Apple ID’s are country specific. An Apple ID that was made for the US store will not work in the Canada store. This isn’t a design flaw. It’s to do with payments. Your payment information is tied to your country so it makes sense that the country store you can shop from is regionally restricted. That said, there is nothing stopping you from browsing a different country store but there’s no easy way to change the App Store country on iOS. You can search for an app in your browser that you know is only available in a particular country, or you can create a dedicated Apple ID for a different country and sign in to it. Neither of these options are simple which is why you should use Switchr instead.
Switchr is a web app that works only on an iOS device. You can use it in any browser but it has to be on an iPhone or an iPad.
Change The App Store Country
Visit Switchr and go through the brief on-boarding. The app suggests you add it to the home screen which you should if you find you’ll be using it very often. If not, you can bookmark it and use it from your browser without compromising the convenience it offers.
Search for the country you want to switch to via the search bar, and tap it.
You will see an on-screen prompt telling you the web page is going to open another app i.e. the App Store. Tap Ok, and the App Store will open. You will see another on-screen prompt telling you the app isn’t available in whichever country store you’re currently in, however, it is available in the store you wanted to switch to. You will then have the option to switch stores, or cancel and remain in the current store.
Tap Switch Stores to change the App Store country.
Limitations
This simply changes the App Store country. It has no impact whatsoever on which country you can use your Apple ID in. If your Apple ID can make purchases in the US store, it will stay that way. You won’t be signed out of the App Store app and once you’ve changed the country, you can browse apps in it. The top apps lists and featured apps you see will be for that specific country.
This web app is aimed at developers who might want to check how their app is ranking in other countries but it’s great for anyone who needs to download apps from the App Store, provided you’re willing to make a new Apple ID. If you ever come across an app that isn’t available in your country store, Switchr can make it easier to check the app’s availability in other countries.
