I did some research and found all possible solutions to this much annoying problem. Go through each point until you are able to download that app or game you have been trying to for so long. Let’s begin. Also Read: How to Change App Store Country on iOS 12/11
Fix App Store Not Downloading Apps
1. Update OS
While Apple does a stellar job of pushing updates to its devices, check if there is one available. You might have missed it accidentally. Open Settings and tap on General > Software Update and check for new updates.
If there are updates available, you can see details and tap on Download and Install to proceed. This may not only fix the app store downloading error, but also help with other known bugs.
2. Hard Reboot
There are two ways to reboot your iPhone. One is where you press and power button and then slide right to switch it off. I am not talking about that. Another way is this: Press and release volume down button, press and release volume up button, and then press and hold the power/side button until you see the Apple logo. Release it when you see it. This will hard reboot your iPhone and help solve a number of small errors. It also frees a lot of memory.
3. Wait and Retry
Open the App Store and try downloading the app after a few hours. It is possible that the servers are either down or facing some glitch. Patience is the best virtue in moments like these. Just wait it out.
4. Check Internet
One thing you can do is visit Downdetector website and check if App Store servers are down or facing an outage. It’s a handy site that tracks a number of apps, sites, and services across a number of verticals.
See if it is down in your country and what kind of problems is it currently facing. If there is one, there isn’t much you can do but wait until they fix it.
5. Pause, Restart
This is an old trick that still works sometimes. Start a download on App Store, pause or stop it immediately when it begins and then start it again. This can jumpstart things for you. Also Read: How to Install AltStore on your iPhone to Sideload Apps without Jailbreak
6. Clear App store Cache
Not many people know this trick but you can clear cache in iPhones too. Well, you can do it for App Store only but that’s not only cool, but can also be very handy. Open App Store and tap 10 times on any one of the five buttons at the bottom of the screen.
You can tap Today, Games, Apps, Arcade or Search button. The key here is that you have to tap the same button 10 times. It will clear old App Store cache data, giving you a fresh start.
7. Check Network Settings
Check if your Wi-Fi is working correctly. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network or use mobile data to verify. Pop the Control Center to make sure that mobile data and Wi-Fi options are enabled and Airplane mode is disabled. Disable VPN or proxy if you are using one on your iPhone. Geo-restrictions can mess up App Store downloads. Also Read: 6 Best Wi-Fi Analyzer Apps for iPhone and iPad
8. Date & Time Settings
If the date & time are wrong on your device, chances are that that’s what causing this error. Whether it is an error or you have recently jumped time zones, date & time needs to be in sync with your geolocation. Check time and set it correctly under Settings > General > Date & Time.
Set it to Automatically or choose your current city manually if GPS is not working right.
9. App Store Payment
Are you trying to buy an app and failing to do so? In that case, you need to check your Apple payment methods. Open Settings > your name > Payment & Shipping. You will have to enter your Apple password here. Tap on the added credit card to remove it or add another one.
You should also check your credit card balance, in case payments are getting denied for some reason which can be for other reasons too.
10. Free Space
Do you have enough space on your iPhone to download that app or game? Storage space on iPhones are a luxury and pretty expensive. Especially when you can buy drives so cheap these days. Anyways, open Settings > General > About and check how much free storage is left out of total.
You need some some storage space for breathing room too. Don’t keep it choke full or you will suffocate it. That will result in a slower device.
11. Parental Controls
If you are a kid who is using your guardian’s iPhone/iPad, you may be under house arrest. What I mean is that your parent might have implemented parental control to restrict purchase, download or installation of new apps and games. Parents can be annoying but what can you do. Well, ask your parent if this is true and if it is, plead for your life. That’s all you can do for now, until you are big enough and buy your own gadgets. Trust me, you think that would be cool but adult life ain’t no fun. You will want to go back as soon as you hit adulthood.
By the way, app limits are imposed from Settings > Screen Time > App Limits. There is no way to bypass it, so don’t even think about that. It’s for your own good, buddy.
12. Sign out and Back In
Open Settings and tap on Username/Profile Pic > iTunes & App Stores > Apple ID: email ID.
Sign back in and check if app store downloading is working or not now.
13. Reset Options
I am not talking about resetting entire iPhone. That’s not required and won’t do any good either way. Open Settings and tap on General > Reset.
Reset network settings. That will remove all saved Wi-Fi networks and you will have to re-enter passwords. Keep that in mind. You may try and Erase All Content and Settings. That will take iPhone to its factory settings, the way it was when you first booted it. You can then restore everything from a backup. iCloud does an excellent job of backing everything up. You will be asked to enter your password or passcode you can proceed.
14. Contact Support
If nothing else is working for you, then the only way left is to contact Apple support. They are really helpful. Visit their support page for more details.
Fix App Store Not Downloading Apps
These are all the steps that I could find after hours of hunting. I don’t usually recommend doing a full reset but if nothing else works, that’s the only option left at your disposal. If you found another way to resolve this error and continue with the App Store download, do let us know in the comments below.
