ios 6 won't download apps

Go into iTunes (or any other app that could potentially be downloading something... a song... a TV show... whatever). Make sure nothing is downloading. To stop a download if you find one, swipe left on the song/video and click 'Delete'.

Apps will then download.

I had a song in iTunes downloading when I did the ios update and it was stuck downloading and I didn't know it. I deleted it, then all my apps began to update.

thank you @Matt13!

additionally, one way to ensure that all apps are OFF/ not active: 1. double fast-click home button 2. this should show all ACTIVE apps on the bottom of screen. 3. hold any of the icons/apps until they wiggle. 4. delete all active apps [this will not delete the apps it will only stop all of their current processes]. 5. and voila...the app store is again hunky dory...just like old times. 🙂

Welp haveing the same problem with the Iphone5 64g. can not download apps. Called Apple...was on hold for quite some time. the guy then tells me they can fix it for $59.00 I told them I just got this phone a week ago, paided the 99.99 fee to fix my phone when I have problem and I see on the forums I am by far not the only person haveing this problem. I have been useing a HTC EVO for years no problems. If this the way things are with apple I will deffinetly be returning this phone.

The problem I am having is with step 1 with your post. How do you accomplish that step?

Thanks suburbanrambler! My apps are back to normal. I guess the key is not to download several apps at once.

Amandaclairhudson, I also had problem figuring how to do step one but it's like double clicking a touchpad, only it's your ipad/iphone's home button this time. Learned new things from suburbanrambler,just follow his instructions as written above:) Those steps should do the trick, and I hope you also fix the prob soon.

Every single time I've told anyone at Apple about a problem they've said it's the first time they've heard anything about the problem. I'm not surprised.

I checked and have no pending iTunes store downloads and removed all apps which were updating and new apps still stuck on 'waiting'.

I have work to do. Spent $800 on a phone that is causing me problems and not working. Wonderful. Thank you Apple! My experience coming back to iOS from Android has been **** from the purchasing process all the way til now.

Do you have iTunes Match? That was the issue for me. I turned it off, synced with Match turned off, then turned on iTunes Match again. Before I did that, it didn't matter how many apps I deleted, and signing out/in of iTunes didn't work either. Turning off, syncing, then turning back on iTunes Match worked.

No, I don't have iTunes Match on.

However, I did after trying these steps (deleting all apps, hard reset, etc. even the iTunes thing) that apparently iOS6 has issues downloading apps from Wi-Fi. I disconnected the Wi-Fi network and now I'm able to download the apps. I think that was the hangup, as even when I cleared all apps and made sure nothing was downloading and removed all running apps like that one person said apps were still hung on "waiting when I did this.

btw- I used the word h e double hockeysticks.. just wow. 🙂

Anyway if none of this helps you, maybe this will help 🙂

This solution worked for me.

1) Closed Apps down

2) Went into iTunes and down loaded a song (any song, didn't matter if it was free or a paid song)

3) When prompted with the security question, answered them

4) Voila! No time out

5) When asked to confirm purchase; said no and closed the iTune app.

6) Opened the Apps store and then download what I wanted successfully

Thanks for the person who originally posted this solution in the thread above.

@Apple you really need to fix this issue. looks like the timeout happens when trying to setup the security questions from inside the AppStore but works from inside iTunes (when downloading music).

I have a large number of songs in my iTunes library and I inadvertently downloaded an 1,800 song playlist from iMatch. Once you do that, if you don't allow the entire playlist to download, any apps that you try to download will backup behind the playlist songs and will show as "Waiting..." To fix this, go to iTunes and click on Downloads. There you'll see the remaining playlist songs. You'll need to either allow them to download or swipe and delete them from the list. I wish Apple had a way to clear the queue with one click.

Finally I have figured it a by-pass:

1) Installing iBooks on your iPhone via iTunes on PC/MAC

2) Adjust the time of your iPhone to 6 months ahead (e.g. 2013 May)

3) Close all apps currently running, clear Safari cache and history, sign out of Apple ID (Settings>iTunes & App Stores), reboot your device

4) Open iBooks on your iPhone, download any 1 book

5) System should prompt you to enter 3 security questions

6) Enter your answer and click "Done" at bottom right part of your input keyboard (Do not press upper right button)

7) Done!

I cannot imagine the system has gone so... Apple, please retify the problem ASAP.

I've been having the same problem not with my iPhone but with my iPad. After I installed the new version of io6, I had a problem with my Economist app, which needed to be updated. That went through quirkily (it didn't recognize my subscription but later it did, without me changing any settings), but after that one update any new app or update I download has been stalled on 'Waiting'. This is also true of any books I download in iBooks.

In an attempt to fix this, I've signed out and in several times, I've checked for any music downloads (there weren't any), I've turned off iTunes Match (I had never used it anyway), I've reset the settings, I've tried to download while connected to the computer instead of via wifi, I've done everything but restore the computer (I can't risk that because I use one of the apps for work). I went to an off-license Apple service center and they (stupidly) deleted iBooks and now I cannot download iBooks.

Any advice about what to do?

I found a single song in the iTunes app on my phone, swiped and deleted it. Also, more generally, all the downloads and updates work when WiFi is turned off - thank goodness I have 4G and a large data allowance. But last night I tried to sync with the cable and my Mac and it sat at 'Stage 7' overnight and was still going this morning, so something's not right.

After trying every possible suggested route I found in many different posts on various boards the only thing that worked for me was a complete backup to iCloud over WiFi followed by a complete Restore from iCloud via USB connection to my Win7 PC. Took about 1 1/2 hours but seems to be a perfect copy of itself prior to the hickups where I had three apps hanging after download on the installation. After backup/restore, all three apps installed fine.

Apart from the time it took (patience!) the process was pretty simple, although it required a few times of personal intervention (like entering SIM Card Lock Code etc).