You tap Get or the download cloud in the App Store, and… nothing. The progress ring spins forever, the button says “Waiting…”, or the download just sits there paused. Good news: on a Mac this is almost always a software hiccup — an Apple ID glitch, a wrong clock, no free space, or a stale cache — not a broken machine. Work down this list in order and most stuck App Store downloads clear in a couple of minutes.
First: is it one app or every app?
Before you change anything, narrow it down:
- One specific app won’t download — usually that app’s server or your region’s availability. Skip to Fix 5 (cache) and Fix 6 (region/account).
- Nothing downloads and updates are stuck too — an account, clock, network, or storage problem. Start at Fix 1.
- It says “Waiting…” and never starts — classic sign-out/sign-in fix (Fix 2), often with a paused-download release (Fix 3).
Fix 1 — Check your connection and Apple’s status
The App Store needs a working internet connection and Apple’s servers to be up. Open any website in Safari to confirm you’re online. If your Wi‑Fi is flaky, that’s the real culprit — see our guide on why a Mac slows down and stalls. Then check Apple’s System Status page — if App Store shows anything but green, downloads will hang until Apple fixes it on their end. Nothing you do locally will help during an outage.
Fix 2 — Sign out of the App Store and back in
A stale Apple ID session is the number-one cause of the endless “Waiting…”. Reset it:
- Open the App Store.
- In the menu bar, click Store ▸ Sign Out.
- Wait a few seconds, then click Sign In and re-enter your Apple ID.
- Go to the Updates tab — pending downloads usually kick off immediately.
If it asks you to verify payment or accept new terms, do that; an unaccepted agreement silently blocks every download.
Fix 3 — Release a paused or stuck download
Sometimes the download is simply paused. In the App Store, click your account icon (bottom-left) to see in-progress downloads, or find the app on its store page. If you see a small pause icon or a stalled ring, click it to Resume. If it won’t budge, click to cancel it, then start the download again fresh.
Fix 4 — Set the date and time automatically
A wrong clock breaks the secure handshake with Apple’s servers and downloads fail silently — the same gotcha that stops the macOS installer. Fix it in System Settings ▸ General ▸ Date & Time and turn on Set time and time zone automatically. (This is the same first move in our Mac won’t download or install macOS guide — it fixes a surprising number of “damaged” and stuck-download errors.)
Fix 5 — Free up storage space
The App Store needs room for the app plus temporary install files — often two to three times the app’s listed size. If your disk is nearly full, downloads stall or fail with no clear error. Check System Settings ▸ General ▸ Storage. If you’re tight, our Mac storage-full fixes and how to fully uninstall apps will clear the room you need.
Fix 6 — Clear the App Store cache
If a single app is stuck, a corrupt cache is likely. The safe reset: quit the App Store, then reboot your Mac (this clears the temporary caches on its own). For a deeper clear, open Finder ▸ Go ▸ Go to Folder and go to ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore, then move its contents to the Trash and relaunch the App Store. You’ll be signed out — sign back in (Fix 2) and retry.
Fix 7 — Check region, restrictions, and payment
Three account-level blockers hide here: an app that isn’t available in your Apple ID’s country/region; Screen Time ▸ Content & Privacy Restrictions blocking App Store installs (common on managed or family Macs); or a declined/expired payment method — even free apps can stall if your account flags a billing problem. Check App Store ▸ (your name) ▸ Account Settings and clear any warning banner.
Still stuck? Try the last-resort reset
If nothing above works, sign out of the App Store, restart in a clean state, and if needed reinstall macOS without erasing your files using Recovery Mode. If your Mac is old enough that it can’t run current apps at all — App Store increasingly hides software your macOS version can’t support — the fix isn’t another cache clear, it’s a newer machine. A certified refurbished Mac from our Apple clearance lineup runs the latest apps for a fraction of new, with a 1-year warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the App Store say “Waiting…” and never download?
Almost always a stale Apple ID session or an unaccepted agreement. Sign out and back in (Fix 2) and accept any prompts — the download usually starts within seconds.
My download is stuck at zero bytes. Is my Mac broken?
No. A zero-byte stall points to a wrong clock (Fix 4), no free space (Fix 5), or an Apple server outage (Fix 1) — all software-side. Hardware is rarely the cause.
How do I cancel a stuck App Store download?
Click your account icon in the App Store to see active downloads, then click the download to pause or cancel it. Start it again fresh once you’ve worked through the fixes above.
Why can I see an app but not download it?
Usually your macOS version is too old for that app, or the app isn’t available in your Apple ID region. Update macOS if you can, or check the app’s compatibility — an older Mac may have hit its ceiling.
Will fixing this delete my apps or files?
No. Signing out of the App Store, clearing its cache, and freeing storage don’t touch your installed apps or personal files. Only deliberately deleting an app removes it.