Why are error messages so often unhelpful? Current example in itunes for Windows

Giving one example of an unhelpful error message: An Apple advisor told me that itunes for Windows can no longer be used for adding a podcast subscription. Okay, fine, but then why does the error message when I click on "Subscription" state that the Apple store is temporarily unavailable and I should try again later?

Try again later? Really? That is the opposite of a helpful error message, if my Apple advisor is correct about the current status of itunes for Windows and podcasts and subscriptions.

Do software companies and designers just not think about presenting helpful error messages? That is indeed what it looks like. Maybe Apple could start a new trend toward more helpful error messages, instead of misleading ones or overly vauge ones.

Windows

Posted on Apr 24, 2025 05:17 AM

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5 replies

Apr 24, 2025 08:21 AM in response to turingtest2

The Apple advisor confirmed yesterday that I have the current version of itunes for Windows, which I had already removed and reinstalled from the Microsoft store. So I can communicate with the store. There is no VPN.

The advisor did conclude, or perhaps eventually find out from internal sources, that itunes for Windows no longer has an enabled subscription function, contradicting the error message to try again.

So it does look like the advisor is correct, and the error message incorrect about being able to try again and potentially have success the next time.

Apr 24, 2025 10:56 AM in response to turingtest2

An Apple advisor told me yesterday that podcasts are now to be accessed on podcasts.apple.com. I also have an iphone with the Apple podcast app. I added several podcast subscriptions to my Apple account on the phone about two hours ago, all free. But none of them could be seen when I logged into my podcast.apple.com account.

Today's Apple advisor was very perplexed by this and asked me to wait on the phone for several minutes to check out what was going on. Why wouldn't new subscriptions added on the iphone Podcast app be automatically, and quickly, seen on podcasts.apple.com for the same account? My only option right now is to look at the list of new subscriptions on the phone app, key in each name one by one into the podcast web page search box, and create a subscription as each name is ready to play on the podcast app, so one by one and manually.

After a long delay, today's advisor came back on the phone and said in effect that no one on their end had it figured out, that there could be [not that there will be] an overnight sync of subscriptions between the iphone and the podcast.apple.com web page. But he was guessing, wishful thinking in my opinion.

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Why are error messages so often unhelpful? Current example in itunes for Windows

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