Here are some of the things you need to check:
1) Be sure that the Apple ID you are using is correct
Apps won't download, install, uninstall or update after iOS 10 upgrade? Take it eaay. Fixed Problems on Can't Transfer Apps from iPhone to iPhone.
- Sometimes, you may find your iPhone won’t download or update apps on App Store, even though you have plenty of storage space, have good network connection and have the latest iOS version (iOS 10.2.1) installed on your iPhone.
- If you can’t download apps on iPhone or make any app updates, there is a series of things to be checked in a sequence before it boils down to the actual reason why such an issue cropped up in the first place.
- How to fix your Apple iPhone X that can’t install or download apps (easy steps) by Harold on February 2, 2019 Installation of apps on an iPhone X, or any iPhones for that matter, is supposed to be a very easy and straightforward procedure.
- Can’t download app or App Store not working after update iOS 12? This article includes 8 solutions to fix iOS 12 apps not downloading. Solution 6: Check Available iPhone/iPad Storage. If you can't download apps after iOS 12 upgrade then maybe you should check the storage space of your iPhone or iPad. The iOS 12 update takes about 3GB of.
Ok, so first things first!! Are you sure you are using the correct Apple ID? Whenever you try to download any app from iTunes, it automatically connects you to your Apple id, which means that you need to be signed in with your ID before you start downloading the app. To confirm this, go through the steps given below:
- 1. Start off by opening the App Store and click on “updates”.
- 2. Now tap “Purchased”.
- 3. Is the App shown here? If it’s a no, that means it was most likely downloaded with a different ID.
Also, this can be confirmed on iTunes by navigating to your apps list to get the info by right clicking on the particular app. You can also try using any old ID that you might have used at some point in time and check if it resolves the issue.
2) Ensure Restrictions Are Off
Apple has added this feature in iOS for security purposes. “Enable restrictions” is one of those features to restrict the facility to download apps. So, if you are unable to download or update apps, then this could be one of the reasons to contemplate.
Go through the below steps to check if “Enable Restrictions” is enabled and how to disable it:
- 1. Click on Settings> General>Restrictions
- 2. If asked, type your password
- 3. Now, tap on “Installing Apps”. If it is off, it means app updating and installation is blocked. Thereafter, move the switch to turn it on in order to download and update apps.
3) Log Out and Log in to the App Store
At times, to fix the error if you can’t download apps on iPhone, all you need to do is sign out and then sign in with your Apple id again. It is quite a simple trick but works most of the time. To understand how to do this, just go through the steps:
- 1. Click Settings>iTunes & App Store> Apple ID menu
- 2. Click sign out in the pop-up box
- 3. Finally, enter your Apple ID again and sign in as shown in the figure below
4) Check Existing Storage
With the vast number of amazing apps on iTunes, we keep downloading them forgetting about the phone storage. This is a frequent problem; so, when iPhone runs out of storage it will not let you download any more apps until you free up some space by deleting apps and other files. In order to check your free storage:
- 1. Tap Settings> general> About
- 2. Now check “available” storage.
- 3. Here you can see how much storage is left on your iPhone. However, you can always create some space by deleting unwanted files.
5) Restart iPhone
This is probably the easiest of all but could be as effective as anything. In most cases, it works wonders as all your phone wants is a break and needs to be restarted in order to work normally. To do this, go through the following steps:
![Can Can](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126026076/669390633.png)
- 1. Press and hold the sleep/wake key on the side panel.
- 2. As soon as the power off screen appears, slide the slider from left to right.
- 3. Wait till the iPhone turns off.
- 4. Again, press and hold the sleep key until you see the Apple logo to turn it on.
6) Keep your iPhone updated to the latest version of iOS
Another solution is to keep your iPhone updated with new versions as they have enhanced bug fixes. This is mainly important when you are unable to update or download apps, as the new versions of apps might require a newer version of the iOS running on the device. You can simply do this by navigating to your setting and then, in general, you will see a software update. Click on that and you are good to go.
