How to find old (iOS 3.x) apps?

SWLinPHX · Jul 30, 2012

Tubamajuba said:
As far as I know, you can't simply download the IPA files and drag them into iTunes.

What do you mean? The iOS apps are just single app files that can be easily moved, copied and duplicated and put into the Home/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder. Once it's in there it appears just fine in iTunes and can be copied, synced, etc. to your iOS device. It's actually much easier, smaller and simpler than any Windows or Mac OS app. And as far as actual computer operating system software, those two can only be officially downloaded or purchased from Apple or Microsoft too. Also, unlike those, these iOS apps are very cheap or even free!

...I still don't get it, sorry.

dukebound85 · Jul 30, 2012

SWLinPHX said:
What do you mean? The iOS apps are just single app files that can be easily moved, copied and duplicated and put into the Home/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder. Once it's in there it appears just fine in iTunes and can be copied, synced, etc. to your iOS device. It's actually much easier, smaller and simpler than any Windows or Mac OS app. And as far as actually computer operating system software, those two can only be officially downloaded or purchased from Apple or Microsoft too. Also, unlike those, these iOS apps are very cheap or even free!

...I still don't get it, sorry.

You can't just download an ipa file and sync it if it is not tied to your apple id...

umiwangu · Jul 31, 2012

dukebound85 said:
You can't just download an ipa file and sync it if it is not tied to your apple id...

What if you already "owned"/downloaded the app? Is the ipa file itself tied to your account?

robbieduncan · Jul 31, 2012

umiwangu said:
What if you already "owned"/downloaded the app? Is the ipa file itself tied to your account?

The one you downloaded from the store is, yes.

umiwangu · Jul 31, 2012

robbieduncan said:
The one you downloaded from the store is, yes.

That makes sense. It's still a bit of a bummer.

quickreply1 · Aug 7, 2012

entitymike how do I reach you?

it seems that you've got older versions of iPhone apps?

surprise, there isn't a way for me to send you a private message here, so how can I reach you? I'm looking for only 1 or two old apps but surprise Apple, the iTunes world, is a closed loop system and hunting down these apps is like trying to find gold. and people wonder why Windows is such an open system? sure looks bad, too many hands in the pot, but at least it is open.

))))

i'm only looking for Shazam, facebook and linked in. Personally I only use my iphone for phone, messaging, and a few tings and i LOVE the design of the iPhone 1, that is why I keep it, but to not even be able to use these Apps. nooooooooo.

you can reach me @ [mod edit: address removed per request] so send me a message. I'd love to get these apps from you if I can.

thanks in advance

flowney · Aug 18, 2012

Finding Old Versions of iOS Software

Because *.ipa files are "married" to your system by Apple's signing scheme, you'll need to find the older app that was issued to you. This applies even to free apps. If you have a clone or other backup, take a look there. If you have Time Machine backup, go to ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Mobile Applications/ and start digging.

If you find what you are looking for then I suppose a Restore followed by synching will do the trick but I have not actually attempted this. Please post yur experience if you try this out.

sites · Aug 19, 2012

Thanks Apple. I can't even use my old iPhone like I used to. You've practically neutered my device. You have bricked my perfectly functional iPhone that I have saved & taken great care of just so I could have it on my living room table for convenient browsing & such. You, Apple, can kiss my $$ goodbye. I will turn every client away from your products in favor of Linux & Winderz. F YOU APPLE

umiwangu · Aug 19, 2012

sites said:
Thanks Apple. I can't even use my old iPhone like I used to. You've practically neutered my device. You have bricked my perfectly functional iPhone that I have saved & taken great care of just so I could have it on my living room table for convenient browsing & such. You, Apple, can kiss my $$ goodbye. I will turn every client away from your products in favor of Linux & Winderz. F YOU APPLE

I don't think Apple's app policy needs to elicit an attitude like this. It is a disappointment that they make it very difficult to keep older apps, but in the end the user decides whether or not to upgrade (granted, some apps force you to upgrade, but that blame rests on the developers).

Like some have suggested, you can restore the older versions of apps. This isn't ideal, but it can help the situation.

