If you have trouble trying to browse the Apple Store online, it may be down to connectivity issues, but the Apple Store may close when Apple updates it with new products that will launch later today.
It’s Monday, June 6, and the Apple Store is down ahead of Apple’s WWDC Keynote, which starts at 10 a.m. in California. Read about where you are at launch time and what products we expect the company to launch: WWDC 2022: Everything you need to know.
The store always goes offline just before an event, so if you’ve landed on this page on an scheduled day for an event, that’s why. Read for download at Apple’s next event: When is Apple’s next event?
In the past it was frustrating when the store went offline because it tended to take the whole Apple website with it. The good news is that Apple has split the store and it looks like it can only take those pages offline. So you will not be able to buy anything, but you will be able to navigate the site.
Why Apple Store Down?
There are several reasons why the Apple Store is offline. This could be because Apple is preparing to launch a new product at an event, or it could be because Apple is about to start pre-ordering a new product.
If the site closes on a day when no Apple event is scheduled, it may indicate that Apple is going to sell new products, or pre-orders for upcoming products may begin.
The company may also issue press releases regarding new products that it will not announce at an event.
However, don’t jump to the conclusion that Apple’s new products are coming, it doesn’t always happen.
Sometimes the store may go down for scheduled maintenance, or it may be related to a server problem.
In this article we will explain how to differentiate between planned maintenance and server issues and how you can easily check the status of Apple Store.
Why the Apple Store is down today
The Apple Store is offline today, June 6, because (we think) the company is preparing to launch the new Mac – possibly a new Mac Pro and an M1 Pro version of the Mac Mini – among other new products.
Other reasons may be that the Apple Store is down
However, there are other reasons for the Apple Store to close, so if you’re here on a day where no events or pre-orders are planned, check out the other reasons why the Apple Store might be down.
Apple may update the online store
Before explaining how to check the status of Apple’s online store, we should first explain the possible reasons for the store closing.
The most exciting reason is that Apple can update the store with new products.
Apple tends to close the Apple Store when it updates the range of products available, removing old products and adjusting prices or featuring the latest iPhone or iPad. The difference between a server issue and an Apple Store update is the splash page you land.
If the Apple Store closes due to product changes, a message will appear along the line ‘We’ll be right back’ (it was said: ‘We’ll be back soon’). If this is the case, you don’t need to do anything else: no problem with the server, you just have to sit tight and wait for the Apple Store to be updated.
Apple Store down
However, when you try to access the Apple Store you get a 404-error message (or if the site doesn’t work as you expect) then there may be a problem with Apple’s servers. To determine if this is a problem, you can skip the next section and read below how to check the status of the system.
You are using an older version of Safari or macOS
If you’re struggling to access the Apple Store, other people have no problem, but it may be due to your outdated software. If this is the case, the ‘Unsupported browser version’ message will appear when trying to view the page in older versions.
Any of the older macOS versions, including macOS Yosemite or Sierra, appear to be unavailable in other browsers. Chrome and Firefox preferences will not work until you update to the latest build.
This is seen as an attempt by Apple to protect its customers from any potential threats.
How to check Apple’s system status
The first step in determining if the Apple Store is down (without going to the site itself!) Is to go to Apple’s System Status website. This site displays the current status of each Apple service, from iOS device activation to iCloud and of course the Apple Online Store.
Not only does this notify users of any potential issues with the online services, but it also gives users a head start on any schedule maintenance that could cause problems. This indicates whether the recent hurdles have now been resolved.
If you see a message next to the status of the Apple Online Store, click on it. It should reveal more details about the problem, including the duration of the disruption and the issues users are experiencing.
Next read: How to get education discount at Apple
Check out the Crowdsource Status website
Apple’s System Status site is not the only place to find up-to-date information about the status of the Apple Store. Down Detector is a very popular third-party status website that relies on crowdsourced information from users to provide up-to-date status of various online services from PayPal to Steam and Apple Store.
The site allows users to report issues and allows you to see past issues that have affected service performance. It also has a simple hit map of the live distraction, so you can see if the problem is local to your city / region / country.
Another good resource is to properly name is Is It Down Right Now ?. The site offers data similar to a down detector, but also features a grid that shows the speed of access over the last few days.
Although it works differently from Down Detector, since you have to search for the service by URL and at the time of writing, it checks the status of the entire Apple website, not the Apple Store in particular.
Next read: How to use the Apple Education Store