iPhone [MERGED] iOS 13 - app updates stuck on "Waiting"

[mzanker]

For the past few days app updates on my 11 Pro Max always get stuck on "Waiting". Rebooting always fixes it but as soon as there's another app update it gets stuck again. Sometimes it installs after an hour or so but yesterday's updates were still stuck after about 12 hours.

My iPad on iPadOS 13.2.2 has no problems (even when using the iPhone as a hot-spot).

Anybody else seeing this?

 

[pfrobbins]

For the past few days app updates on my 11 Pro Max always get stuck on "Waiting". Rebooting always fixes it but as soon as there's another app update it gets stuck again. Sometimes it installs after an hour or so but yesterday's updates were still stuck after about 12 hours.

My iPad on iPadOS 13.2.2 has no problems (even when using the iPhone as a hot-spot).

Anybody else seeing this?

Same issue with 13.2.2 with both iPad 12.9 (1st gen) & iPhone X. I had the issue before 13.2.2 & hoped it would be resolved with the update. No luck. Reboot fixes it, but still annoying.

 

[C DM]

App updates seem to be fine on this end (with iPhone 7 on iOS 13.2.2).

 

[superdude42]

I also have this problem on my iPhone XS Max since upgrading to iOS 13.2. App updates or even new installs are stuck on waiting forever. Rebooting the phone fixes it for a few hours, but eventually the phone always runs into the issue again. So annoying! I have already tried turning airplane mode on/off, logging out of the App Store and in again, even reset the phone‘s network settings, nothing helped. I‘m just glad I have found this thread, now I know I‘m not alone! I hope Apple fixes this with the next update.

 

[emirb351]

Have been thinking about posting this for a few weeks now, thinking it was just me/phone. Exactly same issues as everyone above, I also thought the latest app update would have fixed it. I have searched the forums & no one seems to having this issue until you posted.

it’s a nightmare as you literally have to reset your phone or turn it on & off again.

What I have also noticed when this issue is happening is one of my apps (reeder 4) has to be re-launched every time I open it, basically no background app refresh, probably not linked but thought I’d mention it as when I do reset my phone background app refresh works great for it then as soon as the app updates for other apps starts freezing then it fails.

I know the latest iOS Version apparently fixes background refresh as well as other issues, however this bug with the apps has been from the last two updates to iOS.

as mentioned I am quite surprised it’s not a mainstream issue with users. I have the iPhone 11 & this issue only started happening since the last two iOS updates. Very very annoying.

 

[kurisub]

Suddenly today I am no longer able to update my apps on either my iPhone or my iPad Pro. I was able to update them no problem earlier this morning. When I go to manually update them and click the update button, it's spins for a second and then the button goes back to saying "update". I have more than enough free space on the device (only using 56GB out of 256) I can still download new apps, but I can't update any of my existing apps that have updates. The only way for me to "update" an app at the moment is to delete it and redownload the app.

I've tried completely quitting and restarting the app store app, trying to download on just a cellular connection or wifi, restarting the phone and iPad, signing out of my Apple ID in the iTunes & App Stores section of the iCloud settings app (as well as signing out, turning the phone off then back on again and re-signing in).

On my iPad I'm on the public beta, so I tried updating to 13.3 Beta 2 to see if that would fix it on the iPad, but after successfully installing the new beta…apps in the app store still refuse to update.

I find it really odd that it's affecting both my iPhone and my iPad.
Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do to fix it?

 

[Cleartz]

I have this problem with my iPad Pro 3rd Gen. I haven't fixed it. I will need a cable to manually update my iPad. Hopefully that will fix the problem for me.

 

[emirb351]

Hi all,

Thread below was started yesterday. I am also having this issue as well as others. What usually works for me is to turn phone off/on again or hard reset then the apps usually download ok, about 3 Hours later if there is another app update same thing happens it’s a nightmare.

[MERGED] iOS 13 - app updates stuck on "Waiting"

For the past few days app updates on my 11 Pro Max always get stuck on "Waiting". Rebooting always fixes it but as soon as there's another app update it gets stuck again. Sometimes it installs after an hour or so but yesterday's updates were still stuck after about 12 hours. My iPad on iPadOS...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[C DM]

Hi all,

Thread below was started yesterday. I am also having this issue as well as others. What usually works for me is to turn phone off/on again or hard reset then the apps usually download ok, about 3 Hours later if there is another app update same thing happens it’s a nightmare.

[MERGED] iOS 13 - app updates stuck on "Waiting"

For the past few days app updates on my 11 Pro Max always get stuck on "Waiting". Rebooting always fixes it but as soon as there's another app update it gets stuck again. Sometimes it installs after an hour or so but yesterday's updates were still stuck after about 12 hours. My iPad on iPadOS...

forums.macrumors.com

Seems like while there are some similarities, based on the detail from the OP in this thread the issue is somewhat different.

 

[louis0nfire]

I updated to 13.2.2 and it didn’t fix this issue. I hit update next to an app or update all and it spins for a second and then goes back to update. I’ve tried force closing, restarting, logging out, everything. Any ideas?

 

[Skorman]

How do I start a new thread? Thanks

 

[emikaadeo]

For the past few days app updates on my 11 Pro Max always get stuck on "Waiting". Rebooting always fixes it but as soon as there's another app update it gets stuck again. Sometimes it installs after an hour or so but yesterday's updates were still stuck after about 12 hours.

