This article was reviewed by Stan Kats
and by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly
. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
Are your iPhone apps not downloading? To download third-party apps from the App Store, you must have a valid payment method and no outstanding charges. Here's what to do if you can't download apps on your iPhone.
Why Is My iPhone Not Downloading Apps?
If you can't download apps on your iPhone, you may have a billing issue. You must have a valid card added to your Apple ID and no negative balances in order to download from the App Store. If you have valid payment methods, check your Screen Time settings to make sure this feature is enabled.
Steps
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Screen Time can prevent you from downloading apps. If your device is managed by someone else, you'll need to ask them to change the Screen Time settings or turn it off entirely.
- Go to Settings .
- Tap Screen Time .
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions .
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases .
- Tap Installing Apps .
- Tap Allow .
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Unresolved payment issues can interfere with your downloads. If you see any messages like "verification required" or "billing problem with previous purchase", you'll need to resolve those issues first.
- If you have a negative balance, add a new payment method or add a gift card balance.
- If you need to verify your card, check your bank or your Apple ID to re-enter any numbers.
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Make sure your Wi-Fi connection is stable. By default, you'll only be able to download apps over Wi-Fi. If you have downloads enabled over cellular, make sure you have a strong signal.
- If needed, troubleshoot your internet .
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Turn your iPhone off fully and turn it on again. This soft reset should fix any minor software issues.
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Contact Apple support for help. This may be a hardware issue, and you may still be covered by Apple's warranty. [2] X Research source
- You can contact Apple on their website at https://getsupport.apple.com/ .