Why your app isn't available in some countries, and how to fix it
Your app is live, but people in China, the EU, Brazil or elsewhere can't find it. Here are the reasons Apple keeps an app off a storefront, where App Store Connect shows them, and how to fix each one.
By Alexander, maker of Storewatch · · 5 min read
A friend in another country tells you they can't find your app. You check App Store Connect: the version is approved, the status says it's live. And yet in that country, the App Store says the app isn't available.
I ran into this with one of my own games: it had quietly never been on sale in China mainland, because a game approval number was missing. Nothing in my daily routine would have told me. This guide lists the reasons Apple keeps an app off a storefront, where to find each one, and what to do about it.
First: find out which countries are affected, and why
App Store Connect tracks availability per country. Open your app, go to Pricing and Availability, and look at the availability of each country or region. Apple's app and submission statuses reference lists the reasons it can show, such as “ICP Filing Number Missing” or “Missing Game registration number”.
If you use the App Store Connect API, an app's availability lists every territory with a set of content statuses. AVAILABLE means it's on sale; anything else tells you what's blocking it.
8 reasons your app isn't on sale somewhere
1. The country isn't selected
The simplest one. In Pricing and Availability you can make your app available in all countries or only in the ones you pick. Apple's availability help notes that choosing all countries includes ones Apple adds in the future. If you picked specific countries, there's a separate checkbox at the bottom of the list to include new ones, and it's easy to miss.
Fix: select the missing countries, and tick the box for future countries if you want them.
2. China mainland: the ICP filing number is missing or doesn't match
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires many apps to have an Internet Content Provider (ICP) filing. Apple's App Information reference says the number goes in the Availability in China mainland section, and that the number and your app's details must match what was filed. The status shows “ICP Filing Number Missing” or, when it doesn't match, “ICP Filing Number Invalid”.
Fix: getting an ICP filing generally requires a company or partner in China. If that's not realistic for you, it's usually simpler to leave China mainland out of your availability than to have the app sit there unavailable.
3. China mainland: games need an approval number
Games need a separate approval number from China's National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), shown as “Missing Game registration number”. Apple asks for the ISBN issuing letter or approval reply and a business license to verify it.
Fix: NPPA approval is a long process usually handled through a Chinese publisher. Most indie games simply don't sell in China mainland; just make it a decision rather than a surprise.
4. EU: your trader status isn't provided or verified
Under the EU's Digital Services Act, Apple has to show whether a developer is a trader. Apple removes apps without a verified trader status from the App Store in all EU countries until the status is provided and verified. Developer forum threads also describe apps unavailable across the EU while verification sits “In Review”.
Fix: provide your trader status in App Store Connect (Business, or the App Store Regulations and Permits section of your app's information), and contact Apple Developer Support if verification is stuck.
5. Brazil: your tax ID is missing
Apple's terms for Brazil say developers resident in Brazil must add their Brazilian taxpayer number (CPF or CNPJ), and that apps may be removed from the Brazilian store until it's provided. Separately, apps with gambling need extra verification in Brazil.
Fix: add the number in the Business section of App Store Connect. Apple's Brazil tax help lists what's needed.
6. Your age rating or content isn't allowed there
If an age rating is missing, the app can't go on sale where it's needed. Some countries also restrict certain content or ratings, and Apple won't sell an app with that rating there.
Fix: complete the age rating questionnaire, and check whether your content is restricted in that country. Sometimes the answer is that the app can't be sold there.
7. It's a pre-order, or it hasn't finished going live
A pre-order shows on the store, but can't be downloaded until you release a version. And right after approval, an app can take a while to appear in every country's search and links. If the status is “Ready for Distribution” and the app still isn't findable after a day, contact Apple.
8. The person is using a different store
The App Store you see depends on your Apple Account's country, not where you are standing. A friend travelling abroad, or with an account set to another country, sees that country's store. Also, the App Store isn't open in every country in the world, so some people simply can't reach it.
Make it part of your routine
None of these reasons show up in your sales. A country where you're not on sale just has zero downloads, which looks exactly like a country where nobody is interested. And requirements change: the EU trader rule and China's filing rules both appeared after many apps were already live.
So check availability for every app after each release and whenever Apple announces new requirements on its upcoming requirements page.
I built this check into Storewatch after the China surprise. Every day it reads Apple's availability for each of your apps, shades the countries you're not on sale in on the Territories map with Apple's reason, and adds an Insight when something changes. That's how I found my own missing game approval number.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my app say “not available in your country or region”?
Either the app isn't on sale in the country of the viewer's Apple Account, or it's blocked there by one of the requirements above. Check the app's availability for that country in App Store Connect.
Do I need an ICP filing to sell outside China?
No. The ICP filing number only matters for the China mainland storefront. If you don't sell there, you don't need one.
Can an indie game be sold in China mainland?
Only with an NPPA approval number, which usually requires a Chinese publisher. Most indie games aren't sold there.
Why is my app missing from every EU country?
Most often because your trader status under the Digital Services Act isn't provided or verified yet. Provide it in App Store Connect and wait for Apple to verify it.
If I remove a country, can people still use my app there?
Yes. Apple's availability help says people who already downloaded your app in that country keep receiving updates; new people just can't download it.
How quickly does a fix take effect?
Adding a country usually shows up within a day, though Apple doesn't promise a time. Verifications like trader status, ICP filing or game approval depend on Apple's or the authority's review and can take longer.