iTunes purchases won’t download to iPhone

Question

Level 1

6 points

iTunes purchases won’t download to iPhone

I have a continuous problem with my iPhone 16 pro when trying to download purchases which I’ve made on the phone from the iTunes Store. They don’t automatically appear, and so I go to ‘purchased’ and click on download, and the dial appears and nearly completes the download, then it reverts to the download cloud icon. This happens every single time.

The only way I can get purchases made on the phone appear in the phone library is to go onto my MacBook and download the purchase there. Once downloaded to the Mac, only then does it sync to the phone.

surely it shouldn’t be this difficult, why is this happening?

TIA.

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 18

Posted on Jun 7, 2025 2:04 PM

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Answer 1

brbo

Level 8

37,507 points

Jun 8, 2025 5:52 PM in response to mijbil

Re: iTunes purchases won’t download to iPhone

You might want to check whether you have set any restrictions, or blocked any content:

Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases on iPhone - Apple Support

or

to check if payment methods are going through as expected:

If your payment method is declined in the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support

For any purchases that don't appear to have downloaded::

You can try RE-downloading them:

See how to: Redownload music from the iTunes Store on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Eg: says:

"How to redownload music on your iPhone

Open the iTunes Store app.
Tap More.
Tap Purchased.
Tap Music. If you use Family Sharing, tap a family member to see their purchased music. From here, you can:

- Download all songs: Tap All Songs, then tap Download All.
- Download a song or album: Tap an artist, then tap the Download button next to a song or album."

Trouble-shooting:

What to do: If there’s an issue when you redownload apps, movies, or other content from Apple - Apple Support

For more info./ support / contact options (online chat / phone / email etc.) :

Website: Subscriptions and Billing - Official Apple Support

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