iPhone and country/region settings. Will apps be blocked?

[srowndedbyh2o]

My wife and I are using the iPhones that we purchased and setup in the U.S. We are now in Thailand.

I tried to download the app for Tesco ‘Lotus’s’ and I get a message that says “ This app is currently not available in your country or region”.

Even though we are now living in Thailand, we hesitate to change the country/region code on our phones to Thailand for fear that some of the apps on our phones, especially financial apps will stop working.

With our phones remaining set to U.S., we have so far come across one app that does not work here in Thailand. It is our “CashApp”. It appears to work when I transfer money from my U.S. account to my Wife’s U.S. account, but the transaction ultimately gets cancelled. I’m not trying to move any money to or from Thailand, just move funds between two U.S. accounts. When I contacted the ‘CashApp’, they stated the app cannot be used outside the U.S. It does not matter if the funds I’m moving are from one U.S. CashApp account to another U.S CashApp account, or to a U.S. bank, never crossing international boarders, but the fact that the app (phone) is ‘physically’ located outside the U.S. prevents the apps use. It has some sort of ‘geotracking’ so even using a VPN on my phone makes no difference.

So my questions are;

1: If I change the country/region setting to Thailand, will there be issues with U.S. banking apps, or other apps in general?

2: What happens when I go to upgrade my iPhone and purchase it in Thailand? I assume it will come set to Thailand as country/region.

3: Being physically in Thailand, will I be Able to change the country/region to U.S., if needed?

Thanks.

[fryd]

It is the country for your apple account which is used in the Apple store. Not country and region in ios settings.

[Chongalulu]

You need to create another Apple ID using Thailand as the location (region). This involves signing out of your current id. Once you have created another id you can easily switch between the two. So once signed into your new Thai region id you can download the Thai apps you want ,then switch straight back to your us Apple ID. You will then be able to use the Thai apps while back on your us id and all your existing apps are unaffected . I’ve actually done this so speak from experience! Here is the link with instructions on how to change id .

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201389

As far as the app which you say won’t work outside US you most probably need a VPN which allows you to set the country of your choice. The app is then 'fooled' into thinking you are in US. This is how I watch British tv when here! 

There are free VPNs but good paid for ones are better ,you can Google which are best but they include Nord vpn (which I use) Express vpn etc. They allow use on several devices. 

Good luck,the solution is easier than it sounds .
 

[Nemises]

Depends on your app. Some apps will work using a VPN or turning off location services. Other apps won’t work if you turn off location services even if you have changed your location in the privacy settings. 

[DFPhuket]

Starbucks (Thailand) is another app that can't be updated unless your App Store country setting is Thailand. Once or twice a year I temporarily change between US and Thailand, update any apps, and then later change the App Store country settings back.

 

To do that, go to App Store, click the round photo on the top right, click your name/email at the top of the next screen, then click and change country/region to Thailand. You'll need to enter your Thailand contact details. Once that's done, go back to the App Store and update the apps (sometimes I've had to restart my phone first). You can change the country back to the US afterwards or leave it at Thailand. 

[DineshR]

The way I have done it is to set a new email in Thailand. Then on your Iphone under settings, click on your name and log out from your US apple ID. The login with your Thai ID. Then go to the app store and download the app that is only available in the Thai store. (don't remember if you have to turn off and on the phone after changing the apple ID for the setting to take - if it doesn't work, try turning your phone on and off after changing your apple ID email. ). Once downloaded, you can then switch back to your US apple ID. I've never had any problems with any of my US or Thai apps working but I don't use Cashapp so I can't speak to that particular app but I do use other US banking apps. Good luck !

 

[Jaybott]

You can only change your country once a year in the app store, so be careful.  I've ran into the same problems you are having.  I ended up using my old phone; a Samsung J7 for Thai only apps, paying my electric and water bill etc.  Sometimes a VPN will not work as you've mentioned.  I'm unfamiliar with Cash App but can you do bank to bank transfers instead?  I know what you're going through, it's very frustrating this "not available in your country' BS. 

[bbko]

How hard is it to change the region and see what apps work?  A few clicks on the phone?  If they work or don't, can always click back.

 

 

[TobiasML]

To answer your questions one by one

 

1: If I change the country/region setting to Thailand, will there be issues with U.S. banking apps, or other apps in general?

Yes. A lot of banking apps are only regionally available. This is due to the developer need to pay for each different region a fee for listing. As banking apps are "local" apps they will not pay for worldwide access. Same for different other apps. Therefore do not change it, but setup a new Apple id, which you can easily switch between in the app store app. DO not change the Apple id in the settings, as this will screw up your phone.

