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
158 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
158 months ago
Strange this wasn't already the case.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDawg Avatar
MacDawg
158 months ago
Should be a no-brainer
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D.T. Avatar
D.T.
158 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
158 months ago
No reason to object to this.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
iosquattro
158 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

iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Thursday July 2, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
If you pay for certain iCloud+ storage plans beyond the 5GB that Apple offers for free, you will receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. A summary of the two new iCloud+ perks on iOS 27:Increased daily usage limits for some new Apple Intelligence features, including image generation in the revamped Image Playground app. HomeKit Secure Video cameras receive generated video...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
iPhone 4 on Black Feature

Apple Facing One of Its Worst Leaks Since the iPhone 4

Thursday July 2, 2026 9:53 am PDT by
Apple supplier Tata Electronics recently suffered a cyberattack that resulted in thousands of confidential files being published on the dark web, and this reportedly included some photos and documents related to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. We have elected not to share any of the leaked photos in this story due to the illegal nature in which they were obtained, but they can easily be found...
Read Full Article
American Express Gold Apple Pay Feature

American Express Announces New Apple Pay Feature

Tuesday June 30, 2026 10:27 am PDT by
American Express today announced that you can now redeem Membership Rewards points when checking out with Apple Pay on the web and in apps on the iPhone and iPad. When checking out with Apple Pay on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later, tap on your eligible American Express card (Platinum, Gold, Green, and others) and select the Membership Rewards points option. You can use points to cover all or...
Read Full Article • 15 comments