Cannot Upgrade Xcode 11 to Xcode 11.1

I'm unable to upgrade Xcode 11GM to 11.1 for some time on my Mid 2014 MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina. I've installed Xcode from Mac AppStore ages ago (IIRC circa 2014), and upgraded step by step since then. Currently, I'm experiencing the following loop:

  1. AppStore reports that I have an update.
  2. I open AppStore, open updates, click "Update" on Xcode.
  3. Mac Downloads ~2.5GB first.
  4. Installs that patch.
  5. Continues to get the full package (~7.6GB).
  6. It starts to install.
  7. After some churning and install, it reports "Cannot download Xcode now, please try again later."

I have more than enough space on the disk, and nothing is modified in Xcode or in the OS (no homebrew or something similar).

Did anyone experience something similar? Are there solutions to this?


I had the same problem. Try to drag it to the trash. You might have to purge some Xcode files in ~/Library because the App Store thought it was still installed. This worked for me.


As per Xcode 11.1 Release Notes, it is a known issue when trying to update to Xcode 11.1. To solve the issue, use the suggested workaround -- delete the existing Xcode.app or temporarily change the Xcode.app file extension.

Known Issues

Xcode may fail to update from the Mac App Store after updating to macOS Catalina. (56061273)

Workaround: To trigger a new download you can delete the existing Xcode.app or temporarily change the file extension so it is no longer visible to the App Store.