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App Store Says “Verification Required” On iPhone? Here’s Why & The Fix!

    David Lynch
  • 6 years ago
    • Categories: Apple ID

Your iPhone says “Verification Required” when you’re in the App Store and you’re not sure why. There is so much misinformation about this problem, so I decided to write this thorough article to help you diagnose and fix the real reason why the App Store says “Verification Required” on your iPhone.

Do You Have Any Unpaid Subscriptions?

If there are any unpaid subscriptions on your iPhone, you may see the “Verification Required” message in the App Store. To make sure all of your iPhone subscriptions are paid, go to Settings -> iTunes & Apple Store and tap on your Apple ID at the top of the screen.

When you tap on your Apple ID, a pop-up will appear on the center of the screen. Tap View Apple ID and enter your Apple ID password.

Then, scroll down and tap on Subscriptions. If any of your subscriptions are unpaid, your iPhone will say “Verification Required” when you try to download a new app.

To prevent problems like this from happening in the future, make sure the subscription automatically renews. A lot of subscriptions do automatically renew, like your Apple Music, Apple News, and streaming service subscriptions.

I Can’t Renew The Subscription!

Here’s another common problem people run into — people have an unpaid subscription, but they can’t pay it because their payment method is either expired or unverified.

Tap <Back in the upper left-hand corner of the Subscriptions menu, scroll up the menu, and tap Payment Information. Enter your Apple ID password again to log into the iTunes store.

Make sure your debit card, credit card, or PayPal information is up to date. Sometimes, credit cards simply won’t verify. Instead, you can sign up for a PayPal account and link it to your credit card.

Even if you don’t have any unpaid subscriptions, it’s still possible that you’re seeing the App Store “Verification Required” pop-up because your payment information is wrong or outdated. Follow the steps above and make sure the information is correct!

Can I Just Select “None”?

If you have no unpaid subscriptions, and if your device isn’t part of Family Sharing, you can select None. This will usually fix the “Verification Required” problem.

What If I’m Part Of Family Sharing?

If your iPhone is set up with Family Sharing, you won’t be able to select None in Settings -> iTunes & Apple Store -> Apple ID -> View Apple ID -> Payment Options.

So, you have two options:

  1. Leave Family Sharing.
  2. Update and verify the Family Sharing payment method.

How To Leave Family Sharing On Your iPhone

Before we begin, let me say this: I advise that you don’t leave Family Sharing if it’s already set up on your iPhone. You could lose access to shared iCloud storage and subscriptions like Apple Music. It’s also important to note that if you’re 13 or younger, you won’t be able to leave Family Sharing.

If you want to leave Family Sharing and your iPhone is running iOS 10.2.1 or newer, begin by going to Settings and tapping on your name at the top of the screen. Then, tap Family Sharing -> Your Name -> Leave Family.

If you have an iPhone running iOS 10.2 or older, tap Settings -> iCloud -> Family before tap Family Sharing -> Your Name -> Leave Family.

Updating & Verifying The Family Sharing Payment Method

If you don’t want to leave Family Sharing, the Payment Method associated with your Family Sharing network has to be updated, verified, or both. It’s possible that only one member of your family has access to this payment information and the ability to update it.

Reach out to your family members in your Family Sharing network and ask if they can update and verify the payment information. Share this article with them so they can learn how to update the payment information! They may even be dealing with the same “Verification Required” on their iPhone.

Contact Apple Support

If the App Store still says “Verification Required” on your iPhone, you may have to contact Apple Support. You may be dealing with a highly complex Apple ID issue that can only be resolved by an Apple employee. Visit Apple’s support website to get in contact with an Apple employee who can help you fix the problem!

App Store: Verified!

The App Store has been verified on your iPhone and you can resume making purchases. Make sure to share this article on social media so your family and friends know what to do when the App Store says “Verification Required” on their iPhone! If you have any other questions, leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading,
David L.

View Comments (23)

  • Help please. Every time I delete an app and try to re-download it, it says verification needed. I never bought anything from my phone.

  • Please help I’ve tried to find different solutions but it keeps going in a constant loop that brings me back to the same solution that I don’t know how to solve!!

  • What if I don’t have the option to cancel subscriptions and all of those subscriptions are expired? What do I do then? I had this gift card and so I used it but once I was done it didn’t do anything and I checked but like how it said it was expired these were all old, it also doesn’t let me get rid of this visa gift card because it says I have “active” subscriptions but I don’t. Even if if I did it says I can’t cancel these subscriptions there’s literally no option to do so. So if I can’t cancel subscriptions because of the card and the card can’t be deleted because of subscriptions and I can’t delete subscriptions nor the card, what do I do?

  • So, I tried this, and it literally refuses to stop. I’ve reset my phone, cancelled my subscription, everything. It is stuck in a loop of making me log into my apple id and then exiting, making me log in and then exiting, it’s broken and I dont know what to do.

    • i also don’t have any subscriptions, i’m not hooked up to family sharing, and i’m literally an adult- my birthday is set correctly. so idk what the issue is

    • the same exact thing is happening to me. the problem started after i had removed a family members card information after purchasing some stuff off the apple store yet i never had any card information before so idk why it would need it now. i don’t own a credit card and can’t use paypal bc of it and that family member won’t let me use their info anymore :/

      • I don’t know what to do , I just wanted some robux man . My mom put her card in and took it off . The EXACT same thing is happening to me .

  • Hey so I’m trying to download an app and it says I need to update my billing information and when I try to it says it’s declined and I need to update it and then it does the same when I updated it ive tried different cards and I even put a iTunes card on it and nothing will work

  • APPLE CHAT SUPPORT IS A JOKE. MY PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG. I CANNOT USE PAYPAL

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David Lynch: David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.