How do I delete / remove an iPhone app that is stuck installing?

How do I delete / remove an iPhone app that is stuck installing?

Sometimes iPhone applications get stuck waiting or loading when installing. These apps might be frozen with a blank icon and no way to remove them for days. Holding down on the home screen to delete the stuck app won't even show the black circle with an "x" that appears on other icons. Here are instructions on how to delete these waiting applications:

  1. Reboot your iPhone normally. See this link for instructions on how to restart your iPhone.
  2. If the apps are still stuck on the home screen, try logging out of the App Store temporarily. Navigate to Settings -> Store -> Apple ID -> Sign Out. Now open the App Store and Navigate to the Featured section. Scroll to the bottom of the page and touch the Sign In -> Use Existing Apple ID. Log in and the stuck apps should reset.
  3. Still have strange icons on the screen or frozen downloading apps? Connect your iPhone to the computer and open iTunes. Navigate to the app store. Install the apps you are having a problem with on the computer then sync your iPhone.

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Comments

MARIANA replied on

THESE STEPS DIDENT WORK

Anonymous replied on

I had same this problem,,nothing worked out just truing off wi-fi and cell data did the trick and i was able to uninstall it...hope this helps:)

Anonymous replied on

Thank you. Spent hours waiting for app to download and then more time trying to figure out how to get rid of the "installing" app, Sometimes it's the easiest solution that's the hardest to find!

Anonymous replied on

Thanks worked on my s4.:)

Firdavs replied on

Yay! It worked! Thanks!

Anonymous replied on

THANKS SO MUCH
This actually worked and saved my life I wouldn't be able to live without my iPhone
Thanx so much

Ioshack replied on

I would like to add that if you have a jb device like I do and you run into this issue downloading springbot and doing a respring fixed the issue for me. I went to download 3 apps from AppStore that were for iOS 7 and I'm still on iOS 6. They still managed to show on my home screen stuck as waiting. Hope this helps with anyone with a teathered jb since shutting the phone off is a pain :)

asprivl replied on

Thank you very much. I was blocked with some apps I didn't want to install them. It has worked fine what you said!

Mark in Pasadena, CA replied on

A simple solution before you try anything more complex is the following. I did this and it worked very well for me. Download all of your photos and videos stored on your phone onto your computer or other storage device. Then delete them from your phone. Also gmdelete any unnecessary or unused applications from your phone. Then reboot phone. If enough storage is made available the app should install properly upon reboot. My assumption is phones only have limited storage so if you have excessive apps and photos-videos on your phone the new apps will stay waiting until adequate memory is released. Good luck.

Mark in Pasadena, CA replied on

A simple solution before you try anything more complex is the following. I did this and it worked very well for me. Download all of your photos and videos stored on your phone onto your computer or other storage device. Then delete them from your phone. Also gmdelete any unnecessary or unused applications from your phone. Then reboot phone. If enough storage is made available the app should install properly upon reboot. My assumption is phones only have limited storage so if you have excessive apps and photos-videos on your phone the new apps will stay waiting until adequate memory is released. Good luck.

ihab replied on

i did an instalation in cidya and after finishing the instalation i didnt found all the app a lot of and also the siting icone please help me to fix it and thank u all

Laurie replied on

Thanks! A simple reboot worked for me. Don't know why I didn't think to try it myself!

Anonymous replied on

Step 2 worked for me. Once I signed out, I was able to remove the stuck apps normally.

Anonymous replied on

worked perfectly, thanks!

Anonymous replied on

I tried each step by itself, none of them worked. I them tried logging out of cloud and restarting.. Didn't work. I FINALLY ended up logging back into my cloud through the App Store not the settings. Then I just redownloaded the app. Once it was installed, again, I just deleted it again off home screen. It worked!!! Ended up combining some of these suggested ways, redownloading stupid app just the delete it... Permanently now !!

JB replied on

I had a few apps with this problem and was successful at removing them by redownloading through the app store. However, one of them refuses to be removed AND it's ironically NO LONGER on the app store. So I can't redownload it and I can't find the damn IPA anywhere online. How can I kill this stupid app from my ipad. I have my device jailbroken, does anyone know where these files are kept so I can just delete them???

Anonymous replied on

I have the exact same problem! I can't find the old version of the app in order to get it back into my itunes on the PC. If I download the new version of the old app it tries to install over top, but is never successful. This sucks!

Abygale replied on

I just had this same problem, it was stuck on "installing..." what I did, after going through all of the previous options given and none of them working, was simply just tapping on the downloading app(like you would to open it, not holding it to delete). I tapped it repeatedly and the app's download bar went up more and more until it was completely downloaded!

Help me replied on

Hello!! Just now i install vshare and i install game under vshare for my iphone5s then when i want to delete that apps its not working..Cant delete that apps..i also restart and hard reset my phone but not working to..so what can i do now? Please help me

Anonymous replied on

Having the same problem

zoe232851 replied on

Try downloading the vshare again, while it downloads, delete it. It actually worked on my Ipad.

Anonymous replied on

If that didn't work for you try going to settings > reset > reset network settings.

davidinark replied on

NONE of these steps worked - not even any steps in the comments. I did EVERYTHING in every step. Nothing. What finally worked for me? Turn ON the wi-fi, stopping the download, then restarting it via wi-fi instead of cellular. Yes, I have "use cell data" turned on, but it was like the phone didn't like cellular data but didn't know how to communicate that out. Stupid is what it is. Anyway, if all else fails, try switching the type of network you are on.

Ness replied on

Just wanted to thank you. It worked for me. :)

Anonymous replied on

I've had this problem for a long time, until I visited the "Usage" section of the "General" part of "Settings". Under the "Manage Storage" you will find that app and you can click on it and it gives you the option to "Delete App" towards the bottom of that screen. That worked for me, and I dont have that app bothering me anymore.

Kru.. COC BETAD... replied on

HI ALL I MANAGE TO DELETE APPS THAT FREEZE /WAITING, I INSTALL VSHARE BUT I CANT DELETE IT, SO HERE'S WHAT I DID, I DOWNLOADED RESPRING THEN I TAP THE APPS 20X JUST TAP DONT LET IT TO WIGGLES, THEN I RESPRING THE IPAD, IT WILL REBOOT THEN THE APPS IS NOT THERE ANYMORE ITS BEEN DELETED HOPE THIS WILL HELP......

Anonymous replied on

I deleted the app via usage under settings and then I could still browse the settings but the home screen and off button both stopped working. I ended up having to wait for my phone to run out and battery in order to restart it.

Mahek replied on

Go to settings
- general
-usage
-manage storage
Delete from there
Hope it helps!

An replied on

These didn't work for me didn't try number 3.

What did work...

Settings>general >usage > manage space> find app that didn't install and delete!

Sky replied on

Um so this didn't really work from an app installed from the Internet. I tried installing COD strike team and it just froze so I pressed delete and its just there when I click the delete button it doesn't even have a n app title it just has two quotation marks. Keep Note: I installed this app from ios.hipstore.mobi

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