Reader “Romeo From Brazil” wrote in to share an awesome tip: how to quickly and easily get a U.S. iTunes account anywhere in the world.
Romeo’s method works like a charm. You don’t need a credit card and it is far easier than other methods we’ve seen. Best, it works in ANY country, so if you’re in the U.S., you can use it to buy music available only in the U.K. And if you’re outside the U.S., you can use the account to buy apps and music not available in your country, like Apple’s iWorks suite.
Here’s how it works:
I just love to share this secret anytime I can and I’m sure everybody that is outside of the USA will love to know this workaround as well.
THERE’S A SIMPLE WAY TO MAKE AN ITUNES USA ACCOUNT IF YOU’RE OUTSIDE OF THE US!!
Yes, you can make it anywhere outside of the US – I’m brazilian
Yes, you can have more than one account for different App Stores even though Apple says you can’t (like an US account and one in your country)
Yes, your iPhone (or iPad for that matter) can be logged in any of your accounts and download from any as well.
You just have to follow a couple of steps.
How to get a U.S. iTunes account no matter where you live
(BTW this method works in ANY country. So you can create an account in the U.K. to download awesome music only available across the pond)
1) Open iTunes and Log out of your iTunes Store account.
2) In the bottom of the iTunes Store window you’ll see a “flag” icon. Click on the icon or select Change Country. This where you can navigate to the other international iTunes stores.
3) Choose the United States iTunes Store.
3) Once you’re in the U.S. iTunes Store, DON”T create an account!!!!!! That’s the SECRET. Simply start browsing the App Store and find any FREE app and click to download it…
4) You’ll be prompted to log in or create a new account. Choose Create New Account.
5) Fill in your email address, password and security question.
6) The next window asks you to register a credit card, but if you register an international credit card, Apple will block your registration as it won’t accept your card (your international billing address will make you ineligible) BUT if you choose “None” you’re good to go. Note: This option is available ONLY if you try to download a free app first…
7) Boom!!! You now have a working USA iTunes store account!! This account is good for any free app you want to download right away.
Paid Apps
What about the paid apps you can’t find in your local iTunes Store?? Like the iWork suite or any cool app that hasn’t been released in your country??
There’s a workaround for that too: you won’t be able to register your card in this account but you can always put in credits with iTunes Gift Cards. You can buy them in any Apple store or even through eBay. As it’s a code you don’t even have to wait or pay for shipment. Usually the eBay seller will email you with your code.
Hope you guys like this little secret as much as i do!
Be free!
Cheers
All the best
ROMEO
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander is an expert on:
Apple and Apple history
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple leadership
Apple community
iPhone and iOS
iPad and iPadOS
Mac and macOS
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple TV and tvOS
AirPods
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
