Fixing the “Connect to iTunes to use Push Notifications” alert in iOS 7.0.3

connect-to-itunes-error

Ever since updating to iOS 7.0.3, my iPhone kept telling me to “Connect to iTunes to use Push Notifications”. Connecting to iTunes did just nothing: the notice kept popping up. Additionally iMessage and FaceTime didn’t work anymore, really annoying.

Above that the notice forced some apps in a loop as an app would lose and regain focus with that dialog showing (Dropbox with a passcode for example would get stuck in such a loop). Not that handy.

To fix this, follow these steps (on your iDevice):

  1. Go to “Settings” → “iTunes & App Store” and log out of your account.
  2. Restart your iDevice.
  3. Go to “Settings” → “iTunes & App Store” and login again.

That should do it (at least it did for me).

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Published by Bramus!

Bramus is a frontend web developer from Belgium, working as a Chrome Developer Relations Engineer at Google. From the moment he discovered view-source at the age of 14 (way back in 1997), he fell in love with the web and has been tinkering with it ever since (more …)

Unless noted otherwise, the contents of this post are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and code samples are licensed under the MIT License

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185 Comments

    1. I am on my iPhone 4 on the latest ios and after disconnecting me from my wifi and signing me out of the youtube app I signed back into both and keep getting this popup I hit OK but it keeps happening over,and ovER,and OVER!!!!!!!!! I tried this fix and it STILL WONT WORK!!!!!!!!!!

    1. I keep getting in the YouTube app even after I tried this. Is it because I am on IPad?

  1. Not working for me but If you have a jailbroken device go to cydia and install ‘pushfix’ to find the source go to : cydia-home-add more packages and sources ,you find many sources add this source ‘iphonemodding’ it works for 100% if not you realy need to restore you device 🙂

  2. Worked like a charm!
    In fact, it even speeded up most of my apps and reduced the crashes I was also experiencing.
    I do not know what this issue affected (and how), but this is now solved.
    Thanks,
    Péter

  3. Yes, this worked for me, THANK YOU so very much! It’s been so very frustrating to get these messages when I log into Facebook and Pinterest on my iPhone. Hopefully this also corrects the problem I’ve been having sending imessages.

  4. Not worked for me, getting really annoyed with it now, i have tried allsorts including this
    🙁

  5. didn’t work for my iphone 4s! I’ve tried everything, from resetting all network settings, to restoring the iphone and nothing has worked!

    1. I have fixed the problem on my iPhone 4S yesterday. No reset, additional software or anything. Just a simple setting… I posted the solution on the Bram.us page. Please check it out and let me know if it also works for you.

  6. I was able to solve this “connect to iTunes to use push notifications” problem in iOS8 after trying a lot, but not resetting and restoring my iPhone 4S. The action that gave me a solution was switching off Background App Refresh (under Settings –> General). Later on, I could switch the function on again. The problem did not return.

    1. On my 4S/iOS8, it worked as well, even if the global “background App refresh” switch was already off so:
      1) switched “background App refresh” ON
      2) switched individual app refresh OFF
      3) switched “background App refresh” OFF again

      No reset needed.

      1. Great – this worked for me:
        On my 4S/iOS8, it worked as well, even if the global “background App refresh” switch was already off so:
        1) switched “background App refresh” ON
        2) switched individual app refresh OFF
        3) switched “background App refresh” OFF again

        No reset needed.

      2. Thx! This helped on iPhone 5 with ios 8, but I had to make a ‘hard restart’, ie press home and power button for several seconds until it powers off.

  7. It worked! It worked! I was sure I’d be going to the Apple store tomorrow-ugh. It fixed the error message that was keeping me out of all apps, and it fixed my texts not going through. Thank you soooo much!

  8. This hasn’t worked and I’ve tried everything! 🙁 has anyone else got anymore suggestions? I’m getting annoyed now!

  9. Worked OK for me, just updated to ios 8.1.3 and the annoying stuff started. This was a fast and simple solution for which I thank you 🙂

  10. connect to i tune to use push notifications
    whatsapp notifications may include alerts sound and icon badges

  11. Finally worked. Thank you for this solution. It was extremely annoying!

    Some warning though: the first two times the solution did not work. Then i tried the one from SirPeet (November 19, 2014 at 9:42 pm) which didnt seem to work either. Then i tried zlody’s solution (February 13, 2015 at 2:51 pm) which also didnt seem to work.

    Then i started over a couple of times with Bramus’ solution followed by SirPeet’s and Zlody’s. And suddenly…..succes!!!

    So the moral of this story is to try a couple of times before giving up. The given solutions might not work at once.

