Not all your smartphone needs are catered by the built-in applications. And for this very reason, you will always resort to download third-party apps based on your preferences and needs. In iOS devices, downloading of apps is typically done easily through the App Store.
For as long as everything is set up properly on your device, downloading of apps can be completed by just a few taps. But then again, there are many factors that can make such simple and seamless process a bit more complicated. And if you’re that unlucky, you even won’t be able to download apps on your phone.
Read on to find out what can cause such problems to happen and what needs to be done to get things right. Mapped out below are generic solutions and suggested workarounds that are used to deal with apps downloading problems on the new iPhone XS Max handset. Feel free to refer to this walkthrough if needed.
Troubleshooting iPhone XS Max that can’t download apps
Before troubleshooting, check the current memory status of your iPhone. While insufficient memory isn’t likely the underlying cause of the problem given that what you’ve got is a new iPhone that’s packed with huge storage capacity, doing so will ensure that the problem isn’t attributed to memory errors. Aside from memory status, also ensure that your Internet connection is stable.
Your iPhone must have Internet access either through Wi-Fi or cellular data in order to access the Apple server and process download and update requests. To clear out minor connection errors, toggle the Wi-Fi switch OFF and then back ON. If there’s no problem with the Internet connection and all other online apps are working as intended, then it’s likely just an isolated problem with the App Store. At this point, performing any of the following solutions can help you out.
First solution: Restart your iPhone (soft reset)
If you were able to download apps on your iPhone before but suddenly unable to do so, perform a soft reset or simply restart your device. What you’re experiencing could be just among other random software glitches affecting the App Store. Oftentimes, minor software errors like this are remedied by a device restart, thus you should consider this as the first workaround to try. For starters, a soft reset on the iPhone XS Max is done with these steps:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
- Release the buttons when the Slide to Power Off command appears and then drag the power off slider to the right.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power/Side button again until the phone reboots.
Restarting the phone can also help clear out caches from the internal memory including corrupted data that caused the system to become a bit shaky. This does not affect any internal data on your phone storage hence you won’t lose any personal information from doing so.
If you previously opened the App Store, then you may have to end the app first and then restart your iPhone. Here’s how:
- From the Home screen, swipe your finger up and then pause.
- Swipe right or left to navigate through apps preview.
- Find the App Store card/preview.
- Then swipe up on the App Store preview to end the application.
Follow the same procedure to clear any other background apps on your iPhone XS Max. Doing so will prevent any of these apps from interrupting the download process, especially those that were corrupted.
Second solution: Set automatic time and date
The date and time on your phone must be set correctly for your device to properly sync with the Apple servers. Incorrect date or time may cause some conflicts and eventually halts the server from processing your download request. To manage date and time settings on your iPhone XS, simply follow these steps:
- Go to Settings-> General-> Date & Time menu.
- Then tap to enable the option to Set Automatically.
This will prompt your device to use the current date and time information based on your timezone and location.
Restart your iPhone after making changes to your date and time settings to refresh the system and to clear its memory.
Third solution: Turn off restrictions for apps installation
Your phone won’t be able to download apps if that action is restricted. Thus check and ensure that restrictions is not turned on for Apps Downloading on your iPhone XS Max settings. To access and manage this setting, refer to these steps:
- Go to Settings-> General-> Restrictions menu.
- If prompted, enter your passcode to continue.
- Then scroll to the Installing Apps option and make sure that the switch next to it is turned off. If it’s turned ON, then toggle the switch to turn it OFF and grant permission for Apps Installation.
After applying these changes, reboot your iPhone and then retry downloading apps from the App Store.
Fourth solution: Sign out of the App Store then sign in again
Some App Store errors are tied to random account problems and the easiest possible solution to this would be to sign out and sign back into your App Store account. Here’s how it’s done:
- Open the App Store.
- Scroll down to and then tap on Updates.
- Tap the Purchased tab.
Then try searching for the app that you want to download. If that app isn’t there, it means that the app was downloaded using a different Apple ID. In that case, try signing out from the App Store and then sign in again. Here’s how:
- Tap Settings from your Home screen.
- Select iTunes & App Store tab.
- Tap on Apple ID.
- From the pop-up message, tap the option to Sign Out. Doing so will log you out from the App Store.
- Tap on the Apple ID header again and then select the option to Sign In.
After signing back into your App Store account, retry downloading apps. Be sure to enter the correct password when asked to confirm and continue downloading app on your device.
Fifth solution: Clear the App Store cache
Errant cached files and temporary data may also halt the download process on the App Store. While there is no visible option to clear cache from the App Store, there’s a tweak that does the same and renders similar out as the actual clearing of app cache and data. Here’s how:
- Open the App Store.
- Scroll down towards the bottom section where you can see different icons/tabs.
- Tap on any of that icons 10 times consecutively.
After the 10th tap, you should notice that the App Store refreshes as it routes back to the main screen. That denotes that the app cache has been cleared. Restart your iPhone and then try downloading apps through the App Store and see if it’s already working.
Seek more help
Contact Apple Support to check if there are any technical problems affecting the App Store server. The above solutions would usually be enough to deal with any software-related issues that might have prevented your device from downloading new apps through the App Store but if the problem persists, there is a higher chance that the problem is not on your end but rather on the Apple servers. In that case, all you have to do is wait until Apple engineers are done resolving whatever technical problems on their end and then retry downloading apps at a later time.
Alternatively, you can try downloading and installing apps manually using iTunes on a computer.
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