How to Fix Problems Downloading Apps on Mac

If you are having any kind of problem trying to download or install an application or program on macOS, don’t worry. These failures are more or less frequent and their solution may surprise you because of how simple it is. In this article we address the origin of the problems that can appear when trying to download a new application on Mac computers.

The classic solution to almost all problems

It is typical of computer science satire to recommend turning off and on the Mac . In fact, to many it may seem absurd, but the truth is that it works many more times than you would surely believe. This is due to the fact that many processes are opened in the background while using the computer, which are not always easy to detect and close. The most efficient and quick way to close them is by restarting the computer, so if you want to rule out that this is the problem when downloading or installing applications, you should do this process.

Fix Problems Downloading Apps on Mac

Check your internet connection well

As you probably already know, any data download from the internet requires an internet connection (forgive the redundancy). Therefore, and regardless of whether you have a WiFi or cable connection, we recommend that you check that you actually have an internet connection. There are times when despite being connected, the speed is very slow. For this reason, it is also convenient that you carry out a speed test to verify that the download can be done without problems due to its good speed.

Any problem you may have in this section you will have to report it to the company that provides the connection. On many occasions, as in the previous section, it is convenient to turn the router off and on in order to reestablish the connection. If the application you want to download is heavy, it will be convenient for you to connect to that router via cable, if it is possible for you to do so.

conexion internet mac

Do you have enough disk space?

No matter how little space the application you are trying to download might occupy, it will be essential that it does not fill up the Mac’s storage space. The operating system could be preventing the download even though there is mathematically enough space. Therefore, the first thing you should do is check how this space is, which can be done by going to the Apple menu on the top bar and clicking on “About this Mac” and then going to the “Storage” tab.

almacenamiento mac

If you have little free space, it is recommended that you delete large files that you do not need. In fact, in the storage section, you can click on “Manage” to access the Mac tips to quickly gain space. However, it is perfectly possible that you manually delete the data you have stored or even delete those programs that you no longer use.

If you have already installed the program

Your Mac may still store some kind of trace of the application if you already had it installed in the past, so you will need to delete any related files. You may even still have the app installed and you haven’t even noticed, so the first thing you should do is check it from Finder, going to the corresponding Applications folder. If you want to reinstall it, you will have to delete it previously and if it is not necessary, you will not have anything else to do except open it to start using it.

compatibilidad apps mac

The app may not be supported

A very likely option for which you have some kind of problem when installing the application on your Mac is that it is not compatible with your device. It may not be compatible with your specific Mac model, with the version of macOS you have, or because the app itself is out of date. In any case, you can try the following two options to try to solve it.

Check if there is a compatible version

If the application has not received updates for a long time, it may be because a new app has been launched that replaces it, either with that or another name. Check well on the internet to see if it exists or if it is downloadable from the developer’s website. If the incompatibility is given because your Mac is the one that is outdated, you could look for an older version of the program that is compatible and thus be able to use it.

Update your Mac if necessary

One of the downsides of not having the latest versions of macOS installed is that many of the newer apps might not work. If this is your case and the app in question is valid with versions later than your software version, it is recommended that you update your computer to use it. Remember that you can do it from System Preferences> Software updates or from the App Store if you have an already somewhat old version.

If the download is from the Mac App Store

The App Store has the advantage of offering applications that are fully optimized for Mac and, most importantly, that they are fully secure. And although it is not common for problems to be presented when downloading applications from the App Store, it is not rulable either and you will have to carry out the following checks.

mac app store

Check your Apple ID

Regardless of whether you are logged into your Mac with your Apple ID, the Apple Store ID may be something else entirely. What we recommend is to check if you have logged in and if not, do so. If you have logged in and a message appears continuously asking you to do so, it could be because you have not entered your password or Apple ID correctly, so you should pay close attention to this.

Servers could be down

Although it is not the most common thing in the world, on occasion the servers of the App Store could be saturated and be running slower than usual and even preventing access. Given this, there would be no feasible solution, since it would only be necessary to wait for it to be solved as soon as possible. What you can do is check if they are indeed saturated or not, something that can be seen from an Apple website enabled for this check.

Internet downloads on Mac

Mac applications and programs can be downloaded from the App Store, this being the most effective way to prevent failures, but they can also be downloaded from the internet through Safari or any other browser. If you are having problems downloading an app that comes through this method, we advise you to check if it is in the App Store. If it is not in the Apple store, keep the following tips in mind.

Check that it is a reliable application

Security is not guaranteed in the case of third-party applications and despite the existence of many reliable tools, there is always an index of mistrust. The most recommended thing is that, even if it is a well-known application, you always download it from trusted portals, ideally from the developer’s own page. In this place you should check that the application can run on your Mac with the version of macOS you have.

If the fault appears when installing

Generally, third-party applications that come from the internet are classified as dubious due to their origin. However there is a way to allow installation . For that you must follow these steps:

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Go to Security and privacy.
  3. Go to the General tab.
  4. Click on the padlock in the lower left corner and enter your Mac password.
  5. In “Allow apps downloaded from” select the option “App Store and identified developers”.

Seguridad y privacidad Mac

Once you have done this you should not have any problem, but if an error message appears again for this reason you will have to follow these steps again and check if the option that allows the installation of that specific program appears in Security and privacy, which you must accept.

If you still have problems after this

If, despite having reviewed everything discussed in this article, you still have problems downloading apps on macOS, it is recommended that you go to Apple’s technical service and try to tell an agent what is happening to you. You can get support from the Apple website by chat or email, but also by phone 900 150 503 (free from Spain)