iOS 12.5.4 some apps showing updates available, updates will download but not install

I found a solution.

I deleted the stuck apps and then re-downloaded them from the purchased list. A pop-up showed telling me the app now requires iOS 13 (or 14) and asked me if I wanted to download the last compatible version. It installed it and problem solved.

I'd read somewhere this suggestion but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to reinstall the apps. I started with the least important of them as a test. You might want to do the same.

I checked and every app you're having an issue with is compatible with an iPhone running iOS 11 or higher. So, it's not the apps. I would do as deggie suggests and perform a Forced Restart on your iPhone.

Do to so on an iPhone 6:

Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

I have also had this problem recently on my original gen1 iPad Air with iOS 12.5.4. It happened with a ton of different apps (I.e. over 20) and I was able to correct it for most by deleting and then re-downloading them. This worked for all but 2 which are Walmart and Lose It! Now my USAA app is failing to update but I don’t dare delete it for fear it won’t install again.

Steps I took to resolve included resetting all my settings, but I did not perform a full restore to factory defaults as Apple recommended because I know it won’t work and it’s too time consuming to have to reconfigure multiple email accounts with 2 factor authentication and app generated passwords....

I have contacted the Lose It! developer and they insist it’s a problem with the App Store, and the fact that it’s happening with so many apps to so many people supports that. However, it may just be that new requirements for later versions of iOS have broken iOS 12.5.4 compatibility even though these apps are supposed to support iOS 12.5.4 (they all say they work on my device in the App Store). What needs to happen is Apple needs to identify these apps (USAA, imdb, Netflix, Lose It!, Walmart, Accuweather, Trulia, Lowes, eBay, etc.) then reach out to those developers to inform them their apps are no longer working on iOS 12.5.4 and probably other versions, and work with them to get their apps configured and working properly on devices they’re supposed to so they update correctly.

NOTE: the common thread with many of these apps, not all, is they throw a message saying they require iOS 13 or higher but that you can download an earlier version that still works on an older OS. HOWEVER, clicking download leads to failure so there’s either a problem with the App Store, iOS 12.5.4 or a very large number of apps were coincidentally not set up correctly when updated for iOS 13 or higher such that they point to and download an earlier version that still works on the older OS.

APPLE, if you are listening, please show some leadership and work with or communicate with these app developers because it’s affecting too many people and too many apps to just be coincidence. Thank you!

I believe all of the current versions of those apps require iOS 13 or later. You cannot update to iOS 13 on your iPhone as it does not have sufficient RAM and you cannot add it.

Yes, I have been having the same problem on my iPhone 6 Plus for the last several days. The App Store has gotten very finicky.

Many app updates will not load. A number of my apps have stopped working, and tell me that I need to download an update - but I am unable to do so.

I would not delete the apps, as you likely will not be able to download them again.

In the App Store, when I try to update some apps, I get this message:

"Download an older version of this app?"

"The current version requires iOS 13.0 or later, but you can download the latest compatible version"

The choices are "Cancel" or "Download."

Clicking "Download" does not work - it simply brings up the same message again. So one has to "Cancel."

That is, the App Store is not able to download an iOS compatible version of the app.

I suspect that the reason that this has started to happen now is that app developers are getting ready for iOS 15, due to be released this Fall (to go along with the new iPhone 13 series). They are updating their apps, and eliminating compatibility with iOS 12.

These are all in a continuing stream of small ( intentional) incentives to get you to buy a new iPhone. It's quite sad, since my iPhone 6 Plus is in superb shape, replaced in Spring 2019 with a brand new unit, due to a battery issue.

It would be nice to think that Apple will have a fix for this problem, but I sincerely doubt it...

Yours is the first post I've seen complaining about this so apparently it didn't break it for most people. You might try a forced restart and if that doesn't work restoring your iPhone.

You are completely misinformed. COMPLETELY. Apple does NOT control what iOS version App Developers support. If an App Developer chooses to no longer support iOS versions on very old 7 year or older devices, that's on the app developer.

