Fix: iOS 16, 16.5, and 16.6 App Store Not working or Downloading apps

After the latest iOS 16 update, many iPhone users report that they cannot update the existing apps. Some even complain that no new apps are installed after the update. Yes, there has been a UI change regarding updates for the App Store. Previously, there was an update tab in the App Store listing all the installed apps that required an update. But that tab is no longer there now. This is because of the addition of Apple Arcade in iOS 16.

But besides adding the new feature, several users have reported several bugs related to the Apple App Store. This includes the inability to download new Apps, Apps not installing after downloading, and even Apps not updating. If you are one of the troubled iOS 16 users, do not worry at all. In this article, we have listed all the solutions you can try to fix this problem. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it.

How to fix the iOS 16 App Store Not working or Downloading apps issue?

It is impossible to determine the exact cause of your problem. So it would be best if you tried all the solutions mentioned below one after the other until your issue is resolved.

Reboot your phone:

The following simple fix that you can try is a restart. Most software issues can be fixed with a single restart of most electronic devices. And the iPhone is no exception. You can try the restart option even with the iPhone’s App Store issue. For this, go to Settings and navigate to General. Then select the option Shut down. Then drag the slider to the right to turn off your smartphone. Now wait 30 seconds and then press the power button on the side to turn on your device again.

Try the next solution if the restart does not help the App Store.

Reset phone settings:

iOS 16 comes with an option to reset all Settings. This will reset all your phone’s settings to their default value, as when you first bought your new iPhone. Performing a settings reset can clear out several conflicts within the Settings menu that might be blocking your iPhone’s App Store download feature.

Resetting settings will clear out everything from your Settings menu, though. This includes saved WiFi and Bluetooth connections as well. So perform settings reset only if you are willing to delete every saved connection on your iPhone.

To reset settings, open up Settings on your phone and go to General. Then tap on the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then select Reset and choose the Reset All Settings option. You must confirm your action by tapping the Reset button on the confirmation page.

After this, your phone will restart on its own. After the restart, try the next solution if you still encounter the App Store download issue.

Factory reset your iPhone:

After the settings reset, you can also try the factory reset option. This will clear every bit of data on your phone, though. So you need to create a backup of everything necessary to you and perform the factory reset.

To perform the factory reset, open up Settings on your phone and go to General. Then tap on the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then select the Erase All Content and Settings option and the Reset All Settings option. You must confirm your action by tapping the Reset button on the confirmation page.

If the iOS 16 App Store continues to give you trouble after factory resetting your iPhone, try the next solution.

Check the Apple Server status of your region:

Apple’s server goes down from time to time for general maintenance. And during this period, you cannot download anything from the Apple App Store. So before you try updating or installing new apps from the Apple app store, you first need to check whether the servers are down for your region. If it is down, you must wait until it’s back to online status.

To check the server status of your region, you can visit the website based on your area.

For iPhone users in Canada :

• https://www.apple.com/ca/support/systemstatus/

For iPhone users in France:

• https://www.apple.com/fr/support/systemstatus/

For iPhone users in the UK:

• https://www.apple.com/uk/support/systemstatus/

For iPhone users in India:

• https://www.apple.com/in/support/systemstatus/

This page will show you the status of the Apple App Store in your region. If it is not in green, then you need to wait till Apple fixes it from their end. But if it is up and running and you still witness problems, try the next solution.

Sign Out and Sign In to your Apple ID in the App Store:

When you install a new app on your iPhone, Apple will ask for authentication. A Face ID scan is enough to authenticate the installation. But sometimes, an issue with your Apple ID could prevent you from downloading and updating new apps. So you can try signing out of your Apple ID and then logging in again using the login credentials to refresh the account status on your phone.

We won’t recommend this solution if you are someone who does not remember the username or password. Move ahead with this process only if you are sure that you have the correct login credentials.

• First, open up the App Store on your iPhone.
• Go to the app’s home screen and tap on the profile icon in the top-right corner of your screen.
• Scroll to the bottom of the Apple Store screen and tap on the Sign Out option. This will remove the Apple ID from the App Store.
• Now swipe from the bottom of the screen and open up the recent app menu. Here, remove the App Store from the list.
• Then open up the App Store and re-login using your Apple ID login credentials.
• Tap on Sign in. Once you are signed in, try using the App store again.

Try the next solution if the download and update feature still does not work.

Check the date and time on your iPhone:

Data and time on any device that has access to the internet need to be precise according to the geographical location. No ISP internet connection works properly if the date and time of the device are not in sync with the actual date and time of the region.

To set the correct date and time on your iPhone, open up Settings and go to General. Then scroll down and find the option Time & Date. Tap on this and set the correct date and time per your region.

