Apple is Getting Rid of iTunes Wish Lists, Here's How to Save Yours

[MacRumors]

Apple will soon do away with iTunes Wish Lists featuring movie and TV shows, according to emails going out to customers as of today. Apple says that people who still have wish lists should migrate items to their Apple TV watchlist before the feature is removed.

Each email that Apple is sending out includes a PDF with TV shows and movies that are on the individual's iTunes Wish List. Apple says that users can tap on each link and then tap on the "+" button to get items to appear in the Apple TV watchlist.

Apple began phasing out TV show and movie wish lists with the launch of iOS 17.2. In fact, the iOS 17.2 update removed wish lists entirely, without giving customers a heads-up. People with extensive wish lists were understandably upset, and a slew of complaints led Apple to reintroduce iTunes wish lists in iOS 17.3.

Apple wanted to remove wish lists because it migrated iTunes TV show and movie purchase options from the iTunes app to the TV app, and since iOS 17.2, the Apple TV app has been the sole place to purchase TV shows and movies on iOS devices.

Apple kept wish lists around after reintroducing them in iOS 17.3, but now the feature will be going away. This time around, Apple is notifying customers, so anyone who wants to keep their wish list should make sure to migrate it to the Apple TV watchlist by following Apple's emailed instructions.

Apple did not provide a specific date for the wish list removal.

Article Link: Apple is Getting Rid of iTunes Wish Lists, Here's How to Save Yours

 

[ehanneken]

I received this email, but couldn't believe that Apple would send me a PDF attachment and expect me to open it.

 

[Jamie0003]

My question is, why do the iTunes apps still exist?

Tv shows and movies moved to the tv app

To buy music, you still need to use iTunes

Why though? Why not have the music store built into the music app?

It’s so strange. I don’t understand why iTunes, in general still exists as a brand

 

[Blackstick]

I just assumed this would have disappeared some time around 2013 with zero press release or notification. Apple has a remarkable ability to keep ancient features around. I guess because it's a completely unstaffed project and they forget about it until it's time to decom a decade or two later.

 

[minik]

My question is, why do the iTunes apps still exist?

Tv shows and movies moved to the tv app

To buy music, you still need to use iTunes

Why though? Why not have the music store built into the music app?

It’s so strange. I don’t understand why iTunes, in general still exists as a brand

By looking at this list, not all the countries have Apple Music or iTunes Store Music purchases.

I'm in the US and open iTunes from time to time, kind of glad it's not merged to the Music app. I have tons of stuff under wish list or Siri.

 

[8483011]

My question is, why do the iTunes apps still exist?

Tv shows and movies moved to the tv app

To buy music, you still need to use iTunes

Why though? Why not have the music store built into the music app?

It’s so strange. I don’t understand why iTunes, in general still exists as a brand

Because if people purchased music in the Music app, it would canabolize streaming revenue. I have no doubt in my mind this is what Apple would like to do, but the big record labels would never be kosher with it.

 

[Slix]

For clarity, this doesn't include Music Wish Lists, right? I regularly use this to keep tabs on things I want to purchase in the future. I have a few movies but barely ever buy things on iTunes for movies so I'm less concerned about that.

Edit: I suppose now is a good time to say that the "remove" button in Wish Lists on the Mac version of the Music app has been broken for at least 3 versions of macOS, but still works on iOS (18 at least). Maybe they'll finally fix that so I don't have to buy something on my Mac and then pull out my phone to remove it from that list every time. 🙄

 

[8483011]

For clarity, this doesn't include Music Wish Lists, right? I regularly use this to keep tabs on things I want to purchase in the future. I have a few movies but barely ever buy things on iTunes for movies so I'm less concerned about that.

Correct

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

My question is, why do the iTunes apps still exist?

Tv shows and movies moved to the tv app

To buy music, you still need to use iTunes

Why though? Why not have the music store built into the music app?

It’s so strange. I don’t understand why iTunes, in general still exists as a brand

Maybe this is the beginning of the phasing out of the iTunes Store app?
Between the removal of movies and TV shows, plus the fact that in iOS 26 Apple made the ability to create ringtones literally an option on any audio file directly from the share sheet, the features that were originally exclusive to the iTunes Store app have pretty much been chipped away.
I could totally see a revamped music app, maybe a universal music app, in iOS/iPadOS/macOS 27 rebuilt from the ground up to be identical across platforms that includes direct access to the iTunes Store within, just like it currently is already on the Mac.

