Play store waiting for download | Problem Solved

Google play store is #1 in the market of digital distribution services. A storehouse of millions of apps. Despite being such a big platform. I have never heard that there has ever been a technical problem, Even if it ever happened. Google's team resolved it in such a short time that I did not realize if there was a technical issue a while ago. But still, sometimes, users face some errors while downloading the apps. And the most common Errors are. Waiting for the download, Unable to download, and Download pending. Since the Play Store is the only source of trusted apps, and If you do not get your desired app even after a long Time wait, it becomes frustrating, Isn't it.? Some people think there might be a technical problem with the server. But It's not like it at all. You can fix these errors with the help of some proven techniques, Not only this error. if you apply these techniques once in a month or two, It will boost the complete performance of your device

1-Restart your device

This Simple and Tiny process Help in fixing many issues. Such as Low or no signal, slow data speeds, freezing, crashing, calling issues, and messaging issues. It also closes all the apps that run in the background, Which causes battery drain, slowness, heat, and other conflicts. When you install apps and use Them, They fill up the ram and remain there. The downside is that even after uninstalling them. The remnants of the apps stick around and take up space in ram, As a result. Leaving less room for a new application to load, Restarting the device fixes most of these issues. And keeps the performance of your device well-optimized

1. Press the power button & hold it for few seconds.
2. Now tap on the restart on the display

2-Check your connection

You might not believe it. But a slight fluctuation in your internet connection could also be the reason for the (waiting for download) error if you’re on a WiFi Network. If possible, Switch-off the WiFi from the Main point for 10 minutes. Then start it again. It fixes the Slow Network Issue. It is my personal experience. Switching off the WiFi for at least 10 minutes every 24 hours gives better connectivity. You can also change your Internet source to mobile data

1. Open the play store on your device.
2. Tap on the three lines (at the top-left corner) and select Settings.
3. Under setting > App download preference > select over mobile data Then tap done.
4. If the downloading issue gets solved over mobile data, it means your WiFi is faulty.

3-Apps download preference setting

App download preference setting has three options. Over any network, Over WiFi only, and Ask me every time. Over any network means whether you are on WiFi or Mobile Data. It will start Downloading If you have set it on over WiFi Only. It means that if you tap the download button next to an App. The download process will start only. when you connect to the WiFi, And if you select Ask me every time, This option is self-explanatory. for example, Whenever you start Downloading an app. the play store will ask about the net source, a discrepancy in this setting can also be the cause for waiting for the download, So make sure to select the Over any network option and how to Select, follow the below steps

1. Open the Play Store and tap on the menu (three-bar icon at the top).
2. Tap on Settings > Under setting > Tap on App download preference.
3. Now Select Over any network.

4-Current downloads and update

If. You are downloading multiple Apps or large Applications. Then ongoing updates and downloading Multiple apps at the same time could be the reason for download pending. Because the play store prioritizes "ongoing" updates. In that case, Either you wait for download completion, or if you want to download a particular App first, You can cancel the "ongoing" update

1. Open the Play store > Tap on Menu > Tap on My apps & games You will see if any app is in the process of being updated or download.
2. Tap on X next to their name to cancel the download. and resume the download for your desired app

5-Disable Auto-update on your device

Each new update of apps comes with new features or bug fixes from previous versions. So it is a good idea to keep auto-update enabled, else you leave yourself vulnerable to cyber-attacks and malfunctioning apps. But sometimes update take time to download and install, and Due to its slow auto-update Process, the new downloads remain in the queue. and this could also be a cause of "download stuck." However, disabling it will not keep you away from the new update of the apps, Whenever there is a new update. It will display in the notification bar of the google play icon. Tap on the notification, and approve updates. The update will start itself.

If. you keep the auto-update active. It eats your expensive mobile data When you are not in the WiFi coverage area. And It also empties the battery a lot faster. due to the continuous process of transferring data and updating the software in the background

Turn off/on Automatic updates

1. Open Play Store on your device
2. See the (three horizontal lines) on the top-left Tap on it.
3. Tap on Settings option > under setting > Tap on Auto-update.
4. To disable it, select Do not auto-update apps.

