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Downloading apps stuck on waiting...

For the past few days I've been unable to download any apps from the App Store on my iOS devices, including the iPad and iPhone. I click "install", it asks for my password, it goes back to the home screen and the icon pops up and it says "waiting…" underneath, and then nothing ever happens. It's just stuck on waiting forever. It's basically what you would expect would happen if the store was down or my internet was down, except neither is the case.


I called Apple support and the only thing they had to offer was to do a factory reset on both my iPad and iPhone. I'd rather not do that because it's a pain. Plus, how can it be a hardware problem when it's happening on BOTH of my devices? It sounds like a problem with my account on their end, but they had no idea.


Has this happened anybody else? Anybody have any ideas?


For the record, I can still download apps onto my computer in iTunes and then sync those apps to my devices, I just can't download apps directly from my devices. Very strange.


Thanks for any help you guys can offer! =)


Philip

iPad (3rd gen) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iOS 5.1.1

Posted on Jul 2, 2012 12:59 PM

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Posted on Jul 2, 2012 1:07 PM

I fixed it from another post: go into iTunes -> more -> downloads and look for stuck downloads there. It's non-obvious, but it's also not difficult. Delete all the downloads in progress in iTunes and then try downloading apps again.


I guess if you have one download stuck anywhere, it screws up all downloads everywhere.


Anyway, worked for me. Whew.

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Jul 2, 2012 1:07 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

I fixed it from another post: go into iTunes -> more -> downloads and look for stuck downloads there. It's non-obvious, but it's also not difficult. Delete all the downloads in progress in iTunes and then try downloading apps again.


I guess if you have one download stuck anywhere, it screws up all downloads everywhere.


Anyway, worked for me. Whew.

Feb 12, 2017 4:36 AM in response to George Monge

I had the same problem,but now i solved it in my iphone 4s.First delete the waiting app by holding it and touching the delete(dont do it on app store). Next close all minimised app.next reboot ur phone .when its done then hold ur power button(till slide to power off appears)then hold home button till it disappears.now go to app store and download it.


There is another method

If ur using a wifi connection change its dns to 8.8.8.8

May 5, 2017 12:39 PM in response to hljboss

I have this same problem but I have 588 mb storage left on my iphone and the app im trying to download is only like 88 mb. I try to download it and it shows up on me home screen but it is stuck on waiting and simply wont work. I have tried everything . Id shut down the app store and try to go to settings and usage and the app doesnt even show up there and i even reset my phone and still nothing please help.

Feb 2, 2017 4:39 AM in response to stedwick

I tried to all the log out and restart combinations. None worked for me. What finally worked after I restarted I went to the "updates" section on the phone. Several apps were set to download but none were moving. I clicked on one and it started downloading. I clicked on another, then another. Once two or there were downloading I clicked download all and they just kept going by themselves. Good luck.

Jun 9, 2017 12:18 PM in response to stedwick

The simplest solution to removing apps being in 'waiting' status is to just go to Apps on your iPhone, search for the app that is showing waiting, click on it, you will see a blue dot at the right side of that very app, click on it to postpone its update process in background, now go back to the menu and you will then see the app is not in the waiting mode any longer.... 🙂

Jan 2, 2017 11:54 AM in response to stedwick

I have seen the many and good replies. For me, the simple iPad restart did the trick. The icons changed from waiting to simply being "greyed out" except for the ones that shifted to downloading mode and showping visual progress In pie graph format.


In my case, since I was setting up a new iPad to "match" an existing iPad using iCloud backup, there were also a huge amount of photos being brought in via iCloud photos. As advised by an Apple setup person in store, keep in mind those photo downloads could be competing for download bandwidth with app update data to the device as well.


That aside, the stagnant "waiting" icon issue is gone.

Apr 14, 2017 10:06 PM in response to Reidbee

Me again - sorry folks, I was too quick - the download process certainly worked but afterwards still the app would not open - back to square one. FYI, I have a new iPad and am simply trying to load all the apps from the old one onto it. Most have loaded, but about six have not, all showing the grey overcast on the icon, refusing to either open or delate.

Apr 14, 2017 10:41 PM in response to Reidbee

Ah, sweet success. Somehow, some combo of the various advice above, got rid of the unresponsive icons and successfully downloaded apps that this time actually did open. I think the key to it was shutting down the Appstore app (via double click on home button and sweep the Appstore page off the screen) after deleting the apps from the settings/general/usage management window. There were some restarts of the iPad along the way. But all this has taken most of the day.

May 5, 2017 7:13 PM in response to Skylerraeann18

This may just repeat what someone else has already said, but I did find (on my iPhone) that by going to Appstore/Updates; then the button Purchased and then My purchases, you see the list of all the apps you have bought or accessed, and you can then delete or reload any of those apps. This worked to eliminate the last, most troublesome, of my "shaded-waiting" apps. I must say Apple is remiss in not addressing the problem, given that this thread of confusion and complaint has been around since 2012.

Jul 2, 2012 1:06 PM in response to stedwick

Hi..


Try this on one device...


Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings


Then restart the device > Hold the power button until "slide to power off" appears. Slide to power off. After it is off, press the power button to turn it back on.


That just resets your settings to default, you will not lose any media.


If it works on one device, then try on the other.


If that doesn't help, tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Setttings


Then restart. Try downloading apps. You may have to re type in your wireless network password.

Downloading apps stuck on waiting...

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