 

[Salt City Ute]

I just assumed this would have disappeared some time around 2013 with zero press release or notification. Apple has a remarkable ability to keep ancient features around. I guess because it's a completely unstaffed project and they forget about it until it's time to decom a decade or two later.

View attachment 2603682

This may be the most perfect reference I have ever seen regarding anything!

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Because if people purchased music in the Music app, it would canabolize streaming revenue.

Literally, what are you on about? This is exactly how it is on the Mac.
The iTunes Store is an optional tab you can enable via the settings, they could easily make it the same on iOS, and I expect them to eventually.

 

[Rychiar]

there's still an iTunes? and people are actually upset enough to impact their operations?

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

And still no AppStore wishlist lmao.

 

[Doomtomb]

Gotta save a few GBs of space storing all these dead iTunes wish lists lol.

 

[DocMultimedia]

Many years ago I had a wish list and one day it simply vanished. I made it up a few levels in Apple support, and the summary was "we aren't really sure, but it's not going to show up again." I never tried a list after that.

 

[Ctrlos]

There will be some inside Apple that want to shutter the store altogether. I'd put money on Tim keeping it around partially because it's part of the Jobs legacy. It made around £1bn last year which is still a lot of AAC sales.

 

[Dimwhit]

I still use that wishlist. It completely annoys me that Apple thinks the Continue Watching section is in any way a replacement for a wish list.

 

[Parowdy]

My question is, why do the iTunes apps still exist?

Tv shows and movies moved to the tv app

To buy music, you still need to use iTunes

Why though? Why not have the music store built into the music app?

It’s so strange. I don’t understand why iTunes, in general still exists as a brand

Music is for listening to previously purchased or downloaded Music, or to listen to the on demand streaming service Apple Music.
(The) iTunes (Store) is to purchase music (and video content).

One app has to do with buying and owning, the other with playing and streaming. The separation is quite clear and considering you can delete the app nowadays there is no problem in offering different services in different apps.
iTunes on Mac wasn’t criticized and subsequently overhault for nothing either, although that’s a different story.

 

[tomtad]

My question is, why do the iTunes apps still exist?

Tv shows and movies moved to the tv app

To buy music, you still need to use iTunes

Why though? Why not have the music store built into the music app?

It’s so strange. I don’t understand why iTunes, in general still exists as a brand

They should have kept it and could have been today’s Spotify. Apple unfortunately is clueless

 

[MacLawyer]

Apple likes to mess with us.

 

[carswell]

Because if people purchased music in the Music app, it would canabolize streaming revenue. I have no doubt in my mind this is what Apple would like to do, but the big record labels would never be kosher with it.

Qobuz has offered this option since forever. If record labels and recording artists have issues with it, that'd be news to me. And you still need a Qobuz subscription to take advantage of it, so streaming revenue is in no way affected except maybe boosted (by people signing up to take advantage of the feature).

 

[ScottHammet]

Gotta be THE most sus way to notify users. I can't believe their CISO signed off on this "notification plan".

 

[kenta_]

For clarity, this doesn't include Music Wish Lists, right? I regularly use this to keep tabs on things I want to purchase in the future. I have a few movies but barely ever buy things on iTunes for movies so I'm less concerned about that.

Edit: I suppose now is a good time to say that the "remove" button in Wish Lists on the Mac version of the Music app has been broken for at least 3 versions of macOS, but still works on iOS (18 at least). Maybe they'll finally fix that so I don't have to buy something on my Mac and then pull out my phone to remove it from that list every time. 🙄

Same issue. I thought it was just me.

 

[Scipster]

Honestly forgot I even had iTunes Wishlists. My list is very extensive, but no emails yet. Maybe they are going to roll out the announcement over time?

Would be nice if Apple gifted everything on the wishlist before removing it though.

 

[Zenman12]

I’ve been wanting a wish list for Apple TVs apps.

I want purchasing individual songs albums to be in the music app and rid iTunes (with a wishlist feature). Too many redundant apps (FaceTime is already in my phone app). Can save space on Home Screen.

We are going backwards, not forward, Apple.