7 ways to troubleshoot if the App Store will not load on your Mac computer

The App Store is an essential tool for installing new apps and games on your Mac, but you might, on rare occasion, run into glitches in which the app won't run, freezes, or crashes randomly. This can be frustrating and result in the inability to get work done but there are a number

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  • Check your internet connection
  • Make sure the Mac App Store service is online
  • Check to see if the App Store is restricted
  • Quit and restart the App Store
  • Stop using a VPN
  • Sign out of your Apple ID
  • See if your Mac needs to be updated

    • Redeem now

    • On rare occasion, you might find that the App Store app on your Mac is not working.
    • There may be any number of problems keeping the App Store app from working, including unreliable internet, Screen Time restrictions, and even a VPN connection. 
    • Here are seven of the most common fixes for the App Store not loading or working on your Mac. 

    The App Store is an essential tool for installing new apps and games on your Mac, but you might, on rare occasion, run into glitches in which the app won't run, freezes, or crashes randomly. This can be frustrating — and result in the inability to get work done — but there are a number of ways to troubleshoot the problem and get up and running again quickly. Here are seven ways you can fix the App Store when it won't load on your Mac. 

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    Check your internet connection

    The first thing you should check if you're experiencing problems with the Mac App Store is to see if you have a solid and reliable internet connection. Make sure your Wi-Fi is on and connected to your local network and that you can stream video in a web browser (try YouTube, for example). If in doubt, run Google's Internet Speed Test — search for "speed test" and then, in the Google search results, click Run Speed Test. You won't be able to run the App Store reliably without a good internet connection. 

    The Internet Speed Test can confirm if your internet connection is reliable enough for the App Store to run. Dave Johnson

    Make sure the Mac App Store service is online

    While relatively uncommon, Apple's own core online services are known to occasionally experience service outages. You can open Apple's System Status page in a browser and see which are offline, if any. Check the Mac App Store entry — if it's not green, you may not be able to run the App Store app. 

    Open the System Status page and make sure the Mac App Store is green. Dave Johnson

    Check to see if the App Store is restricted

    Apple gives you the option to restrict usage of the App Store in Screen Time settings. Especially handy as a parental control feature, it's possible to disable the ability to download apps and other content. Check to see if this is your problem:

    1. Click the Apple logo at the top left of the desktop and then choose System Preferences.

    Open System Preferences from the Apple menu. Dave Johnson

    2. Click Screen Time. 

    3. In the navigation pane on the left, click Content & Privacy.

    4. Click the Stores tab.

    5. For each option, make sure the setting allows you to download the desired content.   

    If any of the content in the App Store is restricted, the store may appear to not be working properly. Dave Johnson

    Quit and restart the App Store

    If the App Store app is misbehaving, it might be because of some temporary or intermittent software glitch. Forcing the App Store app to close and then restarting it is often all it takes to get things operational again. To do that, click the Apple logo at the top left of the desktop and choose Force Quit. In the Force Quit Applications window, click App Store and then click Force Quit. 

    Force quit the App Store, then start it again to see if that solves your problem. Dave Johnson

    Stop using a VPN

    Virtual Private Networks can interfere with the normal operation of the App Store. If you use a VPN and have trouble getting the App Store to work properly, temporarily disconnect or disable your VPN. This process will vary depending upon which VPN software you are using on your Mac.

    Sign out of your Apple ID

    Another remedy that sometimes corrects a problematic App Store: signing out of and then back into your Apple ID. Click the Apple logo at the top left of the desktop and then choose System Preferences. Click Apple ID and then, in the navigation pane on the left, click Overview. Click Sign Out, complete the signout process, and sign back in again. 

    Sign out of your Apple ID and then sign back in again. Dave Johnson

    See if your Mac needs to be updated

    Unfortunately, if you've gotten this far, you have exhausted most of the best options for getting the App Store up and running again. It's always possible, though, that a bug or software incompatibility is interfering with the App Store and keeping it from working properly. To see if this is the issue, check for and install any system updates that are waiting for you. Click the Apple logo at the top left of the desktop and then choose System Preferences. Click Software Update and then, if there's an update ready, click Update Now. And make sure that the checkbox beside Automatically keep my Mac up to date is selected. 

    A software incompatibility that's keeping App Store from working might be fixed with a system update. Dave Johnson
    Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read less

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