The download bar filled up, but now the app just sits there — stuck at "Verifying…" or "Installing…" and the spinner never finishes. This is a different problem from a download that won't start. If your download is the part that's stuck, see App Store won't download apps instead. This guide is for the post-download hang, when the file is already on disk and macOS chokes on the final install step.
Why the install phase hangs
After a download completes, macOS verifies the package (checks its code signature and integrity), then installs it (unpacks and moves it into place). A hang at either word almost always comes from one of four things: a stale App Store / installer cache, not enough free storage to unpack, a background process holding the file, or a partially corrupted download that fails verification silently. Work through the fixes below in order — the earliest ones fix the most cases and risk nothing.
Fix 1 — Give it a real chance, then force the install to restart
Verification of a large app (Xcode, a big game, a pro app) can genuinely take several minutes on an older Mac. Wait five minutes. If the word never changes and the bar hasn't moved at all:
- In Launchpad, the installing app shows a progress ring. Click it once to pause, then click again to resume — this often un-sticks a frozen install.
- Still frozen? Hold Option and click the app icon in Launchpad, then click the small ✕ to cancel it. In the App Store, open your account page and cancel the in-progress item there too. You'll re-download it clean in Fix 5.
Fix 2 — Restart the Mac
A stuck install frequently means a background helper (the installd or storedownloadd process) has wedged. A full restart — not just closing the App Store — clears it. Choose Apple menu → Restart, then reopen the App Store and check whether the app finished on its own or needs a fresh start.
Fix 3 — Make sure you actually have room
The "Installing…" step needs free space to unpack the app, often two to three times the download size. If your disk is nearly full, verification passes but the install stalls. Open Apple menu → System Settings → General → Storage and confirm you have several gigabytes free (more for large apps). Empty the Trash afterward — deleted files don't free space until you do.
Fix 4 — Clear the App Store / installer cache
A corrupted cache entry makes macOS re-verify the same broken file forever. To clear it:
- Quit the App Store.
- Open Finder → Go → Go to Folder and enter
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore. Move its contents to the Trash. - Also check
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.commerceand clear it the same way. - Reopen the App Store and let the app re-download and install.
These are cache folders — macOS rebuilds them automatically, so clearing them is safe.
Fix 5 — Delete the half-installed app and re-download clean
If the file itself failed verification, no amount of retrying the same download will fix it — you need a fresh copy. Drag the stuck app from Applications to the Trash (or remove it in Launchpad), empty the Trash, then reinstall from the App Store. A clean download is verified from scratch and usually installs without a hitch.
Fix 6 — Fix the clock, then check Apple's status
Verification uses your Mac's date and time to validate certificates. A wrong clock makes verification fail or hang. Open System Settings → General → Date & Time and turn on Set time and date automatically. While you're at it, glance at Apple's System Status page — if the App Store service is having an outage, the fastest fix is simply to wait.
Still stuck? It may be the hardware, not the app
If installs hang across many different apps, restarts don't help, and you're seeing beachballs elsewhere, the bottleneck can be a failing drive or a Mac that's simply out of headroom for modern macOS. That's a good moment to weigh a repair against an upgrade — a clean, verified refurbished Mac from our Apple clearance lineup often costs less than fixing an old one, and every unit is tested before it ships.
Frequently asked questions
How long should "Verifying…" take on a Mac?
A few seconds for a small app, up to several minutes for a large one on an older machine. If it hasn't moved in five minutes, treat it as stuck and use Fix 1.
Is it safe to cancel an app that's stuck installing?
Yes. Cancelling an unfinished install doesn't harm anything — the app wasn't fully in place yet. Just re-download it clean afterward.
Will clearing the App Store cache delete my installed apps?
No. The cache holds temporary download and verification data only. Your already-installed apps and their files are untouched.
Why does the same app keep getting stuck at the same point?
That's the signature of a corrupted download or a cache entry pointing at a bad file. Delete the app, clear the cache (Fix 4), and re-download — that breaks the loop.