Look at the (slightly) bright side: you have an iPod with a touch screen, email, and browser.

irDigital0l · Aug 19, 2012

when you click on an app in the app store on itunes, under the icon it it will tell you what version it supports

ianxthomson · Aug 22, 2012

Forced obsolescence, and Apple treating iPods the same as iPhones

umiwangu said:
I don't think Apple's app policy needs to elicit an attitude like this. It is a disappointment that they make it very difficult to keep older apps, but in the end the user decides whether or not to upgrade...

Yes it does (I too think in 4-letter terms about this but I don't have to share that with you) and no he doesn't (decide to "upgrade"). The trouble is that Apple's relentless Money Machine and RDF have many people salivating over the latest model, and the way App developers can make most money is by selling more apps to owners of shiny new iThings. Therefore they selfishly serve only new models and I can understand that - maximum return on their investment. The trouble is that iPods are not iPhones. The latter are usually on a massively subsidised contract and the operator will let you "upgrade" for "free" after a couple of years - and keep paying the huge monthly bills. That is if the clumsy owner hasn't dropped and smashed his iThing already and had to buy a new one. Or it hasn't broken down because let's face it, they can be pretty unreliable.

Apple could make the most recent IOS3 version of apps available, but it's not going to make them much money so they don't bother.

That leaves me with a well looked after iPod Touch 1st gen that I can't install so much as a weather app on now. For "upgrade" I read "throw away a fully functioning machine that I only bought a few years ago".

Think about this: If you had bought Car3.0 and a couple of years later they brought out Petrol4.0 which did not work in Car3.0, and you soon found that hardly any petrol stations sold Petrol3.0, and all you could do with your car (that only has 40k miles on the clock and has never been crashed) is sit in it and listen to the radio, you'd be fairly p****d off would you not?

netsurfz · Oct 2, 2012

Bump. Looking for Facebook, Skype, LINE, and 'Remote'

umiwangu · Oct 3, 2012

netsurfz said:
Bump. Looking for Facebook, Skype, LINE, and 'Remote'

As several have said on here, each app file (ipa file) is tied to your specific iTunes account. So even if we could give you a copy of the app (of which I have none), it wouldn't work anyway. Or at least that what it looks like.

SWLinPHX · Oct 3, 2012

None of this would be an issue to begin with if some apps didn't tell you there was a new update and allow the device to download and install it when it is not compatible with the iOS version the device is running. I see that quite frequently and then you're out of luck if you sync before realizing it.

blueroom · Oct 3, 2012

sites said:
Thanks Apple. I can't even use my old iPhone like I used to. You've practically neutered my device. You have bricked my perfectly functional iPhone that I have saved & taken great care of just so I could have it on my living room table for convenient browsing & such. You, Apple, can kiss my $$ goodbye. I will turn every client away from your products in favor of Linux & Winderz. F YOU APPLE

Apple makes money on folks that buy new products.

SWLinPHX · Oct 3, 2012

To be fair it's not Apple's apps that do that, it's some third-party developers who don't code their updates not to install on devices running an earlier version of iOS than their update can accommodate.

jimates · Oct 21, 2012

flowney said:
Because *.ipa files are "married" to your system by Apple's signing scheme, you'll need to find the older app that was issued to you. This applies even to free apps. If you have a clone or other backup, take a look there. If you have Time Machine backup, go to ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Mobile Applications/ and start digging.

If you find what you are looking for then I suppose a Restore followed by synching will do the trick but I have not actually attempted this. Please post yur experience if you try this out.

The app is tied to an Apple account, not to your system. You can put anyones app on your device and it will work fine. When the app needs updated and you attempt to update it, it will then communicate with Apple and require the proper id for upgrade. Upgrading will not be a problem in this situation.

I just restored my daughters 1st gen iPod touch. Wish I had left everything on it. In my itunes library I have 128 apps that have updates pending. I will back up my apps and hold them without updating.

I will compile a list for those interested.

I also rejailbroke it and installed that app I can't mention. I had to do a work around since the older version of that app is not available. I had to use iFunBox to put the deb file on the device and then use iFile to install the deb file.

Menneisyys2 · Oct 21, 2012

jimates said:
The app is tied to an Apple account, not to your system. You can put anyones app on your device and it will work fine. When the app needs updated and you attempt to update it, it will then communicate with Apple and require the proper id for upgrade. Upgrading will not be a problem in this situation.

I just restored my daughters 1st gen iPod touch. Wish I had left everything on it. In my itunes library I have 128 apps that have updates pending. I will back up my apps and hold them without updating.

I will compile a list for those interested.

I also rejailbroke it and installed that app I can't mention. I had to do a work around since the older version of that app is not available. I had to use iFunBox to put the deb file on the device and then use iFile to install the deb file.

Yup, no future upgrades will be compatible with anything under 4.3 - that is, not even with the 2nd-gen models.

umiwangu · Oct 21, 2012

jimates said:
The app is tied to an Apple account, not to your system. You can put anyones app on your device and it will work fine. When the app needs updated and you attempt to update it, it will then communicate with Apple and require the proper id for upgrade. Upgrading will not be a problem in this situation.

Thanks for the clarification.

umiwangu · Nov 22, 2012

PierreP said:
Yes! Found this workaround to the shameful iTunes lack of IOS compatibility filter by user pc1234 posted here (with extra iTunes Google Site Search tips): https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4216766?start=0&tstart=0

Basically you do a site search using Google to search iTunes. For example copy this entire line and paste it in your Google search box:

Code:

site:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ "Requires iOS 3.1" game spanish -"$0.99" -"$1.99" -"$2.99" -"$4.99"

Or click this link: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...y=true,onetoken=false..0.0...1c.1.TfPWbT3VHz0

And it will return results for free games that support Spanish and IOS 3.1 and higher.

Ironic isn't it to use Android's mother ship to efficiently search Apple's iTunes.

And obviously we can change the search terms to find different apps, as long as that "requires 3.0.1" tag stays in there...

Tubamajuba · Nov 22, 2012

PierreP said:
I signed up just to reply to this argument.

That's exactly what Apple wants you to do. And don't forget the 30% cut they get for each sold apps besides what they make on the hardware.

And what am I supposed to do with a perfectly working iPhone 3G initially sold in 2009? Use it as a paperweight or throw it in the garbage can and contribute to the planet resources depletion? And if you ebay it, somebody else will have the same problem.

I'm baffled by the fact that iTunes removed most of the older IOS 3.x compatible apps even if they were free. Don't tell me that they don't have the bandwidth nor the hardware. They could have both older and newer versions of the apps.

I don't understand why Apple pushed the IOS 4.2.1 on the 3G, it's dog slow and unstable with only around only 20-30 free RAM for running apps.

The IOS 3.1.3 is better but since a couple of days I have been running the Whited00r 5.2.1 custom firmware which is an IOS 3.1.3 optimized on steroid. I was shocked by the snappiness and fluidity compared to 4.2.1.

Disabling several features using their built-in Terminal > ./Configurator I now have 58-60MB of free RAM and it flies!

Since Apple does not support the iPhone 3G anymore it's only fair game to hack into it IMO.

I live in Latin America and I know that the poor teen who will receive that iPhone 3G as an xmas gift will be extremely happy... Her mom is a single parent and sells lottery tickets on the street to make a living.

Now if I could find a list of compatible IOS 3.x apps instead of the ridiculously time consuming check of the IOS requirements for each single apps in iTunes as Apple did not bother with adding a simple IOS compatibility filter.

They are famous for thinking about every tiny details when designing their devices so I'm sure they do the same with the iTunes money machine.

They probably do that to force you to see a bunch of non compatible apps to entice you in buying a newer device. They are THE master of planned obsolescence.

I understand your point. There are many reasons why you would still use an older iOS device. But there comes a point where Apple and app developers need to let go of past iOS versions and devices and focus on the newer ones. It's not just Apple making their devices obsolete- many newer apps no longer work on older devices or versions of iOS lower than 5.

An iPhone 3G purchased three to four years ago may still work perfectly fine, but it's not nearly powerful enough to run many recent apps at a decent pace, hence why few developers still support devices that old. Attempting to support older devices increases the amount of time that both Apple and third party developers spend on testing, and that means less time spent making quality apps that work on newer devices.

