Is your iPad App not updating- Use these 9 simple tricks

iPad apps

You might be worried as why your iPad apps are not updating. Or maybe an app refuses to update or a new app is stuck in the middle of the download.

Many of the time it is either an authentication problem, which means the App Store is having a hard time figuring out who you are, or there is a problem with another app or piece of content that the iPad is trying to download and the app is just waiting in line.  Or in some rare occasions the iPad just forgets about the app.   If you are facing this problem then use these 9 simple tricks as mentioned below.

1. Just tap the app as if to launch it

You will need to just tap the app that is not updating as if to launch it because sometimes, a download will stall out due to a poor connection or similar reason, so make sure you have a good connection to the Internet. You can tell the iPad to start downloading the app again by simply trying to launch the app. When you tap on an app that is in the ‘waiting to download’ stage, the iPad will try to download it.

2. Know how many pending downloads are there in iTunes

If the first did not worked out then you can check to see if there is anything in line ahead of the app.  A frequent problem that causes apps to stop updating is when a song, book, movie or similar piece of content gets stuck downloading.  You should also visit the iTunes Store app on your iPad to check for pending downloads.  In the iTunes app, tap the Purchased tab.  Movies will be sorted by the most recent.  Music and TV Shows have a “Recent Purchases” link at the top that can be used to check for any pending downloads.  Again, simply tap the item to tell your iPad to continue downloading it.

3. Now Reboot the iPad

Now go for rebooting the device. In order to give the iPad a full refresh, you will need to power off the device by holding down the sleep/wake button for several seconds and following the instructions on the screen. Once it is fully powered down, you can boot it back up by pressing the sleep/wake button again. This process will give the iPad a clean start and has a tendency to solve many problems.

4. Download a new app

It’s possible for the iPad to get hung in the middle of the authentication process. This can keep the iPad from trying to authenticate with the iTunes store again, which in turn will freeze all downloads to your iPad.  The easiest way to solve this issue is to download a new app, which will force the iPad to authenticate again.  Try picking out a free app and installing it onto the iPad. Once it installs, locate the original app that was stuck to see if it starts downloading.

5. Go to delete the app and download it again

Before you do this trick you should but remember that you should not try to delete the app that saves information that you want to keep, such as a note-taking app or a drawing app.  Many of these apps save to the cloud, which means it is safe to delete, but if you have any doubts, you should skip this step.

Or you can connect your iPad to your PC and check iTunes on your PC to see if the documents are available for copying to your home computer.

If the app doesn’t save information or if the information is saved to the cloud as with apps like Ever note, simply delete the app and  again download it from the App Store.  You may need to sign into the app again once it is downloaded.

6. Sign out of your Apple ID

If going through the authentication process by downloading an app doesn’t work, sometimes simply logging out and logging back in will do the trick. You can sign out of your Apple ID. Go to iPad Settings, choose iTunes and App Stores in the left-side menu and tap where it displays your Apple ID. This will bring up a popup menu that will allow you to sign out. Once you are signed out, sign back into your Apple ID and try launching the app again.

7. Check your Wi-Fi router

Sometimes your router is the root of the problem because it has a built-in firewall and manages multiple devices, it can get a little mixed up at times. Try powering down the Router and leave it off for a full minute before turning the router back on. It normally takes a router a few minutes to power on and get connected to the Internet again. Once all of the lights come back on, try signing in with your iPad and touching the app to see if the download process starts.

8. Reset all settings

The next trick is to reset the iPad’s settings and this will clear all of the settings. You will also need to sign back into websites that ordinarily remember your account settings. But other than clearing out your settings, this process will leave all of your apps, documents, music, movies and data alone.

To reset your settings, go into the iPad’s settings and choose General from the left-side menu. Next, scroll all the way down and tap Reset. On this screen, choose Reset All Settings. This will prompt you before continuing with the reset.

This is one of the most popular trick for an app that is stuck during an update or an app that won’t download completely, but because it can change any custom settings back to default, this step is saved for next-to-last.

9. You can reset your iPad

If clearing out the settings doesn’t work, the last trick is to completely reset the iPad.  This wipes out your apps, data, music, etc.   However, you can also restore these from a backup.

The basic process is like getting a new iPad again.  Once it is wiped, you will go through the same process you went through when you first got the device, including signing into iCloud and choosing whether or not to restore from a backup.   As you complete this process you will not lose any of your apps, music, movies or data

If all the above 9 tricks do not work unfortunately then last resort is to simple delete the app that is not downloading and look for any other similar kind to have it on your iPad. Not to worry as there are hundreds of apps to download and many new apps are there for you each month.