If you want to save your mobile data > Tap Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only in the same pop-up.

6-Clear Google Play app cache and data

You must have noticed when you revisit your app or website. It loads faster. That's because when you install an app or visit a website. Your device stores some information such as files, scripts, images, and other multimedia. to reduce the load time. And this data remains on the mobile even after uninstalling the apps. The downside is that The Data takes up space in your phone and keeps piling up on local storage. That can lead to some bugs and errors. As a result, it impacts the performance of your phone. So, clearing the cache and data means Freeing up storage in your device, which helps Speeding up the Play store and gives it a fresh start as if you have newly installed it.

Clearing app caches removes the (temporary storage) and does not delete any of your Apps or App data, accounts, etc.

But clearing the data logs you out from most of the apps. Without deleting your personal information. You can again set up your account with the apps.

1. Open setting of your device > Tap on Apps.
2. Under Apps > Tap on Google play store > then Tap on Storage.
3. Then Tap on "Clear cache." and "Clear data."

This step is most useful in fixing many general problems, including stuck downloads.

7-Clear Play Services and Download Manager app cache and data

If the previous method, clearing the Google Play app cache and data, does not work out, Now. It's time to Clear Google Play Services and Download Manager app cache and data. Google play service is not the same as the Google play store, But it is an essential part of android. It helps do a lot of background work. Such as, It connects apps to other Google services, like Google Sign In and Google Maps

Clear Google play service cache & data

1. Go to the Settings App of your Android or tablet.
2. Under Setting find App & notifications Tap on it
3. Under App & Notifications Google Play Service, Tap on it.
4. Now Under Google Play Service, Tap on Storage > Clear Cache.
5. Now Tap on Manage Space > Clear all Data.

Now Open the Play Store app & wait for 5 minutes, then try downloading.

Clear Download manager cache & data

Clearing data in "Download Manager" does not affect the performance of your android. If you Clear data. It will delete extra files. That was used once while updating your android system. If you are still worried about your Important Data. You can move your all-important data from that folder to your SD card

1. Open setting on your Android or Tablet
2. Under setting > Application > Tap on Manager Application
3. Select All tab > scroll down & Tap on Manager Application
4. Tap on "Clear cache" and "Clear Data."

8-Check your storage and SD card

Lack of storage on your mobile or SD card can also be the cause for "unable to download." Most users check the storage status in their Devices. And find there is plenty of space available. But, despite showing plenty of space, it might have less. How? Let me explain. Suppose, Your device has 16 GB of storage, In which. Your operating system. and Preloaded software already take a large chunk of the phone's storage. The third-party apps That you Download, shooting photos and videos, and downloading podcasts. They occupy space in storage according to their size. And the android also stores cached data of each app, Such as files, scripts, images, and other multimedia. for faster functioning of the apps. So The app's cached data size could be Big. 

Android does not count app cache size while reporting the storage statistics And shows the app cache's occupied space as free. Make sure to remove the cached data first from your device and then remove unnecessary apps. Especially those that use too much memory. You can also delete old videos, music, and pictures as they consume the most storage space

Check available storage:

1. Open the setting of your device > under the setting > tap storage

Check which app is using much memory

1. Open “Settings” > “Applications” or “Apps” > “Application manager” 

You will find the detail right below each app

Remove the unnecessary app:

1. Open the setting > under setting Tap on Apps or Application manager.
2. Select the app, Then tap on uninstall, that's it

Move Apps to SD card

If you do not want to Delete your apps from your mobile or your mobile has a Small Amount of internal Storage. You can move them from the Phone’s internal storage to external storage (like an SD card). Please note That all apps can not move to external storage   

1. Open the setting of your mobile and tap on apps.
2. Select an app that you want to move to an SD card and tap on the storage
3. Tap on change and then tap on the move if the change option is not there. It means this app can not move to an SD card.