 

2: What happens when I go to upgrade my iPhone and purchase it in Thailand? I assume it will come set to Thailand as country/region.

Nothing will change. iPhones are not locked for a specific region. As soon as you register the phone with your apple id it will change the region and language settings, etc. Only difference will be the warranty. iPhones will get only a local warranty. Same for other products with wireless possibilities.

 

3: Being physically in Thailand, will I be Able to change the country/region to U.S., if needed?

Yes, but it does not always work and it does not change your geocaching and gps settings. You just go to setting -> General -> Language & Region -> Region. You can switch the country and Apple will show you the available services in the country of your choosing.

[Wrwest]

I can only address using my Phone living in Thailand. the phone was bought here, my Apple Account and Apple Card is set to US. My Fidelity and TIAA accounts, Visa and American Express Credit Cards  are set to US and function here without any issues. All have both a US and Thai addresses on file.

[Mike Teavee]

I get around this problem by having 3 different Apple IDs... 

1. Main Apple ID has the country set to Thailand
2. A 2nd Apple ID which has the country set to the UK 
3. A 3rd Apple ID which has the country set to the US (I never use this but have it incase there are Apps that are only available in the US). 

No problem using any of my UK (or Singapore) Mobile banking apps with my Thailand Apple ID & I've never had to use a VPN to access anything (though I do sometimes use one for privacy/security reasons). 

 

NB One App that you won't be able to download if you don't have a Thailand based Apple ID is the Immigration App which makes doing your 90 day reports so much easier so well worth getting. 

 

[Tropposurfer]

If you install a VPN e.g. Nord ... you can simply designate where you are and shuffle easily backwards and forwards via this apps settings to manage banking, or access whatever websites you like whenever and wherever you are. 

[The Hammer2021]

Is this an IPhone issue or does it apply to Samsung also?

 

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Nemises said:

Depends on your app. Some apps will work using a VPN or turning off location services. Other apps won’t work if you turn off location services even if you have changed your location in the privacy settings. 

Yes I use a VPN for apps the don't work here, mainly services like stores and media from other countries,  but not a problem with my UK bank HSBC.

[The Hammer2021]

16 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

If you install a VPN e.g. Nord ... you can simply designate where you are and shuffle easily backwards and forwards via this apps settings to manage banking, or access whatever websites you like whenever and wherever you are. 

You might need to turn your  location  off.

Also some apps and websites detect VPN use and block them

[Nemises]

32 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You might need to turn your  location  off.

Also some apps and websites detect VPN use and block them

Some apps also detect that you have turned off your location and as such won’t connect you, even though you have a VPN connecting you to that country. See screenshots. 
 

Could people please stop posting that a VPN guarantees connection USING AN APP to another country. If using their WEBSITE different story. It’s up to the App, some work, some don’t. 
 

Timestamps confirmed connected to a VPN at the same time of being denied access to their app. 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by Nemises

[anfh]

A VPN wont do anything. On Apple you purchase or download apps via Apple Store. You are registered to a specific sore, ie USA.
Lotus app is not available there since they dont have Lotus’s stores, so pointless.

if you change your Apple store to Thailand, you can down load it, then just change the store back to USA. I have done this few times and it does not affect any other apps etc since, once apps are on the phone, they do not interact with location via Apple stores

you need to remember that the location of the actual phone has nothing to do with the location of the Apple Store you are linked to. 

[srowndedbyh2o]

2 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

 

If you install a VPN e.g. Nord ... you can simply designate where you are and shuffle easily backwards and forwards via this apps settings to manage banking, or access whatever websites you like whenever and wherever you are. 

 

I use NordVPN on both my computer and my iPhone. Works great on the computer, and for most things on my iPhone, but if an app on the phone uses location tracking, the VPN won't help. 

[srowndedbyh2o]

5 hours ago, nchuckle said:

You need to create another Apple ID using Thailand as the location (region). This involves signing out of your current id. Once you have created another id you can easily switch between the two. So once signed into your new Thai region id you can download the Thai apps you want ,then switch straight back to your us Apple ID. You will then be able to use the Thai apps while back on your us id and all your existing apps are unaffected . I’ve actually done this so speak from experience! Here is the link with instructions on how to change id .

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201389

Wow! Thank you very much! I seem to remember reading something about having more than one Apple ID, but I had no idea it could be set up in two different countries on the same iPhone. I especially like that once the Thai app is installed, I could switch back to my U.S. ID and still us the Thai apps. Sweet!

