The Mac App Store offers access to thousands of software titles and applications, both free and paid. First debuted in 2011, the Mac App Store has been the most trustworthy place for Mac owners to download their favourite apps and is also where you go for the latest app updates.
The Mac App Store, like Apple’s other online stores, sometimes comes with a lot of annoyances. In fact, we have heard a lot of problems Mac owners have been facing with Apple’s Mac online store. One such issue is that the Mac App Store stops working after installing a new update or for some unknown reason.
If you are now struggling to deal with the issue, no worries! We ran some tests to fix the issue in the section below. Before we begin, make sure your Mac is up to date. A software update may include a fix for the issue, so it’s worth trying.
Method 1: Check Your Internet Connection
If the App Store does not show the content on your Mac, the chances are that you are now offline. The best shot is to check if you are connected to the internet or if your connection is stable.
Also, try restarting your Wi-Fi and check if the problem is fixed. You can restart your router and connect your Mac to your local network again. If the problem persists, try forgetting the network, restart your Mac, and connect.
Method 2: Adjust The Date and Time
An incorrect date and time may cause your Mac App Store to stop working, thus preventing you from downloading apps and software. We suggest you check the date and time to ensure they are correctly set.
To do it, go to System Preferences > Date & Time. From here, click the lock button and enter your password if prompted. You will be presented with two ways to adjust the date and time on your Mac – you can set the date and time automatically and manually.
- Automatic: Check the box next to the Set date and time automatically option.
- Manual: Untick the box next to the Set date and time automatically option and set the time and date correctly.
If nothing is fixed, try setting the date and time from scratch. In fact, you can go back to the default time settings on your Mac and run through the first-time setup. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Open the Date and Time Settings on your Mac and then select Timezone.
Step 2: Now set the date and time automatically or manually, and then hit the Save button.
Method 3: Check Apple’s servers
If the App Store is still not working on your Mac, the next solution is to check if Apple’s servers are working. To do it, head to Apple’s Support Status page and see if Apple’s servers are online. If it says “All services are operating normally”, the service is working fine. If it’s not green, you need to wait until the servers are fixed.
Method 4: Force quit the App Store
If the App Store becomes unresponsive on your Mac, force quit it and relaunch. In fact, the force quit feature on Mac is one of the easiest ways to shut down troublesome apps. However, you may lose your unsaved work when using the force quit feature.
To do it, click the App Store icon at the top menu and then select Quit App Store from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, you can force quit the App Store with a keyboard shortcut Option + Command + Esc. From the Force Quit Applications window, select the App Store and hit the Force Quit button to confirm.
Method 5: Make sure your Mac App Store is not restricted
The Screen Time feature on Mac allows you to track your own or your family member’s app usage and screen time behavior. If you have accidentally enabled the Screen Time feature for the App Store, it may stop working. Here is the fix.
Step 1: Go to System Preferences and select Screen Time.
Step 2: Click Content and Privacy and then select Apps.
Step 3: Under the Allow on iOS, check the box next to iTunes Store if you have not done it yet.
Method 6: Restart your Mac
A restart can fix a lot of things as it will clear all the cache files stored in the RAM, thus helping load apps faster. To do it, choose Apple Menu > Restart. Once your Mac finishes booting up, check if the App Store is working again.
If that does not work, perform a factory reset, meaning that all your Mac’s data will be removed. If the Mac App Store is not working, it’s a good idea to perform a factory reset.
Method 7: Enable Safe mode
The Mac Safe mode is where you can block most of the unnecessary background activities to boost the performance. In fact, some background apps or processes may prevent the App Store from working.
- To enable Safe mode on an M1 Mac, press and hold the Power button until the startup options show up. After that, select your startup disk, then press and hold the Shift key until you see the login screen, and log in.
- To enable Safe mode on an Intel Mac, press and hold the Shift key and keep it pressed until you see the Login screen. Now, log into your Mac.