My iPad on iPadOS 13.2.2 has no problems (even when using the iPhone as a hot-spot).

Anybody else seeing this?

Same issue with 13.2.2 on iPhone 8

What I have also noticed when this issue is happening is one of my apps (reeder 4) has to be re-launched every time I open it, basically no background app refresh, probably not linked but thought I’d mention it as when I do reset my phone background app refresh works great for it then as soon as the app updates for other apps starts freezing then it fails.

Also the same problem here with Reeder 4.

 

[kurisub]

Yeah I'm having a similar problem, but restarting my phone doesn't fix it at all, and it's affecting me across all my devices. When I go to update my apps, it tries to update (just spinning, no progress), and then goes back to showing the update button. If I click the update button again it attempts for even less time, like less than a second, and brings me back to the update button.

I've restarted, signed in and out of my iCloud account, changed wifi networks and tried downloading on cellular. Nothing works.

I'm still able to download new apps just fine. The only way for me to "update" apps right now is to delete the app from my phone, and redownload it.

The fact that I'm having the exact same problem on my iPad Pro makes me think this is an iCloud/App Store problem and not something wrong with my device.

 

[kurisub]

Yeah, in my case, restarting the Phone doesn't fix anything. I'm also affected across all my devices…my iPad started doing the same thing yesterday as well.

What particularly worrisome is that doing a system update (in my case installing the latest public Beta on my iPad) changed nothing.

 

[K3y]

The same exact thing is happening to me.
Actually, I cannot update apps on both my iPad (iPadOS 13.2.2, updated yesterday) and iPhone (iOS 13.1.2).

I’ve tried rebooting both devices and logging out and in from App Store, but it still does not work.
Deleting the apps and downloading them again seems to work. I just cannot update them.

 

[Minorite]

Try tapping on the update button 2-5 times. If won't work, try encrypted backup > reset to factory > restore the backup. Helped with the same issue on beta.

 

[louis0nfire]

Try tapping on the update button 2-5 times. If won't work, try encrypted backup > reset to factory > restore the backup. Helped with the same issue on beta.

I’m not going to restore my device over this, Apple needs to push a fix.

 

[K3y]

I’m not going to restore my device over this, Apple needs to push a fix.

I agree. Plus, in my case it affects both iPhone and iPad, so it seems something related to the account.

There is another thread discussing what appears to be the same problem: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...g-on-both-iphone-11-pro-and-ipad-pro.2210963/

 

[Minorite]

I’m not going to restore my device over this, Apple needs to push a fix.

It can be a system glitch due to incorrect installation or bugged settings, so won't be fixed with an update. I would recommend factory reset if it won't be fixed with the next iOS update. Also try updating with iTunes instead of OTA, it should reinstall iOS with keeping data instead of just updating current install.

 

[louis0nfire]

It can be a system glitch due to incorrect installation or bugged settings, so won't be fixed with an update. I would recommend factory reset if it won't be fixed with the next iOS update. Also try updating with iTunes instead of OTA, it should reinstall iOS with keeping data instead of just updating current install.

I’ll wait. No way this is on my device’s end out of nowhere.

 

[kurisub]

EDIT: The best workaround for this problem right now it to enable "Offload Apps" under settings > iPhone Storage. When an app in the Appstore needs to be updated, you can go to this menu and offload the app, and then reinstall it. The reinstalled app will be the updated one and all your data/settings associated with the app will still be there. So ignore the text below this:

While not a fix for the underlying problem, for those affected with this I've found a way to "update" apps, although it's super janky, doesn't work all the time and requires fast tapping skills.

When on the app update screen, instead of clicking update, swipe to delete the app. When you click delete a prompt will come up saying this will delete all the data associated with the app and ask you to confirm. Here's where you need to be fast. Have one thumb over the delete confirmation and another over the where the app update icon will be. As soon as you tap the delete confirmation, tap the update icon for the app while it's still there. You notice the app will start to "update" before it get's "deleted". Go back to the home screen and you should see the app being updated and still in the folder it was in if you had it in a folder. I haven't done it with enough apps to figure out if it's actually updating the app or just uninstalling and reinstalling it.
Sometimes it stays in the folder it was originally in, sometimes it get's placed in the back up the home screen where all newly installed apps would show up, so it seems to be hit or miss…but when it works it at least saves me a few steps of having to move the app back in to the folder

.

 

[emirb351]

I would say it’s not a device issue rather than software. One theory I did have is all the apps waiting for review & then being live to update have this update bug so to speak so hopefully new apps that are review recently will work but I doubt it’s definitely grown arms & legs with a few users now having this issue.

 

[Isamilis]

For this kind of "mysterious" bugs, I would try to reset all settings first (in my case, got the heat issue resolved).

 

[Cleartz]

Yeah, in my case, restarting the Phone doesn't fix anything. I'm also affected across all my devices…my iPad started doing the same thing yesterday as well.

What particularly worrisome is that doing a system update (in my case installing the latest public Beta on my iPad) changed nothing.

I haven't tried yet but maybe factory resting will fix the problem (or not). That's what I will be doing to try and fix the problem.

 

[kurisub]

For this kind of "mysterious" bugs, I would try to reset all settings first (in my case, got the heat issue resolved).

I just tried resetting all settings on my iPad, still won’t download app updates.