5 hours ago, nchuckle said:

As far as the app which you say won’t work outside US you most probably need a VPN which allows you to set the country of your choice. The app is then 'fooled' into thinking you are in US. This is how I watch British tv when here! 

There are free VPNs but good paid for ones are better ,you can Google which are best but they include Nord vpn (which I use) Express vpn etc. They allow use on several devices. 

I’d mentioned in my OP that I am using a VPN on my iPhone and it does not help with the ‘CashApp’ since it somehow uses location tracking. A VPN can change IP address but does not change my GPS location. ????

[srowndedbyh2o]

5 hours ago, DineshR said:

The way I have done it is to set a new email in Thailand. Then on your Iphone under settings, click on your name and log out from your US apple ID. The login with your Thai ID.

From reading other posts, this does appear to be the way to go. Thanks your input. ????

[srowndedbyh2o]

5 hours ago, Jaybott said:

I'm unfamiliar with Cash App but can you do bank to bank transfers instead? 

The 'Cashapp' is a sort of bank. You can deposit money into it, and also transfer funds to a regular bank, or send/receive funds from other CashApp users.

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, srowndedbyh2o said:

Wow! Thank you very much! I seem to remember reading something about having more than one Apple ID, but I had no idea it could be set up in two different countries on the same iPhone. I especially like that once the Thai app is installed, I could switch back to my U.S. ID and still us the Thai apps. Sweet!

I’d mentioned in my OP that I am using a VPN on my iPhone and it does not help with the ‘CashApp’ since it somehow uses location tracking. A VPN can change IP address but does not change my GPS location. ????

Assuming your existing vpn allows you to set USA as location but you’re still blocked go into iPhone settings and scroll down to the offending app and click on it. There might be an option on the menu to turn off any location permission . If not try setting the time on the iPad to US time before opening the app,it might be using that to detect ,because usually a vpn sets both the IP address and geolocation to your selected country . Trust you are using a good vpn ? 

[srowndedbyh2o]

3 hours ago, nchuckle said:

Trust you are using a good vp

NordVPN

[treetops]

10 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Is this an IPhone issue or does it apply to Samsung also?

It applies to Android devices in a very similar manner to that described here for Apple ones.

 

You can only flip locations once per year so better to make a unique account for each region you need.  If you spend too long (1 year I think) logged on with eg your UK account, Google will try to flip it for you to a local one.

[The Hammer2021]

3 minutes ago, treetops said:

It applies to Android devices in a very similar manner to that described here for Apple ones.

 

You can only flip locations once per year so better to make a unique account for each region you need.  If you spend too long (1 year I think) logged on with eg your UK account, Google will try to flip it for you to a local one.

How can Google to that? 

From  their playstore?

[treetops]

4 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

How can Google to that? 

From  their playstore?

The information is held in your Google account so I imagine that's what they'd change.  They tried to do it to me once but I'm sure they emailed me first so I may have had the chance to stop it.

[The Hammer2021]

10 hours ago, Nemises said:

Some apps also detect that you have turned off your location and as such won’t connect you, even though you have a VPN connecting you to that country. See screenshots. 
 

Could people please stop posting that a VPN guarantees connection USING AN APP to another country. If using their WEBSITE different story. It’s up to the App, some work, some don’t. 
 

Timestamps confirmed connected to a VPN at the same time of being denied access to their app. 

 

This looks  like a gambling act requesting " 'location'/GPS

But I've never heard of it before.

I always have my location TURNED OFF except  for the occasional times a map might need it.

Location tracking is a hideous insight into your private life- frightening.

Some apps CAUSE VPNs to leak location...

My ISP in UK knows I use a VPN and were concerned...I was interested that they  could tell

[The Hammer2021]

4 minutes ago, treetops said:

The information is held in your Google account so I imagine that's what they'd change.  They tried to do it to me once but I'm sure they emailed me first so I may have had the chance to stop it.

I ****** hate Google!

[Mike Teavee]

12 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

If you install a VPN e.g. Nord ... you can simply designate where you are and shuffle easily backwards and forwards via this apps settings to manage banking, or access whatever websites you like whenever and wherever you are. 

That wont help with the Apple App Store as they use the country your Apple ID is registered in, not where you are (or appear to be) located. 

[panengfan]

Every time I attempt to change country, Apple informs me that any cash held in the Apple Store will be deleted (i.e. lost!).  I therefore have to abandon any thoughts of changing location.