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Very slow downloading of any applications from the App Store

At the beginning of using the iPhone, all applications loaded quickly, whether it was an application that weighs 100 megabytes or 10 gigabytes, and now, after some use, an application that weighs 57 megabytes swings for one hour or more, any application that I put on the jump swings for an hour or more


(Wi-Fi works fine, I checked 100 megabytes per second on the computer)

iPhone 11, iOS 17

Posted on Jan 9, 2024 9:21 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 10, 2024 4:03 AM

Did Apple intentionally slow down downloading new apps after the latest iOS update release?

58 replies

May 7, 2024 1:35 PM in response to lolipopnmn

Downloads are definitely slower and have been for a couple months. It’s not my devices (all new, plenty of space), WiFi, ISP, iOS or anything else on my end. I have that all dialed in with gig speeds and solid WiFi. I am seeing a lot of updates failing and I have to select the update again and it again fails. It happens when I select one app or all updates most every time. Whether it's throttling or capacity or even something regional, Apple needs to address this.

Jun 30, 2024 9:03 PM in response to lolipopnmn

I ended up here because I was having the same issue on my new iPad 10th gen. I was trying to download DaVinci Resolve which is 3.3 gb. My estimated download time was over 2 hours.


I seen replies saying to remove any VPNs however, I did not have any installed on this new device.


What was the fix for me was enabling Private Relay which is a feature of iCloud+ (Tap on your name in the Settings app, then press iCloud). After enabling, I stopped and restarted the app download. What was a 2 hour download became a 2 minute download.


Hope this helps!

Apr 2, 2024 2:39 PM in response to Hamad2508

This has been ongoing for me for the past month as well. Each Apple device I use (iPhone 11Pro Max, iPad Pro 12.9", 16" MBP, and 14" MBP) is bafflingly slow downloading updates from Apple—not from Adobe, not from MS, not from any vendor or client with whom I exchange large files—only software updates from Apple.


To illustrate, the 17.4.1 update on my iPad and 14.4.1 on 14" MBP have never been completed, no matter the time of day I try or how long I allow them to run. And this is across days of allowing them to try. All apps with software updates by MS and Adobe during that time have proceeded as expected, quickly, without undue pause or delay.


Re-configuring TCP and DNS and even rebooting all devices have not changed this. A few minutes ago, Adobe updated 3 apps in the CC in 10 minutes. Before that, Apple could not download a Pages update more than a MB or two after 15 minutes. After trying repeatedly over three days, the MBP stated 4 days for the 14.4.1 update. A Surface Pro 2 updated its OS and apps after 2 months offline in about an hour, using the same WiFi and settings.


Recap:

Multiple Apple devices cannot update Apple software despite hours/days of attempts.

Adobe and Microsoft updates of apps and OS all proceed without issue, on Apple and MS devices.

Apple and MS devices on the same network are experiencing vastly different outcomes, despite a stable network and 250+Mbps DL speed.


My next step will be to take a device or two to a wholly different location and attempt to download the recommended Apple updates, but the evidence thus far indicates a significant issue at Apple, not the ISP or devices.


EDIT: I should also note that updates to Parallels and the resident VM OSs and apps all proceeded as expected.

Jul 9, 2024 12:09 AM in response to lolipopnmn

I've been facing a similar issue for at least the past 6 months or more. All app store downloads, be it on my iPhone 14 Pro, 2017 MBP 15", 2023 Mac mini or one of those recent iPads, they are very very.. very slow! I have a 400Mbps connection, and all downloads are generally okay and match the speed of my internet except for from the App store. I'm not sure if its the VPN, since I've had them installed in my systems for the last 4+ years. This issue is a recent development. However, I must point out that on my iPhone, as soon as I switch off the wifi and it connects to my 4G / 5G, the download becomes lightning fast immediately. So not sure what is the fault here. I hope Apple can give an explanation soon, as it is starting to get really annoying especially for use on macs where I cannot switch to my cellular network.

Apr 2, 2024 9:09 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Unless you are privy to Apple’s computing infrastructure and policies, I don’t see how you have the authority or expertise to make such a claim. Your experience doesn’t dictate every user’s experience any more than my experience does. There are many variables at play, as my 35 years in professional IT have taught me.


It’s unfortunate for others here who are experiencing this issue that instead of receiving helpful feedback they instead get trolled.

May 9, 2024 6:23 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

I have the same issue as rellaax. I do not have any VPN profiles installed. 3 days ago I could down load my updates and new apps very quick (310mbps) then now even with the same speed the apps take a lot longer to down load (227mb took 30 minutes…) I have the space on my phone and no issues watching YouTube / Netflix. It really does appear to be an issue with Apple App Store downloading.

May 29, 2024 7:07 AM in response to Sasamafrass

Sasamafrass wrote:

Ummm never had a problem with my VPN before. Everything ran perfectly. My problem now is after the 2 updates in May 2024! Every app loads at dialup speed, if they load at all! Basically unwatchable/useless ever since.

Have you TRIED deleting your VPN? Below will be a very long explanation of why you can have a VPN problem now when you never had one before. But try first to see.

=============================

VPN frequently creates more problems than it solves. But one important fact is that when you install VPN it configures itself to the specific hardware, iOS version and network that the phone uses. If any of those change it can break the VPN. So any time you change any of these you may need to delete the VPN app and profile, restart your phone then add them back (if you still want to use VPN) so it can configure itself to the new environment.


Here's Apple's advice on VPN→

Check VPN (Virtual Private Network) and third-party software to help resolve network connectivity issues - Apple Support

Something to think about→Don't use VPN - GITHUB

Here's Brian Krebs on VPN security (or lack thereof)→Why your VPN may not be as secure as it claims


There are two legitimate purposes for using VPN:

  • To allow access to a private network such as a school or business when you are not on site. 
  • To allow access outside of a country with a repressive government that has restricted Internet access. (This has suddenly become more important)


Any other use is risky, and can lead to problems like the one discussed in this thread. VPN disguises your location by making you appear to be somewhere else in the world. But you usually can’t control that “somewhere else”, and if it is in a location that an app isn’t approved for the app won’t work. Plus the fact that the provider of the VPN knows everything about you and your location, as well as what sites you access through the VPN. So you are totally dependent on the VPN provider’s honesty. As a start, if the VPN is free, DON’T USE IT. The provider has to make money somehow, and if you aren’t paying them then they are selling your private data to make money. 


But even those that charge can’t necessarily be trusted. For example, a few years ago Avast was caught selling user browsing data. They claim they have stopped doing so, however, they lied 🤥→ FTC Order Will Ban Avast from Selling Browsing Data for Advertising Purposes


You don’t really need VPN when using public Wi-Fi, because all communications between your device and the servers it accesses are end-to-end encrypted.


If you want VPN for privacy about the sites you visit, that’s not a good choice as discussed; instead you should download and use the TOR browser.


The other use for VPN is to “steal” content that is not available in your area. I leave this question to your personal ethics.


With iOS 15.2 and later for iOS/iPadOS and MacOS Monterey 12.2 and later Apple now has iCloud+ Private Relay, which is not VPN, but provides a safer browsing environment than VPN, and it doesn't spy on you→About iCloud Private Relay - Apple Support



Very slow downloading of any applications from the App Store

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