One of the best things about an iPhone is the range of free apps that come pre-installed. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t download other applications from time to time. It should be easy — like most Apple tasks — but that isn’t always the case. This post explains what you can do if your iPhone 14 Pro won’t download apps.
Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
How to troubleshoot your iPhone 14 Pro that won’t download apps
There is no single reason why your iPhone 14 Pro isn’t downloading apps, so you should try these troubleshooting steps. If you try each one, you’re likely to solve the problem.
1. Check if the App Store is down
From time to time Apple suffers from a server outage. It could be that the App Store is down and nobody can download apps. The quickest way of finding out is to check Apple’s System Status page, which lists problems with all of the company’s online services; the App Store is first on the list. Note that if the problem occurred very recently it may not have been noticed yet: the site’s update frequency is in the order of minutes, not seconds.
If that comes up blank, a search for relevant terms on Twitter can often be a good way of finding out if people are sharing your pain.
If the store is down, this is both bad news and good news. There’s not much you can do to solve the problem, but on the other hand you can just sit back and wait for Apple to solve it, which should happen quickly.
2. Pause and restart your download.
Occasionally, a download will get corrupted or “confused,” and stall indefinitely. There are a few ways to get the download to resume, but the first and easiest way to try to fix it on an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 16 is to pause the download and then restart it.
Just tap and hold the app on from the home screen. If the app download is paused, tap Resume Download to get it going again. If it’s stuck, you can try to tap Pause Download. Once that’s done, you’ll press and hold the app again to tap Resume Download.x
3. Are you using the right Apple ID?
If you’re having issues with downloading app updates on your iPhone 14 Pro, the issue could stem from your Apple ID. If you change the Apple ID on your phone or are signing in with an old ID, the apps you’re using won’t update or download.
You can quickly check the Apple ID you’re logged in with by going to the App Store. If you find that you’re logged in with the wrong Apple ID, follow these steps to change it:
- Open the App Store app.
- Tap on your account located at top right side of the screen.
- Scroll all the way down on the Account page.
- Tap on the Sign Out button in order to log out from your Apple ID.
- Sign back in with the correct ID.
4. Force close the App Store
Sometimes a simple force close is all you need to fix the problem of iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps! You can do this by following these steps:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This pulls up the multitasking view.
- Scroll through the open windows on the screen to locate the App Store and then swipe it off the top of the screen.
- Once you’ve closed the app, you can just reopen it and get your download started again.
5. Toggle airplane mode
Not sure how much this one works, but I have heard plenty of people say that switching Airplane Mode on and then off will fix iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps issue. Hey, it’s not a complicated process, and it’s safe. Why not try, right?
Start the Settings app and tap the switch next to Airplane Mode to turn it on. Tap the switch again to turn it off again.
You can also toggle Airplane Mode on and off in Control Center by sliding down from the top right-hand corner of the screen and tapping the Airplane Mode button.
6. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on
Just like with Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi could be the reason why your iPhone 14 Pro won’t download apps. Not to mention, your network may very well be having simple connection issues! Toggle Wi-Fi on and off, and play around with the App Store for a few. It just might help.
Start the Settings app and tap on Wi-Fi. Toggle the Wi-Fi switch to off position. Tap the switch again to turn it on again.
You can also toggle Wi-Fi off and on in Control Center by sliding down from the top right-hand corner of the screen and tapping the Wi-Fi button.
See also: iPhone 14 Pro Wi-Fi Not Working? 14 Best Ways to Fix it!
7. Restart your router
I have fixed a Wi-Fi issue or two by simply restarting my router. It may not always make sense, but give it a try, and you might affect the Wi-Fi magic enough to get your iPhone 14 Pro downloading apps again.
You can reset your router by unplugging and plugging it back in.
It’s good to leave your router off for 10 seconds to ensure that it has fully turned off before switching it back on.
8. Try another Wi-Fi network
Even if the Wi-Fi network is working there may be a restriction on it that is stopping you from downloading apps on App Store. Work networks, for instance, may be set up to block certain sites and services to preserve bandwidth.
Try using an alternative Wi-Fi network and see if that fixes the problem.
9. Restart your iPhone!
Like in the good ol’ times, modern electronics sometimes just need a smack to work properly. OK, maybe not an actual smack, but you need to put everything back in place, and sometimes a simple reboot will do. This will take a minute or two and very often fixes problems including iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps.
Go to Settings > General > Shut Down.
10. Check your storage
A common cause for iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps is a lack of storage on your device. Usually, you will receive a notification if your storage is low when attempting a download. However, if you still want to make sure storage is not causing the download to pend, there are a couple of things you can do.
- Check how much free storage you have manually by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Free up some space by offloading unused apps or deleting old photos and videos you have backed up elsewhere.
11. Check for iOS updates
Are your downloads still stubbornly waiting? Sometimes an update or security patch might be all that’s needed. To check if one is currently available for your iPhone, head to Settings and tap on General > Software update. If an update pops up, Download and install it, and hope for the best.
12. Check your date and time settings
It may seem like a cliché fix, but often this could be the reason why your iPhone 14 Pro won’t download apps. This could be due to Apple’s servers having trouble syncing with your date and time settings. Go back and put them on automatic, if they aren’t. To do this, go to Settings > General > Date & Time and choose Set Automatically. (This setting means that if you travel from, say, London to San Francisco, as soon as your iPhone recognises it is in a new territory it will automatically change the time accordingly.)
13. Remove VPN settings
Plenty of VPN users say they have encountered issues all over the board. Have you tried deactivating these (if you are using them)? You can find VPN settings under “VPN & Device Management” in General settings. If you’re using a third-party VPN app instead, disconnect from the server.
14. Double-check your payment method
Your iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps issues could be caused by an expired or outdated payment method. You need to have a current, usable payment method connected to your Apple ID. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to install a free or paid app Apple requires you to have a payment method associated with your Apple ID.
To check the status of your payment method:
- tart the Settings app and tap on your Profile at the top of the screen.
- Next, tap ”Payment & Shipping” and make sure your payment method is valid and up to date.
15. Try signing out of the App Store and back in
If you are still experiencing a problem of iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps, try some simple reset to see if this jogs the App Store into working. First, try logging out and then log back into the App Store on your iPhone – that should fix it: Just go to App Store and tap on your account located at the top right side of the screen. Scroll all the way to the bottom and tap “Sign out” then Sign back in using your Apple ID name and password.
16. Reset your network settings
Try resetting your network settings. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings and see if that fixes the problem.
17. Factory reset your iPhone
If all else fails, wipe your iPhone clean and give it a fresh start. At this point, we have no idea what could be causing your iPhone 14 Pro not to download apps, but resetting your phone to factory defaults will likely fix most of your issues, as it deletes everything on the device and leaves it the way it was when you turned it on for the very first time.
To reset your iPhone back to factory settings, go to settings > general > Transfer or Reset iPhone > erase all content and settings.
iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps: Fixed!
We hope one of these methods got your iPhone 14 Pro downloading apps again. If nothing helped, the problem has to run deeper than usual, and you should probably contact Apple support.
These are our tips and tricks on fixing the dreaded iPhone 14 Pro not downloading apps issue. Did we help you solve the problem? Do you have other solutions that worked for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
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