iTunes: How to resume interrupted iTunes Store downloads

Summary

When you purchase a song, video, application, or other content from iTunes Store, the download might get interrupted for a number of reasons. This article explains how to resume your download.

Products Affected

iTunes, iTunes Store

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Your download might not complete for one of the following reasons:

  • Quitting iTunes before a download is complete.
  • Restarting the computer during a download.
  • Disconnecting from the Internet while downloading.
  • Slow or dropped Internet connection.
  • Other applications blocking the download, such as security software not manufactured by Apple or a firewall.

If your download was interrupted on your computer

You will be prompted to resume your download the next time you quit and reopen iTunes. You can also manually restart the download with the following steps.

Resuming downloads from a computer

  1. Open iTunes.
  2. Choose Store > Check for Available Downloads.
  3. Enter your account name and password.
  4. Click the "Check Downloads" button.
  5. Click the Resume or Resume All button, or the resume arrow to resume the download.

If you believe that the item downloaded completely but it is not appearing in the Purchased playlist, click Library on the left side of iTunes to see if the item appears there.

If your download was interrupted on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

You can manually resume the download on your device with the following steps.

Resuming downloads from an iOS device

  1. From the Home screen, tap the iTunes icon.
  2. For iPhone/iPod touch, tap More > Downloads. For iPad, tap Downloads.
  3. Enter your account name and password.
  4. Click the "OK" button.
  5. Click the Resume, Resume All, or  button to start the download.

If you cannot complete the download on your device, you can finish the download in iTunes on your computer and then sync it to your device. For instructions, see the following articles:

Additional Information

If your purchase does not resume downloading after following the steps in this article, you can also try the following steps to troubleshoot the download issue.

  1. Restart your computer or device.
  2. Check for updates for your Mac or PC and install any software updates. Also, check for and install updates for any security software you may have (anti-virus, anti-malware, firewall, and so on).
  3. If using Wi-Fi for Internet access, try using a different Wi-Fi network when downloading. If you are connecting to a home network, try restarting your Wi-Fi router. Also, check for and install any firmware updates for your Wi-Fi router. (Refer the manufacturer's website for your router to get information on updating its firmware).
  4. If you are on a computer, try using an ethernet cable for wired Internet access instead of using Wi-Fi. If the issue is still unresolved and you're using iTunes for Windows, follow steps in iTunes for Windows: Troubleshooting security software issues.

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