Can't start Xcode - stuck on installing state

Question

I was trying to upgrade Xcode because it didn't let me upload to apps to iTunes Connect.

Now it's stuck in installing state (few hours) and doesn't start:

Xcode is being updated
Xcode can not be opened while it is being updated.

What do to?

score 26 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 23 '17 at 19:20

26

There is a small progress bar under the Launchpad icon in the Menu Bar.

You can also see the current download progress by hovering over the icon.

Wait for it to end.

edited Dec 23 '17 at 19:20

Mark Amery

125

answered Nov 20 '14 at 23:30

Elia Weiss

870

12

I couldn't believe how long it took (and was "stuck" at the end for 60% of it) but waiting it out was all it took (wait time: 2.5 hours on 2013 MacBook Air) – Jared Aug 03 '15 at 15:54

score 13 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 18 '18 at 17:43

13

In the Updates tab of the Apple App Store, after waiting 1 hour for "2 minutes left," I hit CMD+R to refresh and that seemed to "jump start" it. It finished within 60s after that. Could have been coincidence though (YMMV).

answered Jun 18 '18 at 17:43

atwixtor

257

score 7 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 20 '21 at 05:59

7

Update: This answer doesn't work anymore as of Big Sur because there is no Check for Unfinished Downloads option.

original obsolete answer Try this: enter the App Store, click on Store in the top-left menu and select Check for Unfinished Downloads. Enter your Apple ID and password.

The above has worked for me on MacOS Sierra, I suspect that XCode was stuck waiting for credentials before download.

Update: Check for Unfinished Downloads option may not be present in the later versions of macOS.

edited Dec 20 '21 at 05:59

nohillside

100,768

answered May 03 '16 at 21:32

Arturas Taleikis

117

14

In 2021 on Big Sur, I see no Check for Unfinished Downloads option in the Store menu. – nealmcb Jul 21 '21 at 02:27

score 6 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 29 '20 at 07:23

6

In launch pad hold the Xcode icon until the X appears and click the X to delete Xcode then go back to the app store and get a fresh copy.

edited Dec 29 '20 at 07:23

Saeed Baig

103
4

answered Nov 21 '14 at 02:06

chris

169

This is a shit solution because the download size is huge, they put all the emulators in the main package. – ThaJay Apr 13 '22 at 11:02

score 6 · Answer 5 · edited Nov 01 '21 at 15:03

6

The Xcode had stuck in installing. I just opened finder, applications folder and tapped on Xcode. The installing has finished immediately.

I am not sure if it is coincidence.

Xcode 10.3, Mojave 10.14.6

edited Nov 01 '21 at 15:03

pkamb

8,791

answered Aug 20 '19 at 07:01

Krešimir Prcela

161

It's the nuance it should be known. – Soner from The Ottoman Empire Sep 01 '22 at 06:53

score 5 · Answer 6 · answered Nov 20 '14 at 19:44

5

sudo rm -rf /Applications/Xcode.app should wipe it out, then you can re-install from the App Store. But do make sure it's not actually updating first. It's a multi-gigabyte download so can take a while (yes, even hours, depending on your internet speed.) Opening Launchpad will show a progress bar if it's in the middle of doing something.

answered Nov 20 '14 at 19:44

miken32

1,176

I did so but when I shutdown and started again, in Launchpad there's still an icon saying Xcode is downloading. – xdavidliu Dec 20 '21 at 00:07

Sam · Answer 7 · 2021-06-17T18:39:04.073

4

I just installed Xcode (V12.5) on a fresh installation of Big Sur. It took about 5 hours to complete the final installation part of the process (all previous installs on this machine have been much quicker.

In fact the progress bar (in App Store) didn't actually complete, but Xcode did appear in the Applications folder is working fine.

edited Jun 17 '21 at 18:39

answered Jun 17 '21 at 18:30

Sam

61
2

1

Not sure how this answers a question asked 6 years ago :-) – nohillside Jun 18 '21 at 13:24
7

@nohillside BigSur exposes a similar problem as the one encountered by the asker, so the advice for this OS is welcomed. – Cristik Jun 19 '21 at 18:32
2

After 13 hours (!) my achingly slow initial install of Xcode on a fresh MacBook Air M1 machine (Big Sur 11.4) has completed. For the last 11 hours it was slowly creeping from 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the progress indicator. So still relevant, @nohillside: it can work to wait way longer than anyone should have to tolerate. Unbelievable. – nealmcb Jul 21 '21 at 15:34
1

This is incredible really and seems like an Apple crisis, the whole developer experience just really SUCKS with caps, wonder if this would be an issue in Steve Jobs days. – Diego Ponciano Jul 28 '21 at 02:06
I am waiting for an hour now for Xcode to complete the installation process. Macbook 16" 2019 Intel. Would really like to know how to speed this up. – Jaap Weijland Aug 05 '21 at 14:27

score 1 · Answer 8 · edited Nov 01 '21 at 15:04

For the benefit of anyone else running into this problem - I don't use my MacMini much. In fact I am back on it right now after a break of almost one year. When I tried to startup Xcode I got this same message and it would not budge.

I uninstalled it and then tried a reinstall only to be told that my OS was "too old". So there you have it - the system goes into a tizzy trying to upgrade Xcode and being held back by the OS not being up-to-date.

Instead of failing gracefully, it keeps trying over and over again!

score -1 · Answer 9 · answered Nov 15 '15 at 23:08

-1

Sometimes, a simple restart can solve this.

answered Nov 15 '15 at 23:08

eduludi

131

i'm using a 2021 14 inch m1 pro macbook pro and I restarted and xcode install is still stuck – xdavidliu Dec 19 '21 at 23:51
This was maybe to be posted as a question in the question's comments. – Thinkr Mar 31 '23 at 15:03

score -1 · Answer 10 · edited Jan 30 '16 at 19:49

-1

Download a fresh copy from Apple's download page

edited Jan 30 '16 at 19:49

answered Jan 30 '16 at 19:07

gido5731

83
1
10

Can't start Xcode - stuck on installing state

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