Frozen App Store Updates / Podcast Downloads (iPhone 6 / iOS 8)

Hello fiasko5k,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

I see you are having issues with App Store updates and you have tried the steps in the article "If you can't connect to the iTunes Store". If you are still having an issue, take a look at this article:

Advanced iTunes Store troubleshooting - Apple Support

REgards

I'm having a very similar issue, also iPhone 6 and latest iOS.

Actually if I restart my phone (soft or hard reset) my issues are resolved (app downloads still very slow), but soon afterwards the issues all return, which for me are :

• Cannot install podcasts using standard podcasts app, download is always waiting
• In AppStore, already installed apps have the 'iCloud download button', not 'Open'
• Cannot install new apps (click on get, just get the animated circle)
• Cannot open Radio from Apple Music (all other tabs ok)
• In settings cannot open iTunes & App Store page, can open iCloud page, but cannot scroll, screen locks

My first action was to restore from a backup. As with the reboot, issues seem fixed for about 30 mins then all the problems came back. Secondly I assumed there was some corruption in my phone & backup so I completely reset the phone and set it up again from scratch (which is quite a pain actually). Thinking that must resolve the issue, I was a little surprised when exactly the same problems were still present (note: this is after a complete new factory restore!) I read about some people having issues with corrupt podcasts so I have deleted ALL podcasts, however after a period of time has elapsed the podcast app crashes again if you start switching between the various sections (featured / top charts) etc., still with no podcasts added.

The weird part is as soon as I see one of the affected issues, sure enough, all of the other symptoms have returned at exactly the same time and each and every time the symptoms are exactly the same.

Weird huh?

What you described is identical to what I'm experiencing; although I'm using an iPhone 5s. I have had no problems until the last few days. The issues you described in detail are exactly what is happening in my situation to. Feeling frustrated, today I did a full back up and restore, thinking that the software might have become corrupted. I'm starting to suspect that Apple is gearing up for iOS 9, to the point that the bugs in iOS 8 (even with the latest version) are no longer a priority.

I am looking forward to having this resolved, as I'm heading on a week long road trip, and I want to have my phone loaded up with fresh podcasts (downloaded over WiFi, at home) before leaving.

Sort this out, please, Apple software techies!

Sorry to hear you're having issues also. I guess at least we know we're not alone now. It's a very puzzling set of symptoms and I've been wracking my brain to try and work out what the connection is between them. My current plan now is to struggle on until September 9th (hopefully) and see if iOS 9 fixes the problem. I can't think of anything else.

In your case, you might want to check out a third party podcast app. I hear Overcast is very good. It's free but has in-app purchases, not sure what that gives you.

If you do discover anything new in the meantime, please update this post. I will do the same.

Good luck.

Agreed, Zazou. It does feel good to know I'm not alone on this. Thanks for the pointer about Overcast. I poked around on the discussion board, and it seems like MANY people are having issues similar to ours. They are lots of threads at: Apple Music on iOS

I will let you know if I find a quick fix. If not, we are in the same boat as millions of other people out there. Fingers crossed that iOS 9 is amazing, and cures all the glitches that came with the latest iOS 8 update.

Oh wow, I don't believe it. I thought my iPad was unaffected which it has been for days. Just tried to open 'iTunes & App Store' in settings. Hung! 😮 Force quit and opened up the AppStore to check my installed apps. Sure enough, the apps in the Top Charts that I have installed now show the iCloud download button and not 'Open' as they should 😮 😮 Checking Music app, yup, Radio tab won't open 😮😮😮

Mine is the same and I have wasted tome restoring my iPhone for no reason.

All was working fine until a couple days ago. Apple music doesn't play tracks and crashes. Mail stops triggering links. Apps won't download or hang. iTunes keeps loosing my card verification number.

I've reset my phone and some of it works but then it starts all over again.

I Cannot use my iPhone effectively now and during a long business trip my iPhone was pretty much redundant when I needed it most as it was hanging and not working.

THis this was restricted to my iPhone which led me to believe it was a device issue but now, couple days later, it's starting to happen on my iPad too.

Reading all sorts of posts on numerous forums from people having issues, all with the same comment that the problems started a couple of days ago. Clearly something has been changed at Apple's end which is having a fairly catastrophic effect on end users and many people (including a friend of mine) are carrying out restores either from backups or factory reset only to find that the issues are still not resolved.

My iPhone 5s and my 2 iPads started acting strange 5-6 days ago. The app store update screen stopped showing the blue open/update buttons next to each app and updates stopped showing up. Also found that my screen froze when I went to iCloud setting or itunes & app store settings. A forced restart resolved the problems but they returned later. Called apple care and they could not help because the problems were resolved after the restart but only returned the next morning.

You should call them back Ned. The symptoms you are experiencing are identical to mine many others who are posting in forums and on Twitter. If anything you just need them to add you to their (I would assume growing) list of people with this, and other issues so that the necessary people can work on a solution with the urgency it deserves.

Same issues here, started at the same time on my iPhone6 and iPad Air. A restart clears things up for about an hour then the problem returns.

Same issue. iPhone 5S, podcasts crashing, and Apps not updating in the app store. Restart, restore, reload, still crashing. Sadness. I have a long NYC - LA flight coming up and I usually pass the time with podcasts. Perhaps I'll go back to Instacast or something in the meantime.

I Wish Apple would acknowledge this as this is getting to be very annoying. My iPhone and my iPad both freeze or are simply unresponsive and annoying. I cannot trust either decide to do what I want whether it's opening links, downloading apps, looking for directions etc. whatever this is is rendering my devices useless and Apple should sort it.

I have exactly the same issues as you and the OP. I completely wiped my iPhone 5 and set it up from scratch which fixed the problem. For two days. Now everything's stuck again.

And what's more: The podcasts that are already downloaded will play and from the notification center, they show the correct time and I can pause, play and scrub but when I unlock the phone and go to the Podcasts app, they're back where I started listening, then the app freezes and crashes.

Completely out of ideas over here.

Experiencing the same problems here, too. I went to an Apple Store for help with this today, had both my iPad and iPhone reset as problems are experienced on both devices. Spent most of the day reinstalling apps, done a restore and setup from new, and these problems still exist.

I've started using Pocketcasts for podcasts, at least that seems to work for now. I can now access the iTunes Store, and the iTunes & App Store section in settings, but I couldn't change my passcode without rebooting and I'm having major problems installing/updating apps. A reboot fixes it, but only for a short period of time.

GIven we are are all experiencing the same problems, and it only started a few days ago, the problem has to be with Apple's end? I updated to 8.4.1 a while ago, and the problems have only just started.

How do we report this? If mass reports of problems come through, hopefully the problem will be resolved soon.