Apps Stuck Waiting Or Not Downloading On Your iPhone 7 Plus? The Fix!

David Lynch

JULY 28, 2017

Apps aren't downloading on your iPhone 7 Plus and you don't know why. The apps probably say "stuck waiting" on your iPhone's display, but they just won't start downloading. In this article, I'll explain why apps are stuck waiting or not downloading on your iPhone 7 Plus and show you how to fix the problem for good.

How To Fix Apps Stuck Waiting Or Not Downloading On An iPhone 7 Plus

7 Steps Total
1.

Turn Your iPhone Off And Back On

When you turn off your iPhone, the operating system shuts down all the little background programs that keep your iPhone running. When you turn your iPhone back on, all those little background programs start fresh, and sometimes that’s enough to fix a simple software glitch.

How Do I Turn My iPhone Off And Back On?

  1. Press and hold the power button (iPhones without Face ID) or the side button and either volume button (iPhones with Face ID) until "slide to power off" appears on the screen.
  2. Use your finger to swipe the red power icon across the screen from left to right.
  3. Wait for your iPhone to turn all the way off. This may take up to 30 seconds.
  4. To turn your iPhone on again, press and hold the power button (iPhones without Face ID) or side button (iPhones with Face ID) again until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
  5. Let go of the power button or side button and wait for your iPhone to turn on.
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2.

Turn Off Airplane Mode

When your iPhone is in Airplane mode, both Wi-Fi and cellular connections turn off and you won't be able to receive calls or text messages.

How Do I Turn Off Airplane Mode?

There are two ways to turn off Airplane mode:

Turn Off Airplane Mode In The Settings App

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Look at the switch next to Airplane mode.
  3. If the switch is green, then Airplane mode is on.
  4. Use your finger to tap the switch. You'll know the switch is off when it turns gray.
  5. If the switch was already gray when you opened the Settings app, then Airplane mode was already turned off.

Turn Off Airplane Mode In Control Center

  1. To open Control Center, swipe up from below the bottom of your screen.
  2. If the Airplane mode icon airplane mode icon is white inside an orange circle, then Airplane mode is on.
  3. To turn off Airplane mode, use to finger to tap the Airplane mode icon. You'll know Airplane mode is off when the Airplane mode icon becomes black inside a gray circle.
  4. If the Airplane mode icon is already black inside a gray circle, then Airplane mode is already turned off.
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3.

Delete The App That's Not Downloading

When you download an app from the App Store, that app installs data on your iPhone so the app will work properly. If something went wrong during the download process from the App Store, the app may not download at all.

Deleting the app gives your iPhone and the app an opportunity to start over if you want to try and download the app again.

  1. Lightly press and hold the icon of the app you want to delete.
  2. After a couple seconds, your iPhone will briefly vibrate and a tiny X will appear in the upper left-hand corner of most of your apps.
  3. Tap the X on the icon of the app you want to delete.
  4. Tap Delete when the confirmation alert appears on your iPhone's display.
  5. Go back to the App Store and try to download the app once again.
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4.

Make Sure Your iPhone Has Enough Storage Space To Download The App

Apps vary in size from a couple dozen MB (megabytes) to hundreds of MB. If your iPhone doesn't have enough storage space, your apps may get stuck waiting.

  1. Tap the Settings app to open it.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tape Storage & iCloud Usage.
  4. Under Storage, you'll be able to see your iPhone's available storage space next to Available. As you can see, my iPhone currently has 18.2 GB of storage space available.
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5.

Reset All Settings

Many iPhone problems are caused when Settings isn't set up correctly or by corruption within individual Settings app files. Restoring the Settings app back to factory defaults doesn't fix every iPhone software problem, but it is a go-to fix for Apple technicians because it does solve a lot of problems that would be very difficult to to track down by hand.

How Do I Reset All Settings?

