Why can’t I download apps on my iPhone? What to do if iPhone won’t let me download apps? This post from MiniTool will show you the answers you want to know. Besides, if you want to recover data from your Windows device, you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery, a free data recovery software.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Why Can’t I Download Apps on My iPhone?
It is a normal operation to download apps on your iPhone or iPad. But you may find that you can’t download apps on iPhone suddenly. Usually, you will see an error message saying unable to download app. Why does this issue happen?
There are many reasons why iPhone can’t download apps, including but not limited to the following reasons:
- Poor internet connection.
- Insufficient storage space on the iPhone.
- There is something wrong with App Store.
- Your iPhone settings are not correct.
- And more….
Easy Fixes: Can’t Download Apps on iPhone/iPad
You can use the following easy methods to fix the issue of apps not downloading on iPhone. The Unable to download app error can also appear on an iPad. If you are using an iPad and can’t download apps on the device, you can also try these methods.
- Check the internet connection speed on iPhone/iPad
- Check the free storage space in your iPhone/iPad
- Refresh App Store
- Restart your iPhone/iPad
- Update to the latest version of iOS
- Restart the app download process
- Re-sign in to App Store
- Check your Apple ID payment methods
- Change Date and Time on iPhone/iPad
- Allow downloading and purchasing apps on your iPhone/iPad
- Reset your device settings
- Restore your device to factory settings
Fix 1: Check the Internet Connection Speed
The app downloading is executed online. So, you need to make sure that your internet connection speed is smooth. You can open a page using your web browser to see if your internet connection works well. You can also open an online video to make a confirmation.
Besides, if you are using cellular data, you’d better switch to a Wi-Fi connection. Usually, a Wi-Fi connection is more stable.
Fix 2: Check the Free Storage Space on Your iPhone/iPad
Any downloaded app will take up storage space on your iPhone or iPad. If there is not enough storage space, you will be unable to download apps of course. So, you can go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see if the free storage space is enough.
Fix 3: Refresh App Store
Refresh the Apps Store can delete cache in it, which can help you solve the apps download issue. It is not difficult to refresh App Store. You can do like this:
- Open App Store on your device.
- Tap any icon on the bottom 10 times or more. You can see the Loading icon on the top of the screen.
- Close App Store and re-open it.
- Try to download an app again and see if the download is normal now.
Fix 4: Restart Your iPhone/iPad
There are many temporary files on your device. If some of them are corrupt accidentally, some issues like apps not downloading on iPhone/iPad will happen. It is easy to remove these corrupt temporary files. You just need to restart your device. Then, all temporary files will be removed.
Fix 5: Update Your iPhone/iPad
If you can’t download apps on your iPhone/iPad, you can go to check if you are running the latest version of iOS. If not, you need to update your iPhone/iPad. You can go to Settings > Software Update to check for updates. If there is an available update, you need to perform an update.
Fix 6: Restart the App Download Process
If the app is stuck on downloading without process, you can tap the app to pause the download and tap it again to see if the downloading process continues again.
Fix 7: Re-sign in to App Store
Some users solve the issue by signing out and signing in to App Store. You can also do this to see if the issue is solved.
- Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store.
- Tap your Apple ID.
- On the pop-up menu, tap Sign out.
- Tap the Apple ID again and sign in with your Apple ID.
Now, you can go to download apps again and see if the issue is solved.
Fix 8: Check Your Apple ID Payment Methods
Sometimes, your payment methods can also influence the app download on your iPhone/iPad even you want to download a free one. You can check if you have a valid payment method using these steps:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iTunes & App Store.
- Tap your Apple ID.
- Tap View Apple ID on the pop-up menu.
- Tap Manage Payments. Then, you can add, update, change the payment order, or remove your payment methods according to your situation.
Fix 9: Change Date and Time on iPhone/iPad
Believe it or not, a wrong Date and Time on your iPhone/iPad can also prevent App Store from downloading apps. If you can follow these steps to change the Date and Time if needed:
- Go to Settings > General > Date & Time.
- Turn on the button next to Set Automatically.
Then, your device can correct the date and time automatically.
Fix 10: Allow Installing and Purchasing Apps on Your iPhone/iPad
Perhaps, you have set to not install and purchase apps on your device. If so, you need to revert the changes.
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. If required, you need to enter your password.
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- See if Installing Apps and In-app Purchases are set as Allow. If not, you need to tap into them one by one and select Allow for each.
After these steps, you can go to App Store again to see if you can download apps successfully.
Fix 11: Reset Your iPhone/iPad Device Settings
Some device settings may conflict with App Store but you don’t know which ones are the cause. To rule out this possibility, you can reset the device settings to have a try.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset.
- Tap Erase All Settings.
Fix 12: Restore Your iPhone/iPad to Factory Settings
If you can use the above methods to solve the issue, you will need to restore your device to factory settings. Before doing this, you need to back up your iPhone/iPad to keep your data safe.
After that, you can go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings to remove all files and settings on the device.
These are the methods you can try when you can’t download apps on your iPhone. There should be an available method for you. Should you have any other related issues, you can let us know in the comments.