Apple Quietly Releases iTunes 12.6.3 With Built-In App Store

[Bacillus]

I consider it pretty sad that a rant is even required for this kind of stuff. Happy customers buy more. Unhappy customers with some lock-in buy with some frustration because they feel they need the rest or don't want to go to the trouble of starting over in a different ecosystem. But ecosystem lock-in is not cute or genius, except to stockholders and employees. To users, lock-in can also mean pinned in, locked down, flexibility is squeezed... all at the whims of a corporation deciding to include this but deprecate that. Nobody likes feeling pinched like that. When the keepers of the pen are making very consumer-friendly decisions, the "herd" won't feel it so much because it seems to bring something to them. In stuff like this, it just burdens the herd for no apparent tangible gain.

It IS a hassle. We consumers didn't really get ANYTHING for taking on the hassle. Hardly any of us clamor for "thinner" anymore. But we'll be enduring the hassle in the hardware decision for many years to come. I doubt if we could hop on out- say- 5 years- late 2022, something as simple as Airplane screens will have Lightning connectors OR Bluetooth connect options. FIVE years of dongle wrangling... or just doing without because you forgot it, lost it or went with "the future" option that still can't connect to everything in the future.

Consider this fantasy: Apple takes the stage to reveal the new iPhones 8 and X and says something like "we heard you. We heard many of you say how much you missed the headphone jack. So with the new 8 and X, we put it back in." Can we picture applause, silence or booing in that scenario? Does anyone boo gaining more utility in any kind of tool? After trying to roll with adapters, is anyone likely indifferent enough to feel nothing? How many probably applaud?

Same with this 64-bit app thing. The argument was that the non-optimized apps may run slower on the new phones. OK, better that they can still run than to be jettisoned entirely. Some have no comparable replacement apps. For people who use iDevices for work, that's like reaching into a mechanic's toolbox and just throwing out some good tools: "just do your job without those tools because they were not updated." What does that really get us consumers? Nothing. Developers willing to adapt to 64-bit are going to do it anyway.

Is Apple concerned with customer experience... that slower apps might harm customer experience? If so, make the OS display a warning window each time someone runs a 32-big app: "This developer of this app has not optimized it for this iPhone. As such, it may run slower than other apps that ARE optimized. Please contact the App developer asking them to update this app for iPhone 8/X". If users touch through, all blame for any app slow-down is mentally deflected from Apple. That's such an EASY way to persist the utility and let users decide for themselves if they want to run less optimized apps or not. Hard to do? Not at all, there was already a window that was popping announcing that such apps would NOT run with the new systems- just repurpose that.

But what do I know? I have NOT piled up "$2XX billion dollars in the bank" so clearly Apple knows best... for ALL of us. Who needs utility? What we need is to comply... and spend more per user so we can do so.

You'd make for a better manager than Joni, Eddy, Tim, Phil and the bunch of bonehead, overrated lemmons that they've become with their irresponsible interim decisions reversed by the day now.
For that reason alone, I will defer any upgrades at least 3 months which is exactly against their own policy.
I suggest a new Board Level vacancy titled: "Badass Decision Impact Manager"
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Before people go patting Apple on the back, take a closer look.

This is an unsupported release, made available only to placate "certain business partners" who use iTunes to manage their devices and deploy apps.

More importantly, by providing compatibility with iOS 11 and the new iPhones, it removes any potential impediments to volume sales of the new hardware to such businesses.

We, the Plebes, are merely unintended beneficiaries of this move. Apple still doesn't care about us.

Presumably, Apple needs some more time to make accommodations to their enterprise tools, and those valuable business accounts will adjust.

At best, this buys some time before the next round of annual updates, and the situation will repeat itself again for normal users.

I certainly don't hold out any hope for an iSync revival or any other such solution. Apple's path with iOS devices is clearly leading to completely untethered procurement and management.

Hope you guys enjoy the show, 'cuz the hammer thrower ain't comin' to rescue 'ya.

You seem to forget the principal law in sw development that removing functionality before offering a viable alternative is lethal. The borderliner who signed that off should be removed.

 

[CamiMR]

I’m still on 12.6.2, and have been following these threads to try and make a decision. I have some questions regarding 12.7 to try and figure out if I’ll miss the dropped features or not:

1. iOS encrypted backups. Will 12.7 still allow me to make encrypted backups on my laptop? When restoring a device from that backup, will it still keep all existing passwords, and will all the backed up apps be transferred (either from a local copy or downloaded) to the device in the same positions they were before?
2. Apps purchased with different Apple ID. I have a few apps purchased (not free) with my Apple ID, that I am able to “transfer” to other family members devices. Will 12.7 still allow me to do this?

Thank you in advance for any replies!

 

[decafjava]

I’m still on 12.6.2, and have been following these threads to try and make a decision. I have some questions regarding 12.7 to try and figure out if I’ll miss the dropped features or not:

1. iOS encrypted backups. Will 12.7 still allow me to make encrypted backups on my laptop? When restoring a device from that backup, will it still keep all existing passwords, and will all the backed up apps be transferred (either from a local copy or downloaded) to the device in the same positions they were before?
2. Apps purchased with different Apple ID. I have a few apps purchased (not free) with my Apple ID, that I am able to “transfer” to other family members devices. Will 12.7 still allow me to do this?

Thank you in advance for any replies!

I can answer for the encrypted backups. Yes it allows encrypted backups and keeps passwords and apps (downloaded again to the device) will stay in the same position.

 

[EwanMcTeagle]

Meh, I think the idea that an iOS device needs a computer for any functionality is going to result in bad decisions. iTunes doesn't need an App Store for a device with the exact same connection to the internet and using the PC as a repository doesn't require an App Store built in for that.

Continuity with autonomy should be the goal. I thought most people wanted a lighter version of iTunes, you gotta let them remove that bloat guys.

I agree. They need to un-bloat iTunes. But on the other hand I would like to be able to add my own ringtones — I am not paying a price of a song for a clip of a song. Besides the Tones store is kind of awkward and hard to browse.

 

[ookladek]

I am a long time Mac and iProduct user and I still manage my iProducts through iTunes. I connect a couple times a week and swap apps, playlists, and podcasts.
Apple needs to rewrite the code not remove functionality.

I was referring to iTunes on a PC, it's just horrendous experience, like you said they have to rewrite the entire code, I've never had a mac until a few a weeks ago when we got an iMac from my wife's mother and let me tell you the experience is like night and day, even though it's an old iMac (mid 2011!) it's working great with itunes while on my PC (gamers PC, really its a beast), unfortunately, iTunes is slow and sluggish, so like you said I hope they will rewrite the code, for both versions, but as far as I see it the PC version rewrite is much more important since the software suck much much more on it.

 

[benguild]

I did, but I was already on 12.7. I'm apparently screwed. When I tried to import my library, it said it was from a more recent version and was not compatible. Now I'm trying to figure out how to reverse the downgrade. The App store won't let me. Be careful!

I went from 12.6.2 -> 12.6.3 without issues and without library loss.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Stupid decision to remove it in the first place. I like to keep the app ipa files on my computer just incase apple removes them from the app store.

But Apple would only do it either for your own good or because you got into an app that is a strict no-no, where, again, the logic applies:

Apple knows best!

Come on, don't be so pