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Anyway to NOT sync apps on iTunes?

K

k.i.t.t.o.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2008
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0
Is there an option on iTunes or iOS 5 to disable syncing/copying iPhone apps to the computer? I have a 32 GB iPhone 4S and I love grabbing apps, but I'm also running a 2006 core 2 duo Macbook with a feeble old man 60 GB hard drive. It goes without saying that all the shiny new iPhone apps are eating away what little space I have left. :\

Also, on a somewhat related note, I notice that apps on the iPhone will balloon up in size after a little while. For example, Pulse News is about 13 MB to download on the app store, which is great, but after using it for a few weeks, its size is now 111 MB according to the info found under settings, with 98.7 MB owed to "Documents & Data." Is there any way to whip the app back to its slim sexiness without deleting the whole thing? Interestingly, the back up on my Mac is still at 13 MB, so all that data is just sitting on the iPhone.
 
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deeddawg

macrumors G5
Jun 14, 2010
12,245
6,393
US
To take a different angle, have you considered upgrading the hard drive on the computer? I mention this as I'd be getting rather concerned at the continued reliability of a five year old hard drive.

OWC has complete kits for under $70 that would quadruple your storage on the macbook.
 
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davidra

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2011
413
4
My problem is a little different; I assume this can be fixed via iTunes, but I keep having my iPhone apps appear on my iPad. I end up with two versions, one of which is not supposed to be there. How can I sync apps from each device to iTunes (which I assume I'm supposed to do) and keep them from appearing on the wrong device?
 
verwon

verwon

macrumors 68030
Jul 26, 2011
2,676
2
Seattle
davidra said:
My problem is a little different; I assume this can be fixed via iTunes, but I keep having my iPhone apps appear on my iPad. I end up with two versions, one of which is not supposed to be there. How can I sync apps from each device to iTunes (which I assume I'm supposed to do) and keep them from appearing on the wrong device?
Click to expand...

If you're using iCloud, turn off the auto app syncing in the settings.
 
D

deeddawg

macrumors G5
Jun 14, 2010
12,245
6,393
US
@davidra: select which apps you want on each device in itunes; first select the device on the left side then click on Apps in the middle top where it says Summary Info Apps etc. There's also a checkbox for "automatically sync new apps"
 
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davidra

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2011
413
4
verwon said:
If you're using iCloud, turn off the auto app syncing in the settings.
Click to expand...

Hey Verwon.

Under iCloud settings, I see a number of settings (on both the iPad and the 4S) but none specifically labled "apps". Under the "Storage and Backup" setting, there is an on-off button for "iCloud Backup"; that only mentions camera roll, accounts, documents and settings.

Where is app syncing?
 
verwon

verwon

macrumors 68030
Jul 26, 2011
2,676
2
Seattle
davidra said:
Hey Verwon.

Under iCloud settings, I see a number of settings (on both the iPad and the 4S) but none specifically labled "apps". Under the "Storage and Backup" setting, there is an on-off button for "iCloud Backup"; that only mentions camera roll, accounts, documents and settings.

Where is app syncing?
Click to expand...

I'm trying to find how I turned it off, since I don't want all of the same on both, either.

However, you can also set iTunes to manually manage.

Still looking and will post back.
 
D

davidra

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2011
413
4
deeddawg said:
@davidra: select which apps you want on each device in itunes; first select the device on the left side then click on Apps in the middle top where it says Summary Info Apps etc. There's also a checkbox for "automatically sync new apps"
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty confused. First, with no devices connected, the apps list shows 3 categories:
1. iphone, ipod touch and ipad apps
2. iPhone and ipod touch apps
3. iPad apps

How is it determined which category an app ends up in? I certainly understand categories 2 and 3; what about category 1? I can't manually move them; some in category 1 ONLY show up in the correct device and some show up in both. For example, the Facebook app is in category 1. However, there are FB apps on both the phone and the iPad and each is correct for the device. And my assumption is the "automatically sync new apps" box only appears when a device is connected? And as I mentioned I see nothing on either device concerning syncing apps....
 
K

k.i.t.t.o.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2008
24
0
BFG86 said:
Deselect Sync Apps
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks. Now, that won't end up deleting the apps on the iPhone side, right? Last thing I want is to do that only to find out all my apps are gone from the phone itself because they weren't synced on iTunes. Like, if I can sync/back up everything on my phone to iTunes sans apps, that would be fantastic.

deeddawg said:
To take a different angle, have you considered upgrading the hard drive on the computer? I mention this as I'd be getting rather concerned at the continued reliability of a five year old hard drive.

OWC has complete kits for under $70 that would quadruple your storage on the macbook.
Click to expand...

Whoa, that's pretty awesome. I'll have to look into that, thanks! I've been holding off upgrading my hard drive because I've been doing OK managing 60 GB (currently with 38 GB free, actually :D) for the last few years. Plus the recent crazy inflation for hard drives pretty much made me more hesitant to jump the gun. This whole app syncing issue wouldn't be a factor if I had, say, a 500 GB hard drive to play around.
 
verwon

verwon

macrumors 68030
Jul 26, 2011
2,676
2
Seattle
davidra said:
Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty confused. First, with no devices connected, the apps list shows 3 categories:
1. iphone, ipod touch and ipad apps
2. iPhone and ipod touch apps
3. iPad apps

How is it determined which category an app ends up in? I certainly understand categories 2 and 3; what about category 1? I can't manually move them; some in category 1 ONLY show up in the correct device and some show up in both. For example, the Facebook app is in category 1. However, there are FB apps on both the phone and the iPad and each is correct for the device. And my assumption is the "automatically sync new apps" box only appears when a device is connected? And as I mentioned I see nothing on either device concerning syncing apps....
Click to expand...

Okay! Found it. It's actually in iTunes, when your device is connected. From the summary page select apps, then at the bottom of the list is an option for auto syncing new apps.
 
D

deeddawg

macrumors G5
Jun 14, 2010
12,245
6,393
US
davidra said:
First, with no devices connected, the apps list shows 3 categories: [...]
How is it determined which category an app ends up in?
Click to expand...

Apps are written to be (1) universal, including ipad and iphone/ipod-touch interfaces, (2) only with the iphone/ipod touch interface, or (3) only with the ipad interface. These correspond to the categories you see and cannot be changed, it's an inherent property of the app.

Since iphone/ipod touch apps can run on an ipad (just showing the iphone / ipod touch interface), they will get automatically synced to an ipad. Apps for ipad only (category 3) can't run on an iphone / ipod touch, and thus won't get automatically synced.

Hope that helps with any confusion.


verwon said:
Okay! Found it. It's actually in iTunes, when your device is connected.
Click to expand...

I believe this setting is device specific, which is why it's there vs elsewhere. i.e. you could turn off automatic sync for your ipad yet leave it on for your iphone. This is how I have mine set up.
 
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davidra

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2011
413
4
verwon said:
Okay! Found it. It's actually in iTunes, when your device is connected. From the summary page select apps, then at the bottom of the list is an option for auto syncing new apps.
Click to expand...

OK....found it. So if I don't autosync apps, what functionality do I lose? And I gather I should uncheck it for the iPad as well? I still don't exactly get the purpose for syncing apps with iTunes as long as the store knows I've bought them....I update OTA, so I don't need to do that through iTunes...

I know I'm missing some basic philosophy here....

And while I have your attention...what are the relative advantages and disadvantages of backing up to iTunes versus iCloud?
 
Last edited:
verwon

verwon

macrumors 68030
Jul 26, 2011
2,676
2
Seattle
davidra said:
OK....found it. So if I don't autosync apps, what functionality do I lose? And I gather I should uncheck it for the iPad as well? I still don't exactly get the purpose for syncing apps with iTunes as long as the store knows I've bought them....I update OTA, so I don't need to do that through iTunes...

I know I'm missing some basic philosophy here....

And while I have your attention...what are the relative advantages and disadvantages of backing up to iTunes versus iCloud?
Click to expand...

Nothing really, you'll just have to manually install something on both devices, if you want it on both.

The iTunes sync keeps the data, as well. If you just redownload from the app store, you lose everything and start over.

The iTunes backups give you a copy on your computer, but you have to be wired to restore. The iCloud backup will restore over wifi, with no wires.
 
K

k.i.t.t.o.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2008
24
0
OK, deselecting Sync Apps on iTunes tells me that doing so will delete all existing apps and their data on my iPhone, and unless I'm missing something, that's not what I want. I'd like them off the computer, but still on the iPhone. I tried deleting an app on iTunes while leaving it on the phone, but upon syncing iTunes tells me I need to transfer said app to the computer or else it'll delete it from my phone too.

Unless I'm supposed to delete all the apps from both devices, redownload the apps on the iPhone, but uncheck the Sync Apps option from then on so iTunes never gets the chance to back it up? That sounds extremely tedious, though... :confused:
 
B

BFG86

macrumors 6502
Oct 14, 2011
420
109
k.i.t.t.o. said:
OK, deselecting Sync Apps on iTunes tells me that doing so will delete all existing apps and their data on my iPhone, and unless I'm missing something, that's not what I want. I'd like them off the computer, but still on the iPhone. I tried deleting an app on iTunes while leaving it on the phone, but upon syncing iTunes tells me I need to transfer said app to the computer or else it'll delete it from my phone too.

Unless I'm supposed to delete all the apps from both devices, redownload the apps on the iPhone, but uncheck the Sync Apps option from then on so iTunes never gets the chance to back it up? That sounds extremely tedious, though... :confused:
Click to expand...

I haven't done it myself but I've read you can uncheck hit apply and then quickly unplug the iphone and the setting will stick
 
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