Apple's App Store is back to normal after a brief issue with downloading apps

If you couldn't download an app this morning, you weren't alone

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A close-up photo of an iPhone, with the App Store icon prominent in the center of the image.
(Image: © Brett Jordan / Pexels)

Just a day after unveiling a new iPad mini, Apple’s App Store seems to have had an issue, specifically with not letting anyone download apps. We tracked a flurry of reported issues with downloading on social networks like Threads and X (formerly Twitter) and tested it ourselves.

The issue was all around downloading apps, either new ones or previously purchased ones. You could hit select or the cloud icon, but it would spin and then reset – at least that was the case for TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff and me on our iPhones.

Down Detector saw a spike, too, with over 3,000 reported outages near 11:31AM ET, but since then, the reports have started to decline quite a bit. At the same time we’ve been able to successfully download apps once again from the App Store. 

You can see our live reporting during the main portion of this short disruption with the App Store below. The issues seem entirely resolved as of now – 12:08PM ET on October 16, 2024 – but we’ll keep an eye on it just in case this spikes again.

Refresh

Here's a live look at the reported outages on Down Detector.

Apple App Store Reported Outage October 16 2024 1130AM ET

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

As of now, I can still browse the App Store and search for apps, but the issue arises when trying to download an entirely new app or one that I've previously purchased on my iPhone. 

This is what downloading an app from the App Store currently looks like as of 11:30AM ET on October 16, 2024.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple's System Status page doesn't show any outage for the App store as a whole or the specific platform versions – IE: Mac App Store. The only current systems with issues are the Volume Purchase Program (declared as an Outage) and Subscription Purchase (declared as an Outage).

Apple System Status as of 1153AM ET

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Reports on Down Detector spiked to 3,283 at 11:26AM ET but now appear to be declining, with 2,750 reported outages as of 11:41AM ET.

Apple App Store working to download

(Image credit: Future)

Well, this might have been quick. As of shortly before 12PM ET, I am now able to download apps – either new purchases or redownloading previously bought one – via the App Store. It seems that whatever blip this might have been, Apple's squashed it and reported outages on Down Detector are still declining.  

The App Store is back to normal