How to Fix Google Play Store download pending error

Google Play Store is the official app store for Android and is trusted by Android users for almost all the apps they need. While the Play Store works fine normally, sometimes you may experience issues. Have you ever been stuck with “Download Pending” while trying to download some apps? And naturally, you blamed your poor internet service?

While in many cases it can be a valid problem and reconnecting to the internet or your Wi-Fi works, but sometimes the Play Store gets stuck and the download just won't start. And on those occasions, your internet service may not be at fault at all. There could be some other reasons for this problem.

Here are some problems that cause problems and their solutions:

Method 1: Clear Google Play Download Queue

Google Play Store prioritizes all downloads and updates, and your most recent download may be last in the queue (probably due to automatic updates). Also, the Play Store downloads one app at a time, further increasing the “Download Pending” error. To allow your download to begin, you will need to clear the queue so that all previously scheduled downloads are not suspended. To do this,

Launch the Play Store app on your device.
Tap the hamburger icon in the top left corner of the app or swipe right from the left side.
Go to 'My apps & games'.
The 'Updates' tab shows the download queue.
From this list, you can pause all or some of your current and pending downloads.
To stop all downloads at once, tap "STOP". Otherwise, to stop downloading some specific app, tap on the cross icon next to it.
Once you have cleared all the rows about the desired download, your download will begin.
Also, you can stop auto update to prevent further updates. Anyway, updates for apps like calculator and calendar are useless. To stop the automatic update, click on the hamburger icon and go to settings. Tap 'Update apps automatically' and select 'Do not update apps automatically'.
If your Google Play store download pending error is not resolved, please continue to the next step.

Method 2: Reset Play Store App and Clear App Data

No, this is not the usual shutdown and reboot you do for every problem. To restart the Play Store app and make sure it's not even running in the background, you'll have to "force pause it." This method will solve your problem if the Play Store is not working properly or is blocked for any reason. Restart Play Store,

Go to 'Settings' on your phone.
In the 'Application settings' section, tap on 'Installed applications'. Or depending on your device, go to the appropriate app section of settings.
From the list of applications, select 'Google Play Store'.
Tap 'Force stop' on the app details page.
Now, open the Play Store again and download your app.

Android apps store your data on your device, which can sometimes get corrupted. If your download has not started yet, you will need to clear the data for this app to restore the state of your app. Data processing,.

Go to the app details page as before.
This time, click 'Clear data' and/or 'Clear cache'. The saved data of this app will be deleted.
Open Play Store again and check if the download starts.

Method 3: Free up some space on your device

Sometimes having limited storage space on your device can be the reason for the download pending error on Google Play Store. To check the free space on your device and related issues, go to 'Settings' and then 'Storage'. You may need to free up space by removing apps you don't use regularly.

Go to 'Settings' then 'Storage' and check the free space on the device

In case your app downloads to SD card, then a corrupted SD card can also cause this problem. Try to insert the SD card again. If your SD card is damaged, remove it or use another one.

Method 4: Configure the date and time settings

Sometimes the date and time on your phone is wrong and does not match the date and time on the Play Store server, which will cause a conflict and you will not be able to download anything from the Play Store. Therefore, you must ensure that the date and time of your call are correct.

You can update the date and time on your phone by following the steps below:

Open Settings on your phone and search for 'Date and time' in the top search bar.
From the search results, click Date & Time.
Now switch ON next to Automatic date & time and Automatic time zone.
If it is already in use, please turn it off and on again.
You will need to restart your phone to save the changes.

Method 5: Use the Play Store website

If your issue is still not resolved, get rid of your Play Store app. Instead, head over to the Play Store website and download the app.

Go to the official Play Store website on your phone's web browser and sign in with your Google account.
Find the app you want to download and click "Install".
Select your phone model from the list provided.
Tap 'Install' to start downloading the app.
You will be able to see the download progress in the notification area of your phone.

Method 6 – Disable the VPN

Usually people who care about their privacy use VPN networks. Not only that, but it also helps you unblock access to sites with restricted areas. You can also use it to increase internet speed and disable ads.

The steps to disable your VPN network are as follows:

Open the VPN app you are using and check if the VPN is connected.
If yes, click Disconnect and you're done.

Disabling your VPN might be a good idea if the updates are corrupted. Give it a try, maybe this will solve your problems and save your time.