7) Change Date and Time Setting
These settings on your device also have a great impact on the timeline and frequency of app updates on the device. The explanation for this is complex, but in simple words, your iPhone runs a number of checks while interacting with Apple's servers before updating or downloading the app. To fix this, set automatic date and time by following the below steps:
- 1. Open Settings> General>Date &Time.
- 2. Press the Set Automatically switch to turn in on.
8) Remove and Reinstall the App
Try this if none of the above steps seem to work for you. By deleting and reinstalling the app, this issue might get fixed as at times the app just needs to start all over to function properly. This way, you also get the updated app installed on the device.
9) Empty App Store Cache
This is another trick where you clear your App Store Cache, the same way you do to your apps. In some situations, the cache can restrict you from downloading or updating your apps. To empty the cache, go through the given steps:
- 1. Tap and open the App Store app
- 2. Now, touch any icon on the down bar of the app 10 times
- 3. After you do this, the app will restart and navigate to the finish button which indicates that the cache is emptied.
10) Use iTunes to Update the App
If the application is unable to get updated on its own on the device, then you can alternatively make use of iTunes to do this. To understand this, follow the steps provided below:
- 1. To start with, launch iTunes on your PC
- 2. Choose Apps from the drop-down list present at the left corner on the top
- 3. Tap Updates just below the window on the top
- 4. Tap the icon once for the app you wish to update
- 5. Now update and after the app is completely updated, sync your device and install the updated app.
11) Reset All Settings
I Can't Download Apps From Microsoft Store
If you are still unable to install the updates, then there are some more serious steps that you need to take. You can try resetting all your iPhone settings. This will not remove any data or files. It just brings back the original settings.
- 1. Tap Settings> General> Reset>Reset all Settings.
- 2. Now enter your password if asked and in the pop-up box
- 3. Touch on Reset All Settings.
12) Restore iPhone to Factory Settings
If you have reached here, we assume the above steps might not have worked for you, so try this last step and factory reset your iPhone which seems to be the last resort now. Please be informed that all the apps, pictures, and everything will be deleted in this case. Refer to the illustration below to see how it is done in settings.
In some rare situations, something goes wrong and your iPhone can't update apps. This can be a pretty confusing situation, especially because updating apps on your iPhone is usually as simple as tapping a few buttons. There are a lot of ways to solve this, but the fixes aren't totally obvious. If you're facing this problem and know your Internet connection is working fine (since you can't download apps without that!), you've come to the right place. This article has 12 ways to get your iPhone able to update apps again.
The tips in this article apply to all recent versions of the iPhone and iOS, including iOS 11 and 12.
Can't Download App Iphone
- If you can't update apps, start by checking that you're using the right Apple ID. When you download an app, it is tied to the Apple ID you used when you downloaded it. That means that to use the app on your iPhone, you need to be logged into that original Apple ID.On your iPhone, check what Apple ID was used to get an app by following these steps:
- Tap the App Store app.
- Tap Updates.
- Tap your picture or icon in the top right corner (skip this step in iOS 10 or earlier).
- Tap Purchased.
- Checkto see if the app is listed here. If not, it was likely downloaded with another Apple ID.
If you use iTunes (and are running a version that still shows your apps; iTunes 12.7 removed the App Store and apps), you can confirm what Apple ID was used to get an app by following these steps:- Go toyour listof apps.
- Right-click the appyou're interested in.
- Click Get Info.
- Click the File tab.
- Look at Purchased by for the Apple ID.
If you used another Apple ID in the past, try that one to see if it fixes your problem. - Ensure Restrictions Are OffThe Restrictions feature of the iOS is, as of iOS 12, in the Screen Time settings. It lets people (usually parents or corporate IT administrators) disable certain features of the iPhone. One of those features is the ability to download apps. So, if you can't install an update, the feature may be blocked.To check this or turn off app restrictions, follow these steps:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Screen Time.
