How to Use the Apple App Store on iPhone: Beginners Guide

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Navigate the App Store like a pro so you can get the most out of your iPhone

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: August 27, 2024 Fact Checked

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Installing Apps

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Finding Purchased Apps

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Updating Downloaded Apps

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Troubleshooting

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Q&A

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Tips

The App Store is used to download free or paid apps on your Apple iPhone. This is different from the Apple Store app, which is used to shop for other Apple products and accessories. You can use the App Store to find fun games, productivity tools, and even mobile versions of popular Apple or Microsoft software. This wikiHow will show you how to use the iPhone App Store to download apps, update apps, and manage your app purchases.

Things You Should Know

Open the App Store and search for a new app. Tap the app to go to its page, and then tap "Get" to install it.
To find a list of installed apps, tap your Apple ID picture. Tap "Purchases" and tap the cloud icon to download.
To update an app, tap your Apple ID picture. Scroll down and tap "Update" or "Update All".

Section 1 of 4:

Installing Apps

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1
Open the App Store. This looks like a white A with a blue background. You can usually find this on your home screen or in the App Library.
- Be sure to update your iPhone to the latest version.
- If you don't see the App Store on your device, you may have parental controls enabled. If you're the device owner, you can easily turn it off. Otherwise, you'll need to contact the device's owner.
2
Tap Search. This will be in the bottom-right corner. You can also browse the App Store's home page for apps or select the tabs on the bottom to explore.^{[1]
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- Today shows the latest and popular apps.
- Games shows general games with personalized recommendations.
- Apps shows general apps with must-haves, favorites, free apps, and more.
- Arcade is Apple's paid subscription for arcade-type games.
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You'll see the search bar at the top. As you type, you'll see a list of suggestions.
Results will load by most relevant. You should see the name of the app along with a preview.
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Tap an app. You'll be redirected to the app's page. You can see screenshots and/or videos of the app underneath the Preview header. If you scroll down, you can also find Ratings & Reviews.
- Be sure to only download apps you trust.
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Tap Get. This is the blue button next to the app name.
- For paid apps, tap the price, and then tap Buy.
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Confirm your download. Depending on your device, you may need to provide your Touch ID, Face ID, or Apple ID password.
- Your app will begin downloading. The Get button will turn into a progress meter. When your download is finished, you'll see OPEN.
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Launch your new app. Tap OPEN to quickly open the app from the App Store. You can also find and tap the app on your home screen.
- If you no longer want the app, you can always delete it.

Section 2 of 4:

Finding Purchased Apps

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This looks like a white A with a blue background.
This will be in the top-right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will open.
You can find this underneath your Apple ID.
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View purchased apps. By default, you'll be on the All tab. This shows every app downloaded with your Apple ID.
- To view apps that have been downloaded on other devices but not on this iPhone, tap the Not on this iPhone tab. From there, tap the cloud icon to download any of the listed apps to your iPhone.

Section 3 of 4:

Updating Downloaded Apps

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1
Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network. You'll need to have internet access to check for and download updates. If your iPhone has cellular data access, you can use it to download updates, but this will count against your data usage plan.
- Open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi to find and connect to a wireless network.
This looks like a white A with a blue background.
This will be in the top-right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will open.^{[2]
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You'll see a list of installed apps underneath Upcoming Automatic Updates. By default, automatic updates are turned on. If it isn't, you can always enable it.
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Tap Update. This will be next to the app you need to update.
- If you want to update all available apps at once, tap Update All above the list of apps.
- When the app is finished updating, it will disappear from the list.
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Enable automatic updates (optional). When this feature is turned on, app updates will download automatically as long as you're connected to Wi-Fi and have enough battery. To enable this feature, do the following:
- Open Settings.
- Tap App Store.
- Toggle on App Updates.

Section 4 of 4:

Troubleshooting

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The battery may be too low to download or update apps. Use the proper cable and charging block to charge your iPhone. Then, try using the App Store again.
On iPhones without a Home button, press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button until the Power slider appears. For iPhones with a Home button, press and hold the side button until the slider appears. Slide the slider with your finger and wait for your iPhone to turn off. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on. Try using the App Store again.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen or double-click the Home button to bring up all open apps. Swipe up on the App Store to force-close it. Then, open the App Store again.
If the updates still aren't working, try a hard reset to clear your cache. Press and hold the Power and Volume Up (or Home) buttons until the device shuts down. Continue holding both buttons until the Apple logo appears. Once the iPhone restarts, try downloading updates again from the App Store.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I exit the iPhone App Store?

Community Answer

Press the home button to exit. If you want to close the app, double tap the home button and swipe it away. If you want to log out, scroll down on the home page and click on your Apple ID.

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Question

How do I get from featured games to a search screen in the App Store on an iPod?

Community Answer

At the bottom of your screen in the App Store, there is a section that says different things like "featured," "top charts," "explore," "search," and "updates." Tap "search."

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Question

How can I change my language on the app store?

Community Answer

Try changing your language on your phone.Got to settings > general > language/region.

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