You’re trying to update your iPad apps, but they’re stuck on waiting. Thankfully, the fix for this problem is usually very simple. In this article, I’ll show you the real fixes for iPad apps that are stuck waiting to update, both using your iPad and using iTunes, so you can update your apps and get back to using your iPad.
Check Your iPad’s Internet Connection
You’ve gone to the App Store, tapped on your account icon, and chosen Update or Update All. It’s normal for apps to take a few moments to start the download process and do the update. But if it’s been more than 15 minutes or so and your app icon is still grayed out with the word “waiting” underneath, it’s time to do some investigating.
Your internet connection could be to blame. Your iPad needs to be connected to the internet to download app updates, so you either need to be on a Wi-Fi network or your iPad carrier’s cellular network. The connection also has to be stable.
First, check your iPad to make sure it isn’t in Airplane Mode. To do that, go to Settings -> Airplane Mode. The box next to Airplane Mode should be white. If it’s green, tap the toggle to turn it white. If your iPad was in Airplane Mode, turning it off will automatically trigger it to reconnect to your default cellular and Wi-Fi connections.
Reconnect, give it a minute, then check on your iPad apps. The updates should start to download, giving you a progress indicator on the app icon and in the App Store under Updates. If you don’t see that and your iPad apps are still stuck waiting, try some of our other fixes.
Log In And Out Of App Store
A lot of the time when apps are stuck waiting or not downloading on your iPad, there’s an issue with your Apple account. Every app on your iPad is linked to a specific Apple account. If there’s an issue with that Apple account, apps may get stuck.
Usually, signing out and back into the App Store will fix the problem. Open Settings and tap on your name at the top of the screen. Tap Media & Purchases, then tap Sign Out. Tap Sign Out again to confirm.
Now sign back in and check if the problem is fixed. If your iPad apps are still stuck on waiting, move on to the next solution.
Delete The App & Try Again
It’s possible that the app had an issue trying to do the update. You can bypass this issue by uninstalling the app stuck in waiting and then reinstalling it.
How To Delete An App On Your iPad
Press and hold on the app icon until the dropdown menu appears. Tap Remove App -> Delete App -> Delete to uninstall the app on your iPad.
You can also delete apps in Settings by going to General -> iPad Storage. Tap on an app you want to delete, then tap Delete App.
Is Your iPad Out Of Storage Space?
Sometimes, there are iPad apps waiting because there isn’t enough room on your iPad to download the updates. In Settings -> General -> iPad Storage, you’ll see exactly how much room is available on your iPad and which apps are using the most memory.
You can clear up space on your iPad by:
- Deleting apps you don’t use.
- Using iCloud to back up your photos and videos.
- Getting rid of long text conversations.
- Deleting files in apps, such as audio books, that take up a lot of space on your iPad.
Once you make more room on your iPad, check your iPad apps that are waiting or try reinstalling the apps.
Check Apple’s System Status Page
If your connection is solid, your settings are right, and your iPad apps are still stuck waiting, there may be a problem with the App Store. Check out Apple’s System Status page and make sure a green dot appears next to App Store. If many dots aren’t green, there’s
Apple keeps a handy website with the status of their system. You can check this page to see if the problem is with the App Store.
Fixing Software Problems
Software is the code that tells your iPad what to do and when to do it. Unfortunately, software doesn’t always work properly. When that’s the case, it could be the reason for iPad apps getting stuck while waiting to download updates.
Restart Your iPad
A simple way to help correct a software problem on your iPad is to restart the iPad. You’d be amazed how often this simple step helps!
To restart your iPad, go to Settings -> General -> Shut Down. Then, slide your finger across the part that says slide to power off. Once your iPad is off, count to 10 and then hold down the Top button to restart it.
Reset All Settings
If restarting the iPad and a hard reset don’t help, you can try resetting your iPad’s settings. This puts your software settings back to the way they were when you got your iPad (or the latest version of your iPad’s operating system).
To do this, go to Settings -> General -> Transfer Or Reset iPad -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Choose Reset All Settings and follow the prompts on your screen.
Back Up and Restore
If none of these steps help, you can back up your iPad and then restore it. There are a few different ways to do this, but we here at GeeksChalk like to suggest doing a DFU restore.
DFU stands for Default Firmware Update. If you go to a Genius Bar, this is the kind of backup and restore the Apple folks will do. But with a bit of help, you can do this yourself. Just make sure you have everything you want on your iPad saved and backed up before you try this. Then, visit our article How To Put An iPad In DFU Mode (all models)) for detailed instructions on what to do.
iPad Apps: No Longer Stuck!
Like many of the issues that can happen with your iPad, when your iPad apps are waiting to update, you have plenty of different options for fixing the problem. Tell us about your experience with getting your iPad unstuck in the comments section below.
