The best way to access the US and UK stores

iPhone and iPad users have access to one of the largest app libraries around, but UK and US users can’t download the same apps. Apple’s iTunes stores are localised, so iPhone and iPad owners in different countries have access to a slightly different library of apps.

Much like Netflix, the US version of Apple’s App Store is better stocked, and often gets the more interesting or experimental apps well before anywhere else.Microsoft Tossup and Apple News are just two apps that have been available to US-based iPhone and iPad owners for months – and still haven’t made it to the UK.

If you’d like to have access to some of the newest, most experimental apps, but don’t want to travel across the Atlantic, keep reading. It’s possible to download US apps on to your UK iPhone, and this quick, easy and informative guide will show you just how simple it can be.

How to download US apps in the UK

1. The best way to access the US store is by getting a dedicated US iTunes account, and it couldn’t be easier. Simply head over to Settings on iOS, or iTunes if you’re using a desktop, and sign out of your primary Apple ID account.
   
   
2. While signed out, navigate your way to the bottom of the screen and select the US store – then return to the App Store and change the location to the US. Next, while still signed out, try and download a free app from the US store.
   
   
3. As you’re not signed in, iTunes or iOS will prompt you to set up an iTunes account. Make sure you use an email address different to the one associated with your primary Apple ID.
   
   
4. When choosing your location, scroll down and select the US rather than the UK. Later, you’ll be prompted to enter a payment method, but as you’re trying to download a free app, it’s possible to continue the process by clicking “none”. Apple will ask for a billing address to setup your account, but any legitimate address in the US will do. The picture below is for iOS, but the process is the same. 
   
   
5. Once you’ve filled in your makeshift details, you’re almost done. Apple will send you a confirmation email, and all you need to do is click on the enclosed link to verify your US-based account.
6. You now have access to all of the free apps on the US App Store, but if you want to download paid, US-only apps, you’ll have to buy a US-specific iTunes voucher on eBay and then add it to your account.
   
   
7. Returning to the UK store is simple too; just repeat step 1, and sign in with your original Apple ID instead.