Can’t download apps on iPhone in iOS 18? Here’s how to fix that

This article explains how to fix the problem if you can’t download apps on your iPhone in iOS 18. There could be many reasons. Find out how to fix this. This issue may occur with all apps or one particular app. Sometimes app downloading or installing gets stuck and won’t finish (you will not see any download progress). Sometimes the apps says “Waiting” and the won’t download.

Why can’t you download apps on your iPhone in iOS 18?

If you can’t download apps on your iPhone in iOS 18, it could be one of various reasons. Among them, the App Store may not be working, your iPhone may be having a software glitche, or your iPhone may not have enough storage space.

How to fix iPhone can’t download apps in iOS 18

If you are having problems downloading apps on your iPhone in iOS 18, here are a few tips that you may try:

1. Not Enough Storage?

Your iPhone won’t download new apps if the device doesn’t have enough storage space. If this is the case, you may get error messages. The most common one is this:

Cannot Download. There is not enough available storage to download…You can manage your storage in Settings.

The obvious solution to this one is to make space. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You may want to delete some apps you do not use or need. You can also offload an app. This means that offloading an app will remove the app but keeps its document and data. So you can reinstall it any time later and you will not lose data. Just go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage scroll down and tap on any app you want to remove or offload then tap Offload App or Delete App. This will save you some space (in my case, nearly 6GB.) You can also do some spring cleaning and delete videos and songs you don’t want anymore, and move photos to other storage devices.

2. Close the App Store app

If you are still having problems, close and reopen the App Store then check to see if you can download apps. Here’s how:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and pause in the middle.
2. Swipe up the App Store app to kill it.
3. Launch the App Store app and try again.

3. Log out and log in

You may want to try log out of App store and then sign back in. Here’s how:

1. Open App Store.
2. Tap your profile at the top-right of your screen.
3. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
4. Sign in back to App Store.

Now check to see if you can download apps.

4. Make sure you have Wi-Fi or cellular connection

Do you have a strong internet connection. Obviously downloading an app from the App Store requires an internet connection. This may be the reason if your app downloads do not start or remain at zero percent. Or apps say “Waiting” or “Loading”. If this is the case, then you may want to troubleshoot your internet connection. Here are a few tips you may try:

• Turn on Airplane Mode, wait about 10 seconds and turn it off (Settings > Airplane Mode)
• If you are using a VPN, turn it off and try again (Settings > VPN)
• Restart your wireless Wi-Fi router (Unplug the Wi-Fi router from the power outlet, wait about 30 seconds, and then plug it back in)
• Reset your network settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings). Note that this will erase your Wi-Fi passwords etc.

5. Restart your iPhone

Many iOS 18 problems can be solved by turning iPhone off and on again. If an app cannot be downloaded, or it is partially downloaded, then stuck, restarting the phone is quite often the push it needs to finish the job. Here’s how:

• Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
• Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your phone to turn off.
• To turn your phone back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.

6. Force restart your iPhone

This is also called Hard Reset. Do not worry, you will not lose any data or settings. Press and release the following three buttons in relatively quick succession:

1. press and quickly release the Volume Up button
2. press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the side button.
4. When the Apple logo appears, release the side button.

7. Check Apple system status

You may be unable to download apps on iOS 18 because there may be an App Store outage. Make sure that the App Store services are up are running. You can go to the Apple System Status page to check this. . The App Store is the very first entry. Green means it’s up, and red means it’s down.

8. Update your iPhone

Ensure that your iPhone has the newest version of iOS 18. You can go to Settings > General > Software Update. If there is an update, please follow the onscreen instructions and update your iPhone. A software update may fix various bugs affecting your device’s performance and features including the App Store problems.

9. Check the date and time

Please ensure that the date and time settings on your iPhone are set correctly for your location and time zone. Open the Settings app and tap General, then tap Date & Time. Review these settings. If needed, update them. Furthermore, you may want to turn on “Set Automatically”.

10. Prioritize the download

If you’re trying to download many apps on your iPhone at the same time, you may want to prioritize download. From the Home Screen, touch and hold the app. From the menu that appears, choose Prioritize Download.

11. If you still can’t download apps on iOS 18

Contact Apple Support for further help.