9. Allow necessary Permissions

When you download an app or update an app from the Google play store, It needs storage Permission. It also requires some Permissions relate to the app's intended purpose to function Properly. Make sure to grant the necessary permission.

Open the setting on your device.  

                           

1. Under Setting, Apps & notifications, then All apps.
2. Under All apps,> Find Google Play Store. Tap on it.
3. Allow storage permission.

If. you are downloading apps from outside the Google play store. Do not give apps indiscriminate access to your data. For example, a photo editing app needs access to your device's camera. But If it asks for access to call history. Contacts, Microphone, and Messages, etc. Which seem to be unnecessary requests, then It is a telltale sign the app is fake. You must consider. the appropriateness of requested permission for the given app

10-Turn OFF Parental Control

If. You have enabled parental control on the play store. You must have a look at its setting. As, It restricts some content to access, download, and purchase. In some cases, Parental control is found as The cause, Therefore. You should also turn it off for a short while and resume your download. And check if it is interfering with it. if Yes, then you need to do some customization in its setting

11-Check date and time

Incorrect date and time on your phone can also be the cause of being unable to download Because Google's server might be having trouble syncing with the date and time setting of your device, And. This discrepancy might be interfering with the process of the download. The exact date and time help all the functions of your device work in unison. If you are on a mobile network, set it on automatically. If not, Set it as Exactly as you can by choosing a time zone.

Set date and time automatically

1. Open the setting > Under setting > date & time
2. Tap on Automatic date & time and Automatic time zone

Set date and time manually

1. Open the Settings > Under setting > Date & time.
2. Deselect Automatic date & time.
3. To correct it, touch Set date and Set time.
4. Switch time zones

In case You do not find the date & time Option in your setting. Then type date & time in the search bar, and after setting the date & time. Restart your device

12-Check for system updates

Since downloading apps is directly linked to the Play store. The Chances are That The current version of the play store might be the cause. However, the user receives a notification for a new update. But some users do not get the update due to some technical issue. It might happen with you as well. In that case, You should force an update for the play store. There are a couple of methods to do it.

1. Open Play store app.
2. Tap menu (in the left corner)
3. Select setting > under setting > scroll down & find Play store version > Tap on it.

If. there's any available update. It will start Automatically. In case there is no update. And you get the pop-up stating that it is up to date. But in reality, it might not. so You must follow the second method

Second method:

Clear the play store data to force an update

1. Open the setting of your device > select Apps notification.
2. Locate google play within the "all app" menu.
3. Open the app info > tap storage > tap clear data.

Now restart your mobile & wait for a couple of minutes. Play store will update automatically. You should now have the latest version of the play store installed on your mobile. In case You face any other issues. Clear the Google play service cache and data from all app menus. If none of the previous methods works. Now you need to manually install the play store version by Sideloading it on your phone. You can download the APK file of the play store from an external source. And the most trusted website is APKmirror.com. Select the latest version (The Latest version must be compatible with your phone), and download it > Tap on it to trigger the installation process. Grant all necessary permission. Now you have a fresh version,

13-Update Android System Webview

The Apps which come Pre-installed on the devices, We generally call them systems apps or system components. For example, camera, settings, contacts, messages, and the play store. These are in-built Apps and are responsible for the proper functioning of the Phone. Likewise, The Android System Webview is also a system App powered by Chrome. That is responsible for The display of Web content on Android apps, Simply-put. The apps which contain the links of webpages can mull function without it. If this system app itself is not updated, It might create problems for other apps as well. So it is necessary to keep Webview Updated.

1. Open the play store on your Phone > find > Android System WebView.
2. Tap on update (if available)

 

Chrome handles WebView duties for these three OS versions, Android 7.0 Nougat, Android 8.0 Oreo, or Android 9.0 Pie. If you own any one of these. then skip this method

14-Remove Google account

Removing Google account from the phone can also fix the issue of "waiting for download," As it streamlines things. However, a Google account is Important for using google products and syncing data on Android phones. It does not mean deleting it. It's like logging out from it. You can again add it and sign in from the web

The information like email, contacts, and settings Whatever you have stored through the account on the device will be lost. So it is better to back up this data if it is Important

1. Open the setting of your device.
2. Tap on Accounts or Users and Accounts." (depending on your device).
3. Tap on the linked account. > Then Tap on Remove Account.

15-Turn off Bluetooth

If your Bluetooth is active on your phone while facing the issue "waiting for Download." then you must turn it off and try downloading again. It might sound like a silly suggestion. But many users, have shared their personal experiences that turning off Bluetooth on their phones has fixed the problem of "download Stuck."

1. Open the setting in your phone & select Bluetooth
2. Now disable it.

16-Disable VPN

Virtual Private Network. (VPN) is Essential in terms of Security. It hides your internet activities and location from online hackers. However, there are multiples benefits of using a VPN. Especially. When you use public WiFi. But sometimes, It slows down the internet connection as your data is being encrypted and routed through another server. if you use a VPNs, Why not disable it for a short while and try your download

You can turn off your VPN in two ways. here’s how:

1- From your android setting:

1. Go to Settings > Under setting > Tap More.
2. Tap on Network & Internet, or it could be Wireless and networks, depends on device versions.
3. Tap on VPN.
4. Toggle off VPN.

2-from VPN app:

1. Open VPN app > Tap on disconnect. or It could be X instead of disconnect.
2. A confirmation Pop up may appear. Tap on it to confirm.

17-Download apps through your browser

In case all the techniques given above do not solve the issue of "waiting for download." even then. You can download your desired app through the browser on your device or PC. this is the easiest way. Go to the official Google Play website. And log into your Google account. Type the app's name in the search bar. Find the app from the list and click on it. Now tap on install. It might ask you to re-enter your account password. Re-enter it and select the device from the list of devices linked with your Google account. The device On which you want to install the app accepts the permissions the app requires to run. Tap on install

18-Reset App Preferences

One of the troubleshooting methods is to reset app preferences. Which helps in such circumstances. Wherein It is Difficult to find out which app's setting affecting the download on the play store. In such scenarios, instead of fixing them one by one, reset app preference brings all settings to their default state and gives your smartphone a fresh start without losing any app data. But there are some points which you need to know before resetting app preference, Such as. It will clear all the default apps, enable all disabled apps, Notification settings for Apps Will reset, Data restrictions for apps will reset, and Permission made to any app will remove. You will have to fix them again   

1. Open the setting of your phone
2. Under setting > tap on Apps & notifications/Application Manager.
3. Open all apps, > at the top right side (three-dot icon), Tap on it.
4. Tap on Reset App Preferences

You will get a pop-up on the display of your phone. Read through the warning, then tap Reset Apps to confirm.

19-Reset your phone

A factory reset is such a feature of an android. When nothing seems to work, This feature is the only option as a last resort method of troubleshooting for your device, But before taking this step. You must know its repercussions. It erases everything from the device, such as. All data. All installed applications. Flash storage data. Internal storage( document, video, image file, etc.) resets all settings and brings the software back to its original state.

Generally, Users use factory reset in two scenarios.

1- when they want to sell their device

2- when the issue does not solve by any means

1. For a factory reset, Charge your Device at least 50%, Then switch it off.
2. Press the volume and power button simultaneously until the root menu appears on the screen.
3. Scroll down by Using the Volume down button.
4. Select "Wipe data / factory reset" by tapping on the Power button

The second way for hard reset > go to setting > Backup & Reset > Factory data reset > Reset phone > Erase everything.

WARNING.:  Before you go through this process, make sure to back up all your important files and data. As mention above, this method will erase everything on your phone.

Our take

All these methods which I have explained above. If. You apply these to your device once in a month or two. You will not face any issues. No matter how older your device is. The performance of the software of your device will remain similar to the new one.