If you have trouble downloading or updating Things from Apple’s App Store, here’s what you can try.

Please note that any issues with Apple’s App Store can’t be resolved by us. The App Store is owned and operated by Apple, and they retain full control of the process that downloads and updates your apps.

In this article:
  1. Update never finishes
  2. “Unable to Download App”
  3. Update isn’t appearing
  4. “Cannot update app”
  5. This app is no longer shared with you
  6. Things purchase isn’t showing up

Update never finishes

If you try to update unsuccessfully (the download starts but just stops and resets), you might have a Things widget enabled. Due to a macOS bug, this can make the update fail. This will help:

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications → Utilities.
  2. Search for “ThingsWidgetExtension” (search is in the upper-right corner).
  3. If you find this, select it and hit the round button with the x in the toolbar at the top (Force Quit).

Now try updating Things again through the App Store. If this didn’t help, proceed with the steps in the next section.

“Unable to Download App”

If there’s a warning that says “Unable to Download App. Please try again later”, try this:

  • Make sure that Things is in your Applications folder. If it’s not, quit the app and move it there, then try the update again.
  • Sign out of the App Store (not iCloud) and reboot your device. Then go to App Store → Updates to download the update.
  • Download any free app, and then try downloading Things again.
  • Drag Things from the Applications folder to the Trash, then try downloading Things again from your list of previous purchases. Here’s how.
  • Check Apple’s support forums through this link here. There’s always a good chance that other users are affected, and might have found a workaround that will also help you.
  • Some users found the steps on this page to be helpful.

If none of these steps help, please follow Apple’s own troubleshooting guidelines, or reach out to their support team. As they have full control over the App Store, they are the only ones who can assist you with a resolution of this issue.

Update isn’t appearing on the App Store

If you don’t see the new Things update in the Updates tab on the App Store, here are some things you can try:

  • On a Mac, open App Store → Updates and hit ⌘ Cmd R to refresh the page.
  • Sign out of the App Store (not iCloud) and back in. Then go to App Store → Updates to download the update.
  • Sign out of the App Store (not iCloud) and reboot your device. Then go to App Store → Updates to download the update.
  • Make sure that you are signed into the App Store with the same Apple ID that you used to buy the app originally.
  • Go to the App Store’s Today tab > user icon → Purchased and then search for Things in your list of purchases.

If none of these steps help you locate the update Things, please make sure you are running at least iOS 12.1 or macOS 13 (minimum requirements). Users on earlier OS versions will not see any Things updates released after August 11, 2021.

If you’re on iOS 12.1 or 13, or on macOS 13 or later, and can’t see updates after going through all the troubleshooting steps, please reach out to Apple’s support team. They are the only ones with access to your Apple ID and purchase history. As a developer, we have no way of checking your Apple ID to find out why an app update is not showing up for you – sorry!

“Cannot update app”

If there’s a warning that says “Cannot update app. Things 3 cannot be updated because it was refunded or purchased with a different Apple ID”, it can mean:

  • You requested a refund for Things 3 from Apple in the past. Apple granted you this refund. You no longer own the app, and are not eligible to receive updates for the app you no longer own.
  • You purchased Things 3 with a different Apple ID than the one you are currently using. You need to log out of the App Store and sign in with the Apple ID you used to buy Things 3 originally.

If you feel that you are seeing this message in error, please contact Apple support. Only Apple can access your Apple ID and purchase history. We do not have access to this information and can’t troubleshoot this for you.

This app is no longer shared with you

If you’ve been using Apple’s Family Sharing to use Things on your devices, you might run into this error message. We have a dedicated support page to help you troubleshoot this particular issue. Learn more.

Things purchase isn’t showing up

If you have purchased Things in the past, but the App Store is showing you the full price instead of a download option, try this to download Things again.

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