Learn how to fix iPhone apps stuck on “Installing…” so you can get your downloads working again quickly.
iOS apps can sometimes glitch during the installation process. When this happens, you might see the “Waiting…,” “Loading…,” or “Installing…” indicator under the app icon on your Home Screen for an extended period of time, even though the app’s installation should have already been completed.
Why this happens
Because iOS is so autonomous when it comes to installing apps after downloading them, it’s really virtually impossible to tell why your device is having trouble installing apps when this happens. Sometimes, it’s not really having any trouble at all; it’s just taking a long time to complete the installation instead. In many cases, iOS may also just be having an aneurysm and could be glitching out due to a software bug.
It seems like it happens most often when you’re downloading apps in larger numbers, such as after restoring a device from a backup or when you go on an app downloading or updating spree. But honestly, it’s difficult to reproduce the problem, and that’s probably why Apple hasn’t fixed it yet.
What to do when your iPhone app installations are stuck
When you have an app that refuses to complete its installation, here are some of the things you can try, from easiest to hardest.
Tap the app icon
If the installation isn’t too bugged out, you can try tapping the app icon on your Home Screen to pause or restart the installation. This doesn’t always work, but I’ve had it work in some cases where I’ve experienced this issue myself.
Give it 10 minutes
If the app is a larger one, and I’m talking 200MB or bigger, consider giving it a few more minutes. In some cases, these apps take a little longer to complete installation on slower devices because the processor needs time to install all the files. If, after 10 minutes, you’re still stuck, then move on.
Try to delete the app
In some cases, you can actually delete the app and try to re-download and reinstall it. This usually resolves the issue for me, but there are also situations where iOS won’t even let me delete the app after I enter jiggle mode. It seems to depend on how bugged the installation process actually is when you attempt this fix. If iOS won’t let you delete the app from the Home Screen, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then select the app and tap Delete.
Restart your device
Turning your device off and on again can force quit a buggy installation and force it to restart itself. In some cases, the installation may disappear completely, and you’ll have to re-download it from the App Store again for the installation to initiate.
Still having trouble? More potential fixes
The App Store method
Someone on Apple’s support forums noted a funky possible solution that seemed to fix the problem for multiple people. The solution involves going to that app’s page in App Store and tapping the pause button. Then, tap that button again to resume the download.
Reset settings
If apps are still stuck on the waiting, loading, or installing screen, reset all your iPhone’s settings. After that, restart your iPhone and try reinstalling the app. It should no longer trouble you.
The restore method
This is the last thing you should ever try, as it will consume most of your time and cause the greatest inconvenience to you. If you’re unable to get an app to install after trying all of the above steps, you may have a corrupted installation of iOS or a jailbreak tweak that is hindering installation.
Restore your device to factory settings and attempt the installation again. If your device is jailbroken, you’ll lose your jailbreak with this method, so you’ll have to make a tough decision between what’s more important to you — installing apps or having an open device.
Jailbreak users may be better off booting into Safe Mode first before trying the restore, just to see if any jailbreak software is causing the problem. If the problem persists, you may not have any other options.
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