Mac App Store 'Try Again' Relaunch Error — What It Means & How to Fix It

Fix Mac App Store 'An error occurred. Try again.' message preventing app downloads, updates, or purchases from completing. This guide covers everything you need to know about this topic, including common causes, step-by-step solutions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Here are the key things to understand: The generic 'An error occurred' message in the Mac App Store covers many underlying issues. It can appear when downloading apps, updating existing apps, or making purchases. The error often relates to Apple ID authentication, payment method issues, or server-side problems. Cached data in the App Store can become stale, causing persistent errors. Understanding these fundamentals will help you diagnose and resolve this issue more effectively.

The most common reasons this occurs include: Apple ID authentication token has expired and needs refresh. Payment method on file is expired, declined, or has an outstanding balance. App Store cache is corrupted with stale session data. Apple's App Store servers are experiencing outages or maintenance. Identifying the root cause is the first step toward finding the right solution.

To resolve this, follow these recommended steps: Sign out and back into the App Store: Store menu > Sign Out, then sign back in. Clear App Store cache: quit App Store, open Terminal, run: rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore. Check payment method: System Settings > Apple ID > Payment & Shipping > verify card details. Check Apple System Status at apple.com/support/systemstatus for any App Store outages. If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider consulting additional resources or a qualified professional.

This article is part of our Mac Error Codes collection on Error Codes Wiki. We provide comprehensive, up-to-date information to help you find solutions quickly.