Apple Now Preventing Updates and Reinstallation of Refunded Apps - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Now Preventing Updates and Reinstallation of Refunded Apps

by

Michael Simmons of Flexibits noted earlier today that the App Store no longer allows customers to reinstall or update refunded App Store apps.

refund
An error message now notifies users when they try:

Update Unavailable with This Apple ID

This update is not available for this Apple ID either because it was bought by a different user or the item was refunded and cancelled.

While Apple has never had an automatic way to get refunds for apps, Apple does allow users to "Report a Problem" on their purchases and options include ways to get a refund.

In the past, customers were allowed to continue updating and reinstalling apps even if they were given a refund on the price of the app. This new functionality has also been extended to the Mac App Store.

Top Rated Comments

barefootman Avatar
barefootman
160 months ago
That's reasonable. I don't see how anybody can have an issue with this.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tevion5 Avatar
tevion5
160 months ago
Strange this wasn't already the case.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDawg Avatar
MacDawg
160 months ago
Should be a no-brainer
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
D.T.
160 months ago
I’m sure _some_ people will squawk about this. I suspect they’ll be the same folks I see who eat the entire meal first, then complain and ask for their money back :D
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rorschach Avatar
rorschach
160 months ago
No reason to object to this.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
iosquattro
160 months ago
The problem is not that your refunded apps won't get updated. The problem is if you ever change your mind and want to buy that app again you cannot. You will get this error upon trying to repurchase. I've been going back and forth with Apple about this for a couple weeks now. A few months back I requested a refund on an app that crashed continuously. Months later the dev fixed the issue and I decided to legitimately purchase the app again. Nope. Get this message. So, this is the issue.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday August 20, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the iPhone event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to...
Read Full Article • 20 comments
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Gurman: iPhone Ultra Wows Early Testers, Except for Its Camera

Sunday August 23, 2026 11:19 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone Ultra is winning over the few people who have had hands-on time with the device, though the camera setup may leave some users wanting, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says people who have used the device – which is reportedly referred to internally as the iPhone Ultra – like how it fits in your...
Read Full Article • 162 comments
macOS 27 next to MacBook Pro Running macOS 27

macOS Golden Gate Marks the End of an Era

Thursday August 20, 2026 2:19 pm PDT by
macOS 27 Golden Gate is not compatible with any Macs with Intel processors, marking the end of an era. The update, which is currently in beta ahead of a release later this year, is limited to Apple silicon Macs with an M1 chip or newer. Last year, Apple said that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the final macOS release compatible with Intel-based Macs, so this was an expected development. Intel...
Read Full Article