Why Can’t I Download Apps on My iPad?

Are you experiencing difficulty downloading apps to your iPad? If so, you’re not alone.

There are thousands of other folks just like you combing the Interent for answers as to why they can no longer download apps.

Unfortunately, there can be several reasons why apps get stuck when downloading or updating, so it takes a bit of investigating to figure out your exact cause.

Why Can’t I Download Apps on My iPad?

If you can’t download apps to your iPad, your device may not be connected to the internet or have a stable connection. There may not be enough space on the iPad, or the iOS version may be outdated. App downloads might also be restricted in the parental control settings.

Keep reading to hear more explanations for what’s going on with your device and how to resolve those issues.

Reasons You Can’t Download Apps on Your iPad

Usually, getting your apps to download is as simple as trying one of the following hacks. 

Make Sure You Are Connected to the Internet

Poor internet connectivity is one of the most common reasons apps don’t download. 

The larger the app is, the more bandwidth you will need to download it.

If your internet is slow or non-existent, app downloads may pause or get canceled. 

Start by checking your Wifi connection and ensuring your iPad is connected to the network. 

If it is, try moving closer to your router. 

If your iPad has a sim card, switching to a Wifi connection instead of using mobile data can help. 

Sometimes, your Wifi connection might be weaker than your mobile connection, so switching to 4G might be the best choice.

If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, however, downloading apps over the cellular networks can cost you extra. 

Try turning off Wifi Assist, which will cause your iPad to switch to cellular data when your Wifi connection is weak. 

Forgetting your network and signing in again, turning Airplane mode on and off, and resetting your Wifi settings are other tricks that I recommend. 

If your network connection is weak, prioritizing the download is an easy way to speed up the process. 

You can do that by finding the app icon on the home screen and long-pressing on it. Then, click on “Prioritize Download.” 

Check Apple’s System Status Page

App download errors are sometimes due to server problems on Apple’s end.

Fortunately, it’s easy to figure out if that’s the case by checking Apple’s System Status page.

If you see a red circle next to “App Store,” you might have to wait until the system status goes back to green. 

Ensure You Have Enough Space on Your Device

One reason apps might not download is that there may not be enough space on your iPad. 

Go to your settings, click on “General,” and then tap on “Storage.” There, you will see how much space you have left on your device and which apps are using the most memory. 

Typically, your iPad will automatically free up storage when downloading new apps by removing music and other non-important files. 

However, you can also manually delete apps, delete Spotify songs, or follow the recommendations you see in the system settings. 

For example, your iPad can automatically offload apps that you never use. 

Check the Parental Controls

You may not have realized it, but app downloads may be restricted in the parental controls section. 

To change your parental control settings, head to your settings and click on “Screen Time.” Then, click on “Content and Privacy Restrictions” and then on “iTunes & App Store Purchases.” 

Tap on “Installing Apps,” and change the setting to “Allow.” 

Update Your iOS Version

Sometimes, you will experience issues when downloading apps on an iPad that has an outdated iOS version. 

Updating your operating system is one of the easiest ways to ensure you can download and update apps. 

Go to your settings, tap on “General,” and click on “Software Updates.” 

Add a Payment Method to the App Store

Not having a valid payment method on file can interfere with your ability to download or update apps. 

That’s true even if you are downloading free apps. 

Head to your payment methods and add a new one if your old card expired or got declined. 

Make Sure You Are Signed In

Check the app store to ensure you are properly signed in. 

If you see a blue icon at the top of your screen instead of your profile picture, you may have gotten signed out. 

Invalid or expired credentials can cause this to happen. 

If you are signed in, try signing out and in again. 

Enter Your Password if Touch ID Isn’t Working

Your iPad might have Touch ID enabled. 

If it’s required to download apps, but your iPad isn’t reading your fingerprint, you may have trouble downloading apps. 

In that case, you can stop requiring your Touch ID for downloads and purchases in the app store. 

To do that, head to your settings and click on “Touch ID and Passcode.” Turn it off for the App Store and iTunes. 

Update Apps Manually

Your iPad should update installed apps automatically. 

However, if it’s not doing so, you can update them manually. 

Head to the app store and click on your profile picture. 

There, you will see all pending app updates. 

Try updating all of them at once.

If that doesn’t work, you may have a buggy internet connection; if so, try updating each app at a time. 

Restart Your Device

A good old restart is sometimes the best solution. 

Restarting your device is a simple but often effective way to take care of common problems like apps that won’t download. 

If you still can’t download any apps after restarting your device, resetting your iPad can help. 

However, this should be your last recourse, as you may lose some downloaded data.

Backup your iPad before resetting it. 

Contact Apple Support

If you have tried all the solutions above and none of them worked, the Apple support team will be able to sort things out for you. 

Head to the Apple Support page for assistance. 

If you’d like to talk with someone on the phone, tap on “Talk to Apple Support Now.” Enter your phone number, and a representative from Apple will call you.

Make sure to have your iPad on hand, so you can follow the rep’s instructions in real-time. 

Wrap Up

Most of the time, if you can no longer download apps on your iPad, the solution will be in your settings. 

Try out the steps above to figure out what the issue is, but if all else fails, you can always call Apple Support for help.