Why Can’t I Play Fortnite on iPhone or iPad? “Fortnite No Longer Available” on App Store
If you want to play Fortnite on iPhone or iPad (or Android for that matter), you may notice that the game is not available to download and install, it may not be working, and that you can’t get updates for the game. And of course you’re probably wondering why that is, how can such a popular game for kids and adults alike, enjoyed the world over, be unavailable?
On iPhone and iPad, if you already have the most recently updated version you’ll be able to play Fortnite for a bit longer until the new season comes out or the game requires an update.
But if you’re on iPhone and iPad and you need to update Fortnite first, launching Fortnite may tell you that you need an app update, but when you go to update the app you will see an error message stating “‘Fortnite’ No Longer Available” and how the game has been removed by the developer.
The wildly popular team shooter and building game is currently unavailable to play because of a dispute between Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, and Apple, who hosts the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Google pulled Fortnite from their App Store as well, so Android users aren’t able to download and play the game right now either.
So what’s going on? According to Yahoo News:
“Apple Inc. and Google removed Fortnite from their app stores on Thursday, prompting lawsuits by the game’s creator, Epic Games Inc. The moves escalate a dispute between the companies that had been brewing in recent weeks.
The disagreement stems from a longstanding Apple App Store rule saying most apps must offer billing through Apple and pay the company 30% of revenue. On Thursday morning, Epic began offering customers a way to directly buy items for Fortnite and circumvent the fees. Hours later, Apple pulled the app, and Google followed suit later in the day.”
You can also check out epicgames.com for more info.
While it’s certainly possible that Apple and Epic Games will resolve this quickly so that the millions of Fortnite players on iOS and iPadOS can enjoy the game again, it’s also possible that with lawsuits there won’t be a quick resolution to the dispute. In other words, it may be a while before you can play Fortnite on iPad or iPhone again.
So what’s that leave Fortnite fans with for the time being? Well you can still play Fortnite on Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation, and Windows PC, though it’s always possible those platforms could get rolled into the dispute as well. Time will tell.
iPhone, iPad, and Android fans may need to branch out to other similar team shooter games for a while, whether that be PUBG, Call of Duty Mobile, or something else entirely. If you know if any great Fortnite alternatives, feel free to share in the comments.
Way did you delete Fortnite off the App Store we all want I play with our friend but. You decided to delete your fortnight of the App Store you’re so annoying
I love play with phone this fortnite game
OK here is how you can still download and play Fortnite, but only if you had previously downloaded the game before on iPhone or iPad…
– Open App Store
– GO to your account, then go to Purchase History
– Find Fortnite
– Tap the download button to re-download Fornite
– Log in to Fortnite as usual
Fortnite still plays in this situation but not with other platform players, so you’ll only be playing with iOS users for now.
I think this works on Android too, but I don’t have one of those to test on.
The game still works fine on Switch, Xbox, PC too and it’s the full version, whereas the iPhone and iPad and Android versions are stuck on the old version without the newest updates.
Well regardless of who’s right or wrong on the contract issues, the news on this was just in time for me to cancel a Macbook Pro I had purchased for my grandson to do schoolwork and play FN as well so the family’s game console could be freed up for his sisters.
Imagine having to pay Microsoft for every game or program you install on windows. The Apple tax is ridiculous and monopolistic. I hope other companies will be able to start their own store on Apple products. And thank goodness I use windows and not an overpriced macbook
Epic tried to do a end around to avoid the Apple percentage that they charge. Since Apple so far has every right to pull a app that violates this agreement with app developers. The loser here is the end user of Fortnite. I think this is a stunt by Epic to try and leverage Apple’s policies to change. Clearly Epic violated Apple’s policies on how in app purchases are handled. Maybe Epic doesn’t like how this is done, but it does little to sway Apple into caving on their percentage charge.
The loser is the consumer… You own the device not apple.. 30% is a lot to take just to process credit cards… Fornite is alive an 100% up to date on android because there are multiple app stores and direct installs possible w/o jail breaking YOUR phone.
Epic Games is being financed by Tencent, a Chinese company. Chines company has to be read by “Chinese goverment”.
Has to do with the attacks of Trump on TikTok and WeChat.