Fix: Google Play Download Pending
Several users are getting the “Download pending” issue on their Google Play Store whenever they try to download or update an application. We use multiple applications in our daily life and some needs to be downloaded or updated, but this problem makes it hard for users to do so. This issue will happen on Android devices and the Google Play Store will be stuck with it.
What Causes the Google Play Download Pending Issue?
After investigating this particular issue, we found some possible reasons that can cause this error in your Google Play Store. Usually, this can happen because of the cache memory or your Google Play Store settings.
- Google Play Store: Mostly the Google Play Store errors are caused by broken or corrupt data in your phone. In this case, you can resolve the issue by removing the cache data in the Application Manager.
- Auto-updates in Google Store: There is an option for auto-update in your Google Play Store settings, which will let your phone to update automatically whenever new updates are available but because of this your applications update can be stuck in a queue and cause the problem for download pending.
- Installs Pending: All the applications that need to be updated or downloaded are stuck by some individual application in INSTALLED tab which is neither completing and nor letting others do in the queue.
- Cached Memory: Sometimes the application does not completely close but running in the background and keeping the user information data in the cache memory. Restarting your phone will remove the temporary data from RAM.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the nature of the problem, we will move on towards the methods to resolve your “Download Pending” error.
Method 1: Clearing the Google Play app cache & data
The cache data on our phone are just junk files used to save user information about the application and to help you complete tasks faster. It can take up the size of some KB to GB of storage space. The same case is for Google Play Store saving the data into the device for your downloaded applications. The data can easily get broken or corrupt and clearing it by following the steps below will solve the problem.
- Go to your phone “Settings” and open your “Application Manager/Apps“
- Find “Google Play Store” in the list of apps
- Tap “Force Stop” and clear the “Cache” or “Data”
Note: For some phones, you have to select “Storage” then you will be able to see Data & Cache.
Clearing cache and data in settings - Go back to Google Play Store, now try again to update or download the application.
Method 2: Restarting your Phone
Restarting the phone will refresh the RAM by removing all the temporary data stored for your Google Play Store, which includes the updates or the stuck downloading files. You can restart your phone by selecting Power Off option and then turning ON phone again or just selecting the Restart option. After restarting your device, go check if you can download or update apps now.
Note: Sometimes you need to apply method 1 before using method 2.
Method 3: Disable Auto Updates and Stop Pending Installations
Mostly one or more applications will be stuck if auto updates are ON for your Google Play Store and stopping that will let the others update. You can also stop all updates in the library and start updating application individually without any problem. A better option is to tick the “Don’t auto-update apps” so you never get this error in the future.
- Go to “Google Play Store” and press the “Settings Bar” in the upper left corner of the screen or just swap right
- Scroll down, go to the “Settings“
- Tap on “Auto-update apps” option and select “Do not auto-update apps”
Turning off auto-updates in Google play store settings - Again go through the Settings Bar and this time select “My apps & games“
- Try updating the apps manually, but if it doesn’t work stop all the updates
- Go to the second tab “INSTALLED” and check there some downloads must be pending and will be stuck
Stop the downloading and installing applications - Cancel those stuck applications and then try updating and downloading the app again.
