How to Troubleshoot iPhone Apps Not Updating

Last Updated: May 25, 2021 References

App update problems can often be solved by force-closing all open apps and restarting your iPhone. If app updates hang on a “Waiting,” or “Installing” message, however, there may be a network issue. Make sure Wi-Fi is on in Settings → Wi-Fi, and then try connecting to a different network.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:
Closing All Apps

1
Double-tap the Home button. If an app is misbehaving, updates may not install. When you tap this button, all open apps will appear, and you can swipe through them to see what’s running.^{[1]
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2
Swipe up on an app. The app will close, and the next app (if another app is running) will appear.
3
Swipe up on the remaining apps. Continue swiping up no apps are left.
4
Try updating your apps again.
- If you’re still having trouble, restart your iPhone. If that doesn’t solve the problem, try another method.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:
Checking Your Network Connection

1
Open the Settings app. If you see an error like “waiting…” or “installing” when trying to install an update, it’s usually due to a network issue.^{[2]
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2
Tap Wi-Fi. Now you’ll see the Wi-Fi switch, which should be green to show that it’s turned on.
- If the switch is gray, tap it to turn on Wi-Fi.
3
Connect to a wireless network. If you see a blue checkmark next to the network name, you can skip this step. Otherwise, tap your wireless network and enter a passcode (if prompted) to connect.^{[3]
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4
Reboot your router. This may clear up issues with your home network.
- Unplug the power cable from your router. The router is the device that connects to your phone or cable line.
- Wait 30 seconds and then reconnect the power. After about a minute, the router should come back online.
5
Connect to a different Wi-Fi network. If rebooting your router didn’t solve the problem (or if you’re not on your own home network):
- Open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap a different wireless network. Note that if you see a padlock next to a network, you’ll be prompted to enter a passcode.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:
Signing Out and Back In to iCloud

1
Open the Settings app. You may be able to fix update issues by signing out iCloud and then signing in again.^{[4]
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2
Tap iTunes and App Store.^{[5]
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3
Tap your Apple ID. This is the ID you use to sign in to iTunes.
4
Tap Sign Out.
5
Tap Sign In.
6
Enter your Apple ID and password. When the password is accepted, you’ll be signed back in to iCloud.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:
Turning Off Airplane Mode

1
Look for an airplane icon in your status bar. The status bar is at the top of the screen. If you see this icon, your phone is in airplane mode, which would prevent apps from updating.^{[6]
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- If you don’t see the airplane icon in the status bar, try another method.
2
Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen.
3
Tap the airplane icon. The airplane icon will disappear from the status bar, and you should now be able to update the app.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:
Turning On Automatic Updates

1
Open the Settings app. If your apps are no longer updating automatically, it’s possible the feature has accidentally turned off.
- If you’re having trouble with manual updates, you can use this method until your manual update issues are resolved.
2
Tap iTunes and App Store.
3
Scroll down to “Automatic Downloads.”
4
Toggle on the “Updates” switch. The switch will turn green when Updates is on.
5
Restart your iPhone. Once the phone comes back up, the apps should download on their own. If not, see another method. Here’s how to restart the iPhone:^{[7]
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- Press and hold the button on the right side of the phone.
- Drag the slider on the screen as indicated.
- Press the button on the right side of the phone to turn it back on.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:
Deleting and Reinstalling the App

1
Tap and hold the app icon. If your issue is with one particular app, you may solve it by removing and then reinstalling it from the App Store.^{[8]
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2
Tap the X.
3
Tap Delete.
4
Open the App Store.
5
Search for the app you deleted.
6
Tap GET to reinstall the app.