    Btw….when it finally worked i received a notification asking me if i was sure i wanted iMessage on cause my network provider might charge me for that. Weird because i didnt touch iMessage (as far as i know). I was only alternating between the solutions above.

    Now, im dont know if the iMessage thingy has anything to do with the push-notifications problem but if the given solutions dont work you might try to fiddle around with iMessage a bit. Could well be related.

  12. Perfect! Many thanks….thought I was going to have to call my 22 year old for help, again!

  13. It works for me 🙂 find ‘push fix’ add this source ‘iphonemodding’ I have iphone 4 IOS 6.1.2

  14. I installed the 8.2 upgrade on my iPad and have tried all these solutions and nothing fixes it. Any ideas out there?
    I really don’t want to reset my iPad.

  15. My 4S with IOS 8.1.3 is constantly giving this push notification issue with nothing working. Please help Apple!

  16. my i4s iOS8.2

    1 “iTunes & App Store” log out your account
    2 “background App refresh” OFF
    3 Power off
    4 Power on and log in “iTunes & App Store”
    5 “background App refresh” ON again

    It work for me 🙂

    1. OMG. All the other suggestions didn’t work for me, but this one actually worked for me.! Thanks for sharing! This was driving me nuts!!!

  17. That great!! It worked for me. How fun!! I tried to do anyway. Many Many thanks…:)

  18. THANK YOU! Was this close to chucking my phone against the wall! Thank you so much.

  19. ipad3 on ios8.2, problems with dropbox (totally unusable because of the loop). The solution fixed the problem!!! Thanks.

  20. It’s doenst work on me..I’ve tried fourth times and it’s still pop up in my apps 😭

  21. I can’t believe this error is still happening. I think it started after I updated to iOS 8.3 on iPad. Your solution worked like a charm for me, thanks!

  22. Bedankt, dat werkte. Gelukkig want die melding begon wat op mijn systeem te werken … 🙂

  23. Thank you thank you thank you! It’s been paralysing my phone for the last few days!

  24. Thanks a lot!!! its really work for me… <3
    On my 4S/iOS8, it worked as well, even if the global “background App refresh” switch was already off so:
    1) switched “background App refresh” ON
    2) switched individual app refresh OFF
    3) switched “background App refresh” OFF again

    No reset needed.

  25. Thank bloody goodness, it actually worked!

    A reminder that restarting the phone means holding both sleep button and home button down til the screen goes dark and apple logo comes on immediately.

    Imessage charges message will show up, showing that the ordeal is over!!

  26. Didnt work on My iPhone 4…its Tango and subway surf thats giving this problem.it actually worked but when i re-logged in,the pop ups start coming again…do something pls

  27. Doing Settings > ITunes & App Store then log out and restart then log back in really worked! Thx a ton.

  28. It finally worked for me too! Thank goodness! I’ve been fighting over this for 2-3 days. Nothing worked until I tried these 4 steps:
    1) switched “background App refresh” ON
    2) switched individual app refresh OFF
    3) switched “background App refresh” OFF again
    4) Settings > ITunes & App Store then log out and restart then log back (holding both sleep button and home button down til the screen goes dark and apple logo comes on)
    All good now for my Iphone 4S! thanks everyone for sharing!

  29. and off course re-log to Itunes & App after your re-started your Iphone 🙂

  30. 2015 and it still works!! Even though having the latest ios, this has been driving me nuts lately. Thanks much!! You are a genuis!

  31. 4s. iOS 8.4
    After trying all the above suggestions and this annoying push-notif bug still pops out.
    Been looking for solution for days :((

  32. I used this website at first. Unfortunately it didn’t work. However after restarting my device several times, it worked!!!’ So I might try it more than once

  33. It worked, but not until I did the restart by pressing the home and sleep buttons (before I have just be powering the phone off). Thanks!

  34. I am using iPhone 4s 8.4.1 I used every method but no use. Still same problem persist for me. Pls someone help me to get rid off

  35. it worked. just keep repeating the steps because it didn’t work in my first try, but with the second it did so keep trying and repeating. thank you again for posting this.

  36. It worked for my iphone 5c 8.4.1. Very simple but perfect result. As many people here, it didn’t work on my first time. When I tried again, the error was fixed. Many thanks to you!!

  37. Worked after the second try! For me, it had to be the home + power buttons together kind of restart. The off-on didn’t work.

    Thank you for this!

  38. absolutely, very realistic, it fixed my problem, i.e; “connect to itunes to use push notification”, but i had to repeat this process twice.
    thankyou so much…….

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