App Store Not Downloading Apps? "Unable to Download App" and "Waiting" Fixes

You tap Get in the App Store and nothing happens, the icon stays grey with "Waiting...", or a message says "Unable to Download App". Here are the causes, from the most common to the rarest.

1. Check the free space

An app needs space to download and to install, often twice its size. Check Settings > General > iPhone Storage and keep at least a few gigabytes free. See how to free up space.

2. Check the connection

• Open a website in Safari to check that the internet works.
• Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data or the opposite.
• Turn off any VPN or DNS app.
• Check Apple System Status: App Store should be green.

3. Allow large downloads on mobile data

By default, iOS asks before downloading large apps on cellular. Go to Settings > Apps > App Store > App Downloads (under Cellular Data) and choose Always Allow. Also turn off Low Data Mode in Cellular and Wi-Fi settings.

4. Pause and resume the download

On the Home Screen, tap the grey app icon to pause it, then tap again to resume. You can also press and hold the icon and choose Prioritize Download, or Cancel Download and start again from the App Store.

5. Restart the iPhone

A simple restart fixes many stuck downloads. If the iPhone is frozen:

• iPhone 8 and later: press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears (about 10 to 15 seconds).
• iPhone 7 / 7 Plus: hold Volume Down and the Side button together until the Apple logo appears.
• iPhone 6s and earlier: hold the Home button and the Side (or Top) button together until the Apple logo appears.

6. Payment information requested for a free app

Sometimes the App Store asks you to verify your payment information even for free apps. This happens when there is an unpaid purchase, an expired card, or a new account.

• Go to Settings > [your name] > Payment & Shipping and update or remove the card.
• In many countries you can choose None as the payment method for free apps.
• Check unpaid purchases in Settings > [your name] > Media & Purchases > View Account > Purchase History.

If your account says it is disabled in the App Store, read Apple Account locked or disabled.

7. Sign out of the App Store and sign in again

Settings > [your name] > Media & Purchases > Sign Out, restart the iPhone, then sign in again. This only affects the App Store, not iCloud.

8. Check Screen Time restrictions

If Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store Purchases has Installing Apps set to "Don't Allow", the App Store cannot install anything. On a child's iPhone, the parent may need to approve with Ask to Buy. Forgot the code? See reset the Screen Time passcode.

9. Set the date and time automatically

Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically. A wrong date blocks secure connections to the App Store.

10. "This app is not available in your country or region"

Each app is published per country. Your Apple Account region decides which apps you see. Changing region is possible in Settings > [your name] > Media & Purchases > View Account > Country/Region, but you must first spend your store credit, cancel subscriptions and you need a payment method from the new country. Think carefully before changing, as some purchases may not be available in the new region.

11. "This app requires iOS XX or later"

If your iPhone cannot run the latest iOS, you can often install an older version of the app:

1. Download the app on another device or once with the same Apple Account (it then appears in your purchases).
2. On the old iPhone, open the App Store > your profile > Purchased, and tap the download icon.
3. The App Store offers to download the last compatible version.

Check which iOS version your model supports with our Max OS Version tool.

12. Update iOS or reset network settings

• Install the latest iOS: iOS 27.0.1.
• Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Apps that crash right after installation

Delete the app, restart, reinstall. If several apps crash, update iOS. Be careful with "modified" apps or IPA files from unofficial sites: they can contain malware (how to remove malware from iPhone).