- Tap Content & PrivacyRestrictions.
- Tap Content Restrictions.
- Tap Apps.
- Make sure Allow All Apps is checked.
- Sometimes, all you need to do to fix an iPhone that can't update apps is to sign into and out of your Apple ID. It's simple, but that can solve the problem. Here's what you need to do:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap iTunes & App Store.
- Tap the Apple ID menu (it lists the email address you use for your Apple ID).
- In the pop-up menu, tap Sign Out.
- Tap the Apple ID menu again and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Here's a simple explanation: Maybe you can't install the app update because you don't have enough available storage space on your iPhone. If you've got very, very little free storage, the phone may not have the space it needs to perform the update and fit the new version of the app.Check your free storage space by following these steps:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap About.
- Look for the Available line. That's how much free space you have.
If your available storage is very low, try deleting some data you don't need like apps, photos, podcasts, or videos. - Restart iPhoneA simple step that can cure many ills on the iPhone is to restart the device. Sometimes your phone just needs to be reset and when it's starting fresh, things that didn't work before suddenly do, including updating apps. To restart your iPhone:
- Hold down the sleep/wake button.
- When the slider appears at the top of the screen, move it from left to right.
- Let the iPhone turn off.
- When it's off, hold down the sleep/wake button again until the Apple logo appears.
- Let go of the button and let the phone start up as normal.
If you're using the iPhone 7, 8, X, XS, or XR, the restart process is a bit different. Learn about restarting those models here. - Another common solution to many problems is to ensure you're running the latest version of the iOS. This is particularly important when you can't update apps, since new versions of apps may require a newer version of the iOS than you have.Read these articles to learn how to update the iOS on your iPhone:
- Upgrade Your iPhone's Operating System Using iTunes.
- Change Date and Time SettingYour iPhone's date and time settings influence whether it can update apps or not. The reasons for this are complex, but basically, your iPhone performs a number of checks when communicating with Apple's servers to do things like update apps. One of those checks is for date and time. If your settings are off, it can prevent you from being able to update apps.To solve this problem, set your date and time to be automatically set by following these steps:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Date & Time.
- Move the Set Automatically slider to on/green.
- If nothing else has worked so far, try deleting and reinstalling the app. Sometimes an app just needs a fresh start and when you do this, you'll install the latest version of the app.
- Reset All SettingsIf you still can't update apps, you may need to try slightly more drastic steps to get things working again. The first option here is to try resetting your iPhone's settings.This won't delete any data from your phone. It just reverts some of your preferences and settings to their original states. You can change them back after your apps are updating again. Here's how to do it:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
- You may be asked to enter your passcode. If you are, do so.
- In the pop-up window, tap Reset All Settings.
- If an app won't update on your iPhone, try doing it through iTunes (assuming you use iTunes with your phone, that is). Updating this way is pretty simple:
- On your computer, launch iTunes.
- Select Apps from the drop-down menu at the top left.
- Click Updates just beneath the top window.
- Single-click the icon of the app you want to update.
- In the section that opens, click the Update button.
- When the app has updated, sync your iPhone like normal and install the updated app.
As mentioned earlier, if you're running iTunes 12.7 or higher, this won't be possible since apps and the App Store have been removed from iTunes. - Lastly, if nothing else has worked, it's time to try the most drastic step of all: deleting everything from your iPhone and setting it up from scratch.This is a bigger process, so we've got a full article devoted to the topic: How to Restore iPhone to Factory Settings.After that's done, you may also want to restore your iPhone from backup.
- Get Support From AppleIf you've tried all of these steps and still can't update your apps, it's time to appeal to higher authority: Apple. Apple provides tech support over the phone and at the Apple Store. You can't just drop into a store, though. They're too busy. You'll need to Make an Apple Genius Bar Appointment.
- If you have to try all of these steps, it will definitely take some time. But at the end of the process, your iPhone will be able to update apps again.