It sucks for people with older devices, but it is what it is- as newer devices offer more power to enable developers, older devices get left behind. If it's any consolation, I envision a day when even three year old iOS devices run the newest apps and versions of iOS at a quick and snappy pace. Just look at the PC market- any computer built within the past five years can do anything that the vast majority of people need it to do. The mobile computing market is still very young- once the market matures and mobile operating systems settle down and focus on refinement rather than new features, being on the cutting edge of CPU and GPU technology will no longer be a requirement to run most of the latest apps. That's just my two cents though, I might be wrong.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck finding apps for your iPhone 3G!

denzaltrueman · Nov 23, 2012

Individually I only use my iphone for cellphone, texting, and a few tings and i love the style of the iPhone 1, that is why I keep it, but to not even be able to use these Applications.

Tubamajuba · Nov 23, 2012

PierreP said:
No luck needed, see my post above to workaround the shameful lack of option to filter searches by IOS compatibility in iTune$.

Basically you just change the keywords "game" or "spanish" to your taste and/or delete some price restrictions (like -"$11.99" for example) in this Google Site Search of iTunes: http://goo.gl/f6NWn I just downloaded about 30 of them.

Old for a device barely 3 years old is in your head. People were queuing around the block when the iPhone 3G came out. We don't all live in USA where the newest and the latest is a must and we don't all have the coins as sadly many people live hand-to-mouth on this planet. Proof is most of the people I know use prepaid SIM's so they can recharge it with a dollar or so when they have it. Many SMS the cell provider to enable 3G surfing for a day or a week. They have not "always on" unlimited data plans.

Besides we are a bit more relaxed here in Central America so we care a little less if the phone takes a fraction of a second more to open an app. Some don't want to spend a month's worth of wage to buy the latest iPhone. We just wait a couple of years and buy it off you for peanuts on Fleabay.

Some people always buy new cars only and thankfully some others buy them used. The planet would collapse if everybody on Earth had the same level of consumption and garbage producing levels as the Western countries.

It's simply unsustainable and I wonder if there are enough Chinese workers that Foxconn could hire to produce 6,9 billion copies of each new idevices for the entire planet within a reasonable time frame before people got frustrated by no being able to get the newest and latest fast enough...

Whether or not you think the device is old, it's not being supported. Choosing to use the device means dealing with some tradeoffs, which is what you're experiencing now. This is the way the mobile industry works, whether you buy from Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, etc...

You almost seem to have a condescending attitude towards people who buy new gadgets, which is a bit ironic since the demand for the original iPhone is why you have an iPhone 3G to begin with. You choose to wait and buy used gadgets, which also wouldn't happen if people didn't buy the gadgets new in the first place.

You're right, not everybody cares about having newer gadgets, nor is having the latest and greatest gadget of high importance. But the app ecosystems on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone are continually slanted towards supporting the power and functionality of newer devices. You may not want or need such power and functionality from your iPhone 3G, but others do. And those are the people that developers target.

If your iPhone 3G does everything you need, then you should certainly not feel any pressure to buy a new phone! But just keep in mind the way mobile technology is trending.

umiwangu · Nov 25, 2012

Tubamajuba said:
An iPhone 3G purchased three to four years ago may still work perfectly fine, but it's not nearly powerful enough to run many recent apps at a decent pace, hence why few developers still support devices that old. Attempting to support older devices increases the amount of time that both Apple and third party developers spend on testing, and that means less time spent making quality apps that work on newer devices.

It sucks for people with older devices, but it is what it is- as newer devices offer more power to enable developers, older devices get left behind. If it's any consolation, I envision a day when even three year old iOS devices run the newest apps and versions of iOS at a quick and snappy pace. Just look at the PC market- any computer built within the past five years can do anything that the vast majority of people need it to do. The mobile computing market is still very young- once the market matures and mobile operating systems settle down and focus on refinement rather than new features, being on the cutting edge of CPU and GPU technology will no longer be a requirement to run most of the latest apps. That's just my two cents though, I might be wrong.

I don't think that developers should have to keep compatibility for old devices in new versions of their apps, but if they could continue to offer older versions of the same apps, that would be appreciated.

I do understand some of the reasoning behind developers not doing this though.

spatterfree · Dec 10, 2012

Hi all,
i'm hopelessly looking for google voice 1.4.2 for ios 4.2.1 on my second gen touch, how would i install it since the newest is on 1.4.4 aleady?

How to find old (iOS 3.x) apps?

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