How to fix the Google Play Store 'download pending' error

Are you experiencing the Google Play Store Download Pending error on your Android phone? In this guide, I have shared some troubleshooting tips to fix this issue in no time. As you may guess, when you try to download an app from the Play Store, it gets stuck mid-way while downloading. The common reason may be the Play Store cache filled up with junk data causing the app to misbehave.

Also, if the internet connectivity is slow or disruptive, then the download in progress may get stuck. It may be just a random bug that is happening due to some issue with other apps. Even downloading multiple apps at once can abruptly stop the download for a few apps. Not having enough storage on your Android device can also lead to a pending download error on the Play Store.

How to fix the Google Play Store ‘download pending’ error

Restart your Phone

Sometimes, your device needs a fresh reset, especially if you recently changed a setting or need to schedule an update with your operating system. It also fixes the issue of having multiple apps open that you can’t force stop, so an easy way to get by this is to do a quick restart.

Clear Data and Cache of Play Store

Generally, when an update to an app doesn’t work, your first step is to visit the app and clear the cache and data. Before touching the clear data option, clear the app cache. Clearing the cache declutters your device and prevents temporary files from taking up too much space. When you’re tight on storage space, clear the cache daily.

Navigate to your device’s Settings.
Tap Apps or Applications.
Locate and tap Google Play Store
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear data or Clear cache.

Check the Internet Connection

You need to fix your internet connection. If the network is fluctuating or getting disrupted, then switch to any other alternative network. Secondly, you may try resetting the WiFi router. On your Android device, you can try toggling between the flight mode. That often fixes the network issues easily.

Update Android OS

It may be a bug on the current version of Android OS causing the Play Store Download pending error. Check if an update is available to step up the Android OS to a newer build.

Launch the Settings app.
Navigate to System and tap on it.
Then tap on System Updates.
Follow the on-screen instructions and download the update.
Restart the device after installing the new build of Android OS.

Uninstall and reinstall Google Play Store

If you suspect you’re on a faulty version of the Google Play Store app, uninstall the entire app like you would any app. Visit your settings, go to Apps or Applications, then tap Uninstall. If the current build of the Google Play Store seems unstable (rare but can happen if you installed the app from unofficial sources), consider rolling back to an older app version to uninstall updates.

Update Google Play Store services

Usually, the Google Play Store prompts an update after opening. But you may have installed the Google Play Store with an APK file or App Bundle source on your device. So, to ensure your Google Play Store is on the most recent, stable build, check with a trusted APK source (such as APKMirror) that you have the latest version.

Factory Reset the Android Device

If none of the above tips are working, then it is better to reset the Android device entirely. It is quite easy to do but it will wipe out all the data on your device. Before performing a device reset, make sure to back up your data to the cloud or other devices like a PC.