How To: Successfully switch between multiple iTunes accounts from different countries

I have, up until just now, been vexed. Vexed by the seemingly random nature of my iPhone 3G’s reactions when switching between my Australian and my US iTunes accounts.

It’s quite simple: once upon a time, I lived in Australia, and bought a number of applications for my iPhone using my Australian iTunes account; now, I live in the US, and have bought a number of applications using my US iTunes account. To the best of my knowledge, having multiple iTunes accounts is the only way to buy applications that are limited (for some reason that involves pure bastardry) by geography – yet another manifestation of the stupidity that brought us DVD region coding. But I digress…

On the iPhone, if I was to enter the App Store, I might see that updates are available for one or more apps on my phone. I have a desire to update them all, being a sad addict to the latest and greatest.

However, vexation ensues – some apps update, but a dialogue pops up stating that “Your account is only valid for the US version, so bugger off.” or something to that effect.

Hey, whisky tango foxtrot, I have a US iTunes account! Oh, I’m currently logged in with my Australian account. OK, simple fix, in the App Store, log out and log back in with the other account, then re-check for updates…. Right?

Nope. Not a sausage. I try to log in and out of different accounts, to no avail. Hilarity ensues. Swearing closely follows.

Until this evening, when I decided to:

  1. Open the App Store on my iPhone 3G.
  2. Check for updates with my US account.
  3. Update all apps bought or procured using the US iTunes account, which bounces me back to the home screens.
  4. Open the App Store again.
  5. Log out of my US account.
  6. Hit the Home button.
  7. Open the App Store again.
  8. Log in with my Australian account.
  9. Hit the Home button.
  10. Open the App Store again.
  11. Update all apps bought or procured using the Australian iTunes account.
  12. Write this article.

So, now I have a workaround, and if you were having the same issue, so too do you.

Alternatively, log in to iTunes on one account, check for updates with it, and after you have all the updates downloaded, log in with your other account and do the same – synchronising your iPhone will now update all of your apps.

Posted on August 15, 2009 at 21:36 by ecods · Permalink
In: General Nerdery, How To..., iPhone, Software, Uncategorized · Tagged with: , , , , ,

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