If the download and update feature of the App Store still does not work, try the next solution.

Check your internet connection:

None of the solutions mentioned in this article will work if your faulty internet connection. iPhone’s download apps using WiFi and Cellular data. And if you are using WiFi, you must ensure that the connection is secured and fast. To reset the connection, you can even reset your router. And to check the connection, you should even connect some other device to the WiFi and check whether the internet connection is working correctly.

If you do not have WiFi and are using Cellular data to download apps, you need to check whether you have an excellent internet place. If your internet plan has expired or you do not have enough internet data balance on your connection, you won’t be able to download or install anything from the Apple App Store.

Once you have ensured that your Mobile Internet connection works correctly, you must also turn off Cellular Data for the App Store. For that, open the Settings App and go to the Cellular or Mobile Data section. Here, turn on the cellular data and scroll down the screen to the App Store option. Once you see it, tap on it and then turn on the App Store toggle for cellular data.

And for the update process, open up the Settings App and go to Navigate section. Here, tap on iTunes & App Store and then scroll down the screen to the Cellular Data option. Ensure that the Cellular Data toggle is turned on.

If the download and update feature of the App Store still does not work, try the next solution.

Check your Device Storage:

You need to have enough storage space left on your device to install and update new apps. If you do not have sufficient storage space on your iPhone, you will struggle to download apps via the App Store, no matter how much you try.

This often happens with iPhones with limited storage capacities like 32GB or even 64GB. People often lose track of the available storage on their devices and then suffer from app download issues.

So to check your internal storage, open the Settings app and go to the General section. There tap on iPhone Storage. You will see all the information about your device’s internal storage. If it is almost complete, you need to delete some files or remove some apps from your smartphone.

Once you have sufficient storage space, try downloading apps using the App Store again. If it still does not work, try the next solution.

Enable Automatic update option:

The automatic update feature will allow App Store to automatically install the updates to your existing apps when an update is available. Having this feature turned on at all times might help with the update not working problem of the Apple App Store.

To enable this, follow the steps mentioned below.

• Open the Settings App.
• Tap on the Apple ID.
• Go to iTunes & App Store settings.
• Turn on the toggle next to Updates.

Some users are not able to turn on this toggle. To fix that, you need to follow again the steps mentioned below.

• Open the Settings App.
• Tap on Screen Time.
• Go to Content & Privacy restrictions.
• Turn on the toggle next to Content & Privacy restrictions.
• Tap on iTunes & App Store Purchases.
• You will see three options: Installing Apps, Deleting Apps, and in-app purchases. Ensure that all of them are set to allow.
• Now you should be able to turn on the toggle for automatic updates.

Try the next solution if you cannot download and update apps with the App Store even after this.

Offload and install the App:

In some scenarios, the update feature might not work with a particular application. In that case, you should offload that app on your iPhone and then install it again with the latest version. Offloading the app is a better option than uninstalling it because offloading will ensure that you do not lose the app’s data from your storage. But there is a chance that this might not work as well. So to check initially, try offloading or deleting an application you do not need. So that if this method fails, you do not lose out on an essential app on your device.

To do this, follow the steps mentioned below.

• Go to the Settings App.
• Tap on General.
• Choose iPhone Storage.
• Find the app or game that you want to delete in the list that appears.
• Then tap on that app and select Delete.
• After that, install that app on your iPhone using the App Store.

Try the next solution if this method fails and you cannot download the app.

Restore your iOS:

iOS has a restore feature that lets the user restore the phone to a state when a restore file is created. But to even perform the restore, you need to have a restore file of a time when you did not have the App Store problem. But you must understand that the restore process will erase all the latest data on your iPhone. Go ahead with this process only if you are sure that you have the backup of everything essential on your phone.

To perform the restore, follow the steps mentioned below.

• Open Finder/iTunes on your Mac/PC.
• Connect your iPhone to the PC via Lightning cable.
• Unlock your iPhone using a passcode or FaceID.
• The device will appear in the Finder or iTunes window. Click on the device name here, which will display the summary page.
• Now, click on the Restore button and iTunes or Finder will erase the device and install the new OS.
• Do not disconnect the cable until the restore process is complete. You must select the latest backup option you created for the restore.

Once this is complete, try using the App Store again. If the download and install feature still does not work, try the final solution mentioned below.

Get Apple’s help:

If none of the solutions mentioned above worked for you, then there is a chance that the issue is related to your phone’s hardware. So to fix this, you will have to take your iPhone to the nearest service centre and ask for their help. Inform them about your problem in detail, and they should be able to help you. If your device is under warranty, you should be able to resolve your issue without any issues.

So these are all the solutions to fix the iOS 16 App Store Not working or Downloading apps issue. If you have any questions or queries about this article, comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.