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Scroll down and tap Transfer Or Reset iPhone.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Tap Reset All Settings.
  6. Enter your passcode, if prompted.
  7. Tap Reset All Settings again to confirm your decision.
  8. Your iPhone will shut down, complete the reset, and turn itself on again will automatically turn back on when the reset finishes.
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6.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

A DFU restore has the potential to fix software problems by completely erasing the code which may be causing your problem. The code is rewritten as if your iPhone is brand new, so the software problem may get solved.

Think of it like a house that has cracks in the foundation. Rather than try and fix the cracks, we are building an entirely new foundation.

If you can, back up your iPhone before completing a DFU restore. Any time you do a restore, it erases everything from your iPhone. However, after the restore is completed, you restore all your backed up data back onto your iPhone.

How Do I DFU Restore My iPhone?

How To DFU Restore An iPhone SE, 6s, Or Older

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the Home button and the power button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the Home button.
  5. Let go of the power button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. Your iPhone’s display will be completely black if you’ve successfully entered DFU mode. If it’s not, try again from the beginning.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 7 Or 7 Plus

  1. Using a Lightning cable, plug your iPhone into a USB port on your computer.
  2. Open iTunes if you have a PC or Mac running Mojave 10.14 or earlier. Open Finder if you have a Mac running Catalina 10.15 or newer. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is on or off.
  3. Press and hold the power and volume down button simultaneously.
  4. After 8 seconds, release the power button, but continue to hold the volume down button.
  5. Release the volume down button when your iPhone appears in iTunes or Finder.
  6. You'll know your iPhone is in DFU mode if the display is completely black.
  7. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.

How To DFU Restore An iPhone 8 Or Newer

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a charging cable.
  2. Open iTunes (PCs and Macs running macOS 10.14 or older) or Finder (Macs running macOS 10.15 or newer).
  3. Quickly press and release the volume up button.
  4. Quickly press and release the volume down button.
  5. Press and hold the side button until the screen goes black.
  6. When the screen goes black, press and hold the volume down button while continuing to press and hold the side button.
  7. Hold both buttons for five seconds.
  8. After five seconds, release the side button while continuing to hold the volume down button.
  9. Keep holding the volume down button until your iPhone appears in Finder or iTunes.
  10. Restore your iPhone using iTunes or Finder.
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7.

Repair Your iPhone With Apple

Apple repairs iPhones at the Genius Bar in Apple Stores and through their online mail-in repair service. Apple repairs are high-quality, but out-of-warranty repairs can be much more expensive than third-party solutions. If you're looking to save some money you're not covered by Apple's warranty, you may want to check out our other recommendations.

How Do I Repair My iPhone With Apple?

How To Repair Your iPhone With Apple's Mail-In Service

  1. Visit Apple's support website to begin the online mail-in repair process.
  2. Alternatively, call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to set up a repair.

How To Repair Your iPhone At The Genius Bar Inside Your Local Apple Store

  1. Visit Apple's website to make a Genius Bar appointment before you go into the store. Apple Stores are extremely busy, and if you don't have an appointment, you may have to wait for hours or end up being turned away. (Editor's note: I'm a former Apple tech and we're not exaggerating — please, do yourself a favor and make an appointment first!)
  2. When you arrive, go to the Genius Bar to check in for your appointment.
  3. Genius Bar appointments always include free diagnosis. If you're under warranty, many repairs can be done on the spot, but it all depends upon which parts are in stock. If you're not under warranty, the Genius will give you a quote for the cost of a repair.
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Apps, Apps, Apps!

Apps are downloading on your iPhone again! Make sure you share this article on social media so your friends and family know what to do if apps stuck waiting or not downloading on their iPhone 7 Plus too! Thanks for reading!

AUTHOR

David Lynch

David Lynch is an expert on cell phones, cell phone plans, and other tech. After using a flip phone into his early 20s, he learned the ropes about iPhones and Androids from a former Apple employee. Today, his articles and videos are read and viewed by millions, and he has been cited by major publications including Reader's Digest, Wired, CMSWire, Consumers Advocate, and more.

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