Top 9 Ways to Fix iPhone Won’t Download Apps or Games

While Apple’s default apps are fine, the App Store offers an excellent catalog of apps and games. After setting up the iPhone, it’s natural to visit the App Store to download third-party apps and games. But what if the iPhone can’t download apps or games? Read together to learn how to fix the problem.

iPhone not downloading apps can leave you with average Apple apps. Unlike Android, there is no simple way to install the app on iPhone either. Go through the methods below and fix iPhone not downloading apps or games from App Store.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi

Earlier, Apple limited downloading over Cellular data on iPhone to 100MB. In 2017, Apple increased the limit to 200MB. 200MB is too little for most high-end apps and games in the App Store.

For a seamless download experience, you need to connect iPhone to a high-speed Wi-Fi connection. Disable mobile data and connect to Wi-Fi from Control Center.

2. Connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi Frequency

Most iPhone models and modern Wi-Fi routers support dual-band Wi-Fi frequency. If you connect to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequency, it may cause slow download speeds.

You need to connect to 5.0GHz Wi-Fi network and try to download apps and games from the App Store on your iPhone.

3. Check Router

Before starting the download, check the router and other devices connected to the router. If the router is working, iPhone won’t download apps or games.

You can reboot the router or update the router firmware to the latest version and try again.

4. Log Out and Log In Again

This trick has worked wonders for many out there. You need to sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in using the same account details. Here’s how.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app on iPhone.

Step 2: Open the profile menu and use the Sign Out option at the bottom.

Stage 3: Confirm your decision and sign in again using the Apple account email ID/password.

5. Reset Network Settings

If there is a glitch in the network settings on the iPhone, it may prevent downloading apps and games to the phone. You need to reset the network settings from the settings menu. Here’s what you need to do.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app on iPhone.

Step 2: Go to the general menu.

Stage 3: Proceed to Transfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 4: Tap on Reset and select Reset Network Settings from the drop-down menu.

6. Disable iCloud Private Toggle

Introduced with iOS 15, iCloud Private Relay is an add-on for iCloud+ subscribers. Apple monitors browsing activity and redirects data through an Apple-branded server. The app may break the app download experience on iPhone.

You need to disable iCloud Private Relay from the Settings menu. Here’s how.

Stage 1: On iPhone, open the Settings app and go to the profile menu.

Step 2: Open iCloud and select Private Pass.

Stage 3: Disable Custom Toggle from the menu below.

7. Disable iCloud Private Toggle for Wi-Fi

You don’t need to disable iCloud Private Relay for iOS. You can also turn off iCloud Private Relay for a specific Wi-Fi connection. Here’s what you need to do.

Stage 1: Go to the iPhone Settings app.

Step 2: Open the Wi-Fi menu and select your connected Wi-Fi network connection.

Stage 3: Disable iCloud Private Relay from the menu below.

8. Check App Store Status

Have you followed all the steps mentioned above and still facing iPhone app download issue? You need to check the App Store status from the Apple System Status website.

Visit the link above and make sure it shows green status next to the App Store. If there are issues with the App Store, it’s up to Apple to fix it.

9. Update iOS

Unlike Google Play Store on Android, Apple updates App Store with iOS system update on iPhone.

You can go to the General menu in Settings and use the Software Update option to install the latest operating system on the iPhone.

Download Apps to iPhone

If you are having trouble finding a particular app on iPhone, you need to contact the developer on their website or social media channels. Apple may have removed the app due to some issues. Instead, the above-mentioned options will help you fix the iPhone not downloading apps issue.