iPhone/iPad: Apps won’t update

⁠If your iPhone or iPad won’t update and no more app updates are being downloaded, there’s no need to despair. With a few little tricks, you can get the iTunes Store working again.

iPad/iPhone apps won’t update: This could be why

If updates of applications on iPhone or iPad are not downloaded, you have to search for the cause.

• Often, the update fails because there is no connection to the Internet. So check the network connection and see if the iPhone or iPad is accidentally in flight mode. If possible, switch to a different Wi-Fi network.

• If the update freezes during the download, you can try tapping the relevant app firmly. The options “Resume download”, “Pause download” or “Cancel download” may appear. In this case, first tap “Pause download”. Open the menu again by tapping the app firmly and then tap “Resume download”.

• Since iOS 7, more and more users have been complaining about errors in the app updates. If you are also affected, the following tips can help you.

• Particularly with a new iOS release, Apple’s servers are repeatedly put to the test. You can view the current status of the data centers in Apple’s system status. If a red dot appears next to the [App Store] entry, the update problem lies with Apple. Now the motto is: wait until the error has been fixed.

• If all Apple servers are online, you should try a soft reset. This often works wonders: To do this, press and hold the power and home buttons on your device at the same time. As soon as the Apple logo appears, you can release both buttons. Your device will reboot and re-establish a connection to the Apple server.

• On newer devices without a Home button, briefly press the volume up button, briefly press the volume down button, and then hold down the power button until the Apple logo appears.

• If you still can’t download app updates, you should log out of the App Store completely. To do this, start the Settings app and switch to the [iTunes & App Store] tab. First, click on your Apple ID and then on [Sign out]. You can then re-enter your data and try installing the update again.

Contingency plan: Reinstall outdated iPhone apps

The above tips will fix the problems in most cases. However, if you are still unable to download an app update, you can still reinstall it. Of course, this only works if the Apple servers are working properly.

• First, hold down the desired app icon until the apps start to wobble. Tap the X symbol in the left corner of the icon – on newer iOS versions, you will see a minus sign instead of the “X” – and confirm the deletion.

• Now open the App Store and reinstall the program. Don’t worry: you can download purchased apps again for free. After installation, you will always have the latest version of the app on your iPhone or iPad.