Apple doesn't own the code inside 3rd party apps. Therefore Apple has no ability to make a 3rd party app work with an iOS version the App Developer doesn't support any longer.

To expect a device to remain current forever is unrealistic and not going to happen. If you want these apps, complain to the app developers or do what is ultimately what you MUST do and that's upgrade to a modern device which can run the newer iOS versions.

This is what we see in the App Store under updates. After we go on 'download' (second screenshot) it just stays stuck there. As you can see, those apps are in that limbo since August 16th.

As those updates require iOS 13 or 14 they shouldn't show here. Important to say that other updates are happening just fine.

Hi

I have the same issue - I have tried every suggestion - It all started when I restored my iPhone 5S - I had to re-install the Loseit App but it will not complete a download - I still appears in my Purchased Apps and advises me to get the Previous Version - I wish I could!!

Here is the answer from their Support - Contact Apple - Apple says it's the developer!!! Both are monitoring each other - this does not help me

"I realize this isn’t the greatest news; we are monitoring the situation to see if Apple makes any updates that resolve this issue. If anything on our end changes or we find that this was, in fact, a Lose It! issue, we will take swift action to get it fixed."

"Hi Annabel,

Thanks for reaching out, and sorry to hear of the trouble.

We recently changed the minimum required iOS/iPadOS software to iOS 13.  So all Lose It! updates from that point forward require iOS/iPadOS 13. 

That is why you can not update to the newest version of Lose It!.

But, the Apple App Store is supposed to allow users to download a prior version that is still supported on their device and (iOS 12.5.4). 

Our working theory is that this has something to do with a change with iOS 12.5.4.  There are a few discussion threads in the Apple support forms of other users seeing this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253058228?page=1

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253053761 

In the meantime, you can still log in and access most features on loseit.com or any other Apple Mobile device running iOS/iPadOS 13.

I realize this isn’t the greatest news; we are monitoring the situation to see if Apple makes any updates that resolve this issue. If anything on our end changes or we find that this was, in fact, a Lose It! issue, we will take swift action to get it fixed."

I don't think it's app specific. There are too many apps failing to update or install on my phone, all of which -according to the app info- are compatible with my iPhone. This is what I've tried:

• Soft reset
• Logging out and in again
• Logging in with a different ID
• Deleting and reinstalling app
• Stopping dl and re-download
• Installing from a backup using iMazing (great app btw)
• Putting phone in recovery mode and updating/re-installing iOS
• Restoring to factory default and setting up as a new iPhone
• Swearing at the phone for several minutes

All to no avail. Interestingly enough, when I first connected the phone in recovery mode iTunes said there was a problem with it. That's why I persisted with trying to fix it but now it would seem it is an Apple issue. Wouldn't it be nice to have a system utility for iOS devices like there are for the Mac, like Onyx

1. It really doesn't matter what shape your device is in it does not have sufficient RAM to run iOS 13 and you cannot add it.
2. Nobody is browbeating anybody.
3. It is up to the app developer if they want to keep an older version of their app available for devices running older iOS versions, not Apple.
4. If a developer is telling you that they have an older version available then it should tell you that when you try to update. If it does not something has gone awry, click on the Get Support link at the top right of this page to contact Apple.
5. If you see a message saying that the app now requires iOS 13 or later that means the developer opted to not keep an older version available and support it. Again that had nothing to do with Apple.
6. You don't have to spend $1,000 USD to get a device that can run iOS 13. You can buy a used iPhone 6s or an iPhone SE 2020 which is $399.

The discussion in this post has gone completely off rails and it's a pity since the issue is still there.

The matter at hand is, the App Store should NOT suggest an app update when there isn't one compatible. That simple.

It looks like this only happened for a day or two, since we can all update other apps, but a few got stuck in a sort of limbo.

So, Apple should fix the bug in the App Store that suggests updates that aren't compatible with iOS 12. No-one is saying the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus should get the latest features, the technical limitations are pretty obvious, but the App Store should not suggest these incompatible updates.