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Why can't I download or update apps on iPad running iOS 8

Updated my iPad Air to iOS 8. Apps requiring updates and any new app downloads I tried on my iPad Air have been sitting in wait status for hours. I did the following to try to correct the problem but with no success...

- Turned off and restarted the ipad

- reset the iPad without losing previous data

- signed out of iTunes account and signed back in.


My cellular and wifi router are working fine. My iPhone 5 update and iPad mini updates to ios8 worked fine and new apps and any updates are downloading without any problems. I have auto download turned in for apps so when I initiate an app download on my iPad Air, it downloads fine onto my iPad mini even though it is "hung up" on my iPad Air.


Is there anything else I should try before taking the radical step of wiping clean my iPad Air?

iPad, iOS 8

Posted on Sep 21, 2014 4:45 AM

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316 replies

Sep 23, 2014 6:15 PM in response to glennieboy

I was having a similar problem. My apps wouldn't update, the little circle just sat there doing nothing. I had recently turned on automatic downloads for app updates, the fourth one on the list in settings under iTunes & App Store> automatic downloads, and the problem seemed to happen after that. I turned that off, turned off my iPad air and then restarted it, and now my apps are updating just fine. You might try turning off all auto app download stuff in settings and see if it works for you. Have no idea why that should affect anything, but it did.

Sep 23, 2014 6:22 PM in response to glennieboy

I Figured out a workaround for this today. when you go into the App Store, don't go into "updates" (those apps in waiting status won't even show that they're there waiting for updating), go to the "purchased tab". Each app that is sitting in waiting status now how a little cloud with a down arrow. Tap the cloud and the app will update. You can only do one at a time because it seems to tax the system if you tap them all together. mine were in waiting status for 5 hours. all apps were updated within 10 minutes once I did this.

Sep 24, 2014 6:10 AM in response to glennieboy

had the same problem yesterday. However all is well today.


followed cali71aw advice but include making sure all apps where closed.


double press on the home button and swiped to close any pages on the various apps.


Reset set the iPad, home button / power button pressed together until the Apple appeared


Went to purchased download the update, one at the time. After each one checking that the blue dot appears next to the app on the home page.

IF the blue dot is is next to the app which indicates a Sucessful download and the app is still showing update I deleted the app and reinstalled it.


if the download was not succesful I moved to the next app and repeated the process.


in my case I believe two apps were in limbo stopping a Sucessful download process. Once cleared the problem was cleared up



Good luck. Some solutions work for others but sadly not all.........all very strange.

Sep 24, 2014 1:42 PM in response to Shaunfromhants

Great suggestions Shaunfromhants and glad that worked for you...followed your advice but still no luck. Looks like a trip to the Apple Store or a complete erase and start over are still in my future. I agree this is pretty weird, been using iPads since they were first introduced and never had this problem. Something is causing the app downloads on my iPad Air to be hung up. My iPad mini and iPhones are handling the updates just fine

Sep 24, 2014 3:20 PM in response to glennieboy

Actually, although my approach work the other day, it didn't work today. I again wasn't able to update an app from that update screen. So I went into the purchased app screen as was suggested and actually was able to do it from there. So thanks for all these different suggestions from everyone, because some of them work sometime, but not all the time, and some don't work at all for some folks apparently. This is beyond glitchy. Hopefully when they come out with the first update for iOS 8, some of this stuff will get fixed.

Sep 24, 2014 4:57 PM in response to portraitpainter

I'm still poking around my iPad Air to see if I can find the root cause of my issue. Still no luck but I also have found since I updated to iOS 8 that the Numbers app I use for spreadsheets cannot access the spreadsheets I have stored in iCloud. When I click on iCloud under settings then click on storage then click on manage storage then select numbers, I can see all the spreadsheets that are stored. The Numbers app on my iPad mini also running iOS 8 is having no problem accessing these spreadsheets. Interesting...and I'm assuming the issues are related. Also appears to me that we have a very buggy iOS 8 operating system.


Thanks for everyones help!!!

Sep 24, 2014 9:47 PM in response to glennieboy

Unfortunately, glennieboy, you are not alone. I have the exact same issue and have tried all of the above remedies to no avail. Two days ago I reset my iPad and was somehow able to get the apps to update/download, but this morning it is back to not working for no reason. I am up to 16 apps that need to update but can't. I am beyond frustrated! Not sure what to try next. My iPhone is working just fine so I have ruled out my network as the culprit. I'm anxious to hear of any more suggestions. Sorry I don't have a good solution. We will just have to hang in there.

Why can't I download or update apps on iPad running iOS 8

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