An app is stuck on Waiting or Installing on your Mac

Why it happens

While an app downloads, your Mac shows a grey placeholder icon with a progress bar. If the download stalls, for example after a dropped connection or when the disk fills up, the placeholder stays stuck. Pausing and resuming usually gets it moving again.

How to fix it

1. Open the App Store, then click Updates in the sidebar, or search for the app.

   App Store

2. Find the stuck app and click its Pause button, where the Get or Update button usually is. Then click it again to resume.

3. Give it a minute. If the progress starts moving, let it finish.

4. Still stuck? Restart your Mac, open the App Store again and start the download from the app's page.

Still not fixed?

1. Check you have enough free space in General > Storage. A download stalls when the disk fills up.

   General›Storage

2. Try another network, and check Apple's System Status page to see whether the App Store is having problems.

3. Check your payment method in your Apple Account. An unpaid order can block downloads.

4. If a grey icon is left in Applications, drag it to the Trash, then download the app again from the App Store.

5. If the app still won't finish after all that, contact Apple Support. They can check your account and the download.