subscriptions may change price or become unavailable.
Can I have multiple App Store regions on the same device?
No. Each Apple ID can only be set to one App Store region at a time. If you need access to apps from multiple regions, you would need to create separate Apple IDs for each region, though this means maintaining separate purchase histories and subscriptions.
Do I need to change my region if I am traveling?
No. Your App Store region stays the same no matter where you physically travel. It only changes when you update your payment method to one registered in a different country. You can download and update apps from your current region while traveling anywhere in the world.
What payment methods work for changing regions?
Credit cards, debit cards, and local payment methods (like PayPal in some regions) all work, as long as they are registered to the country you want to switch to. App Store gift cards from that region also work. Prepaid cards and virtual card services sometimes work, but Apple may reject them if they cannot verify the registration address.