If your App Store has disappeared from your iPhone, you can try getting it back by restarting/updating your device, searching the App Library, checking your screen time restrictions, or resetting your home screen layout.
I think the App Store is one of the best parts of the iPhone. It gives you instant access to millions of different apps that help you have fun, communicate, learn new things, work, and so much more.
While it normally resides on one of your home screens, ready to connect you to any app you desire, this unfortunately won’t always be the case. This is because there are some times when you may discover that the App Store has mysteriously disappeared from your device.
If that is happening to you, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, I am going to go over a few things to try in order to get the App Store back where it belongs.
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Key Takeaways
- If your App Store has vanished from your device, the first thing to try is to restart or update the phone. Doing so can often deal with any strange bugs or glitches that could be causing issues like this.
- Checking your screen time restrictions is also a good idea. If you have some restrictions present when it comes to the App Store, this could be what is preventing it from showing up.
- In some cases, resetting your home screen layout can also help bring your App Store icon back to where it should be.
Fix 1: Restart or Update Your Device
The first thing to try is to restart or update your device. The reason that a restart could be helpful is that it refreshes the system memory, stops background processes, and lets the device start from a clean slate.
This often corrects any strange issues happening behind the scenes causing the glitch. On the update side of things, new iOS updates often include bug/glitch fixes that can correct interactions that cause problems and updating may address whatever is causing your issue.
To restart your device, hold down the volume down and side power button until a Power slider appears on the screen. Slide it to the right to turn the device off. After it is off for a few seconds, press and hold the side power button for a few seconds to turn it back on.
If you want to update the device, simply go to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install. The update could take a few minutes or longer depending on the update itself and your internet speed and strength.
Fix 2: Search the App Library
Next, you should try to search through the App Library to see if you can find it. To get to the App Library, all you need to do is swipe left on your last home screen page. The App Store should appear in the Utilities folder, or you can swipe down to view all apps alphabetically.
If you find the App Store this way, you can simply press and drag it to the left to add it back to a home screen. You can also use the Spotlight Search feature to try and locate the App Store.
On any home screen, swiping down will automatically open the Spotlight Search. You can then simply search for “App Store”, and if it shows up in the results, you can click and drag it back to your home screen.
Fix 3: Check Your Screen Time Restrictions
Another potential culprit could be restrictions you have set on the device. Whether on purpose or by accident, you could have set restrictions that aren’t allowing your App Store to appear and operate like it normally would.
To check your restrictions, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and then tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
You will then see buttons for Installing Apps, Deleting Apps, and In-app Purchases. Make sure that each of them is set to Allow, not Don’t Allow.
When these are set to Allow, the App Store icon should return back to your home screen and work as normal.
Fix 4: Reset Your Home Screen Layout
If nothing has worked so far, resetting your home screen layout could be the solution. This will bring the home screen back to how it was when you first powered on the device, and could help you get the App Store back in the right place.
To reset the layout of your home screen, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, and then click Reset. From the list of options, choose Reset Home Screen Layout.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to try resetting all settings in your phone and restoring it back to its factory state. This can be done by going to the same Transfer or Reset iPhone page, and clicking Erase all Content and Settings, instead of Reset.
Keep in mind that if you do a full reset back to factory settings, it will delete everything on your device. As a result, make sure you have a backup of all of your important photos, apps, and data, to ensure you don’t lose everything.
Final Thoughts
Using apps is one of the best parts of having an iPhone. While the App Store is normally only a click away if you want to install a new app to use, there are some circumstances where the App Store icon may have mysteriously vanished from your device.
I hope this guide has been able to help you learn some great things to try in order to get it back.
Is there anything I failed to mention in this guide that you think I should have included? If so, let me know in a comment.