Method 7 – Update your Android OS

If your operating system is not up to date, it may be the cause of the download pending error on the Google Play Store. Your phone will work better if you update it on time. Sometimes a particular bug can cause a conflict with the Google Play Store, and to fix this problem, you need to check for updates on your Android smartphone.

To check if your phone has the updated version of the app, follow these steps:

Open Settings on your phone, and then tap About device.
Tap System update under About phone.
Then click "Check for updates" or "Download updates".
When downloading updates, make sure you are connected to the Internet or using a Wi-Fi connection.
Wait for the installation to complete and reboot your device.

Method 8 – Restore App Preferences

This option is set when nothing is running on your device. Consider Resetting App Preferences as a last resort, as it can cause chaos on your phone. It's a bit difficult to change these settings, but sometimes you need to reset your app preferences.

The steps to reset app preferences are as follows:

Touch Settings and then find Applications/Application manager.
Now, select Manage apps option.
At the top right of the screen, you will see an icon with three lines, click on it.
From the drop-down list, click Reset Application Preferences.
You will be asked to confirm, click OK.

Method 9 – Remove and re-add your Google account

If nothing works for you so far, try removing the Google account linked to your Google Play and add it after some time.

Go to your phone settings.
Go to the 'Accounts' section and then 'Sync'.
Select a Google account from the list.
In the account details, click on 'More' and then on 'Delete account'.
After a few minutes, you can re-add your Google account and start the download.
These methods will surely solve your problems and allow you to download your favorite apps from the Google Play Store.

Method 10 – Factory reset your phone

If none of the above methods work, the last thing left is to factory reset the phone. But be careful as a factory reset will delete all data on your phone. To factory reset your phone, follow these steps:

Open Settings on your smartphone.
Search for Factory reset in the search bar or tap on Backup & reset option in Settings.
Click Factory data reset on the screen.
Click on the Reset option on the next screen.

Once the factory reset is complete, restart your phone, you can fix Google Play Store download pending error.

Hopefully, by using these methods, you will be able to fix Google Play Store download pending error and you can enjoy the improved features of the updated version.

Why Are My Google Play Download Pending?

How to fix Play Store Download Pending Error · Check current downloads and updates · Check connection · Check storage and SD card. Many times, users encounter a problem with Google Play. Thus, whenever you experience a Google Play Store problem at some point when downloading or installing apps. So, then you don’t need to worry. In this post, you will learn how do I fix Google Play stuck-on pending issues on Android phone devices with the best troubleshooting solutions.

Before starting the solutions, users must know about the reasons Why Are My Google Play Download is Pending so there are several issues such as:

Due to the low speed of the internet or bad network strength.
Due to the bad cache or heavy storage data.
Due to the outdated version of the Google Play application.
Due to the Google account-related issue and many more.

How do I fix Google Play stuck on pending?

Solution 1: Verify Internet Connection

First, you should verify your Internet connection on your Android device. Try to switch the Wi-Fi, Mobile data, and airplane mode or vice versa, and back again. After doing this, you will see the issue is resolved.

Solution 2: Confirm Current Downloads and Updates

Sometimes, the Play Store Stuck on Downloading issue occurs when any download app is pending. Or downloading multiple apps or updating simultaneously. Then you will need to go to Google Play > Menu > My apps & games. Then check there which applications are in the procedure of being downloaded or updated. Press on the “X” button to cancel the download and proceed with getting the app you immediately require.

Solution 3: Clear Cache and Data

You should also try to clear the app cache and data of the Google Play store app, frequently resolving a lot of difficulties, downloading, or updating pending issues involved.

Go to your Android device. Switch the setting section.
Pres on the “Storage” option.
Under “device storage” select "Internal Storage”.
Hit on the “Cached data” option.
Tap “OK” to clear all app cache.

Solution 4: Restart your device

If the above solutions didn’t assist you to resolve the issue Play Store is Stuck on Downloading. Then you should try to restart your Android device. For this, you will need to just press and hold the “Power” button on your device and then tap on “Restart”.

Why is my Play Store showing pending and not downloading?

If your Google Play shows any error when starting to update or download so you must check the actual storage space for the data and if the storage is high then, you must clear some storage and then, start the downloading process.

Open the settings.
Then, select the storage option from the list.
If the storage percentage is high then, click on the storage option.
Free up some unused storage like photos, videos, or others.
Then, try downloading or updating on the Google Play application.