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Apple’s ecosystem of products is known for its seamless connectivity that translates into a great user experience, which is one of the reasons the company can keep a person hooked to almost everything it has got to offer. However, much like any other software or hardware out there, Apple products are prone to bugs and issues as well.
One such error is “iTunes can’t verify the identity of the server s.mzstatic.com”, which comes with the following description: The certificate for this server is invalid. You might be connecting to a server that is pretending to be ‘s.mzstatic.com’, which could put your confidential information at risk. Would you like to connect to the server anyway?
Here we’ve talked about the “iTunes can’t verify the identity of the server s.mzstatic.com” and eight ways you can fix the issue.
Also read: How to fix ‘iTunes could not connect to iPhone error 0xE800000A’?
8 ways to fix the s.mzstatic.com iTunes error?
If you’re seeing the “iTunes can’t verify the identity of the server s.mzstatic.com” error on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Windows PC, here are eight ways to resolve the issue.
Reset the iTunes cache
One of the easiest ways to fix the s.mzstatic.com iTunes error is to clear the app cache.
Select Reset the iTunes Cache under the Advanced tab in the iTunes app
Update the iTunes app
Check if there’s an update for iTunes on your device. If you see one, update the app, which should help resolve the error if Apple has released a fix.
You’ll need the Apple Software updater to download and install an update for iTunes on Windows.
Irrespective of whether you found an update for iTunes, you should restart your device next.
Also read: How to fix the ‘iPhone black screen of death’ issue?
Restart the device
Restarting your device can go a long way in fixing a lot of issues you might be having. A simple restart can help clear any cache files or background processes that might be hindering iTunes from running smoothly.
Moreover, since it’s one of the most elementary ways to fix the s.mzstatic.com iTunes error, we recommend that you try restarting your iPhone, iPad, Mac or Windows PC before moving on to the relatively more complex fixes.
Check the date and time
Incorrect date and time can often cause issues with internet-connected services, and the same can trigger the s.mzstatic.com iTunes error.
Check the date and time on the device; if it helps, set it to update automatically or set the time and date manually.
Step 1: On your Mac, Go to System Preferences.
Step 2: Then click on Date &Time and select the time zone near your location.
Here is how to change the date and time on iPhone and iPad.
Here is how to change the date and time on Windows PC
Also read: How to rename a program in the Task Manager?
Change certificate trust settings via Keychain
The s.mzstatic.com iTunes error can also be caused due to an expired or malfunctioning trust certificate. You can resolve this by changing a certificate’s trust settings using Keychain on Mac.
- Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac.
- Select a keychain.
- Double-click on a certificate.
- Click on the arrow next to Trust. You’ll now see the trust policies for the certificate.
- Choose a new trust setting from the pop-up to override the trust policies.
You can also remove expired Verisign certificates, which can help eliminate the iTunes error.
Install Apple IST CA 2 – G1 certificate
While we’re on the topic of certificates, here’s another fix you can try to resolve the s.mzstatic.com iTunes error.
- Go to the Apple certificate page.
- Download the Apple IST CA 2 – G1 certificate — can be found under Apple Intermediate Certificates.
- Double-click the downloaded certificate, and it’ll be installed in Keychain Access.
The certificate should now be visible in the login certificates, and this should help solve the error.
Scan for malware
Before moving to the last resort — Apple Support — run a malware scan on the Mac or Windows PC. Try to quarantine or fix it by deleting it from your machine and then try re-accessing iTunes and see if it works. If not, contact professional support.
Contact Apple Support
If nothing else works, you can try reinstalling iTunes as a last resort. If that doesn’t help, Apple support is probably your best option. Contact your nearest Apple support store and get your device checked.
Also read: What is SM-DP+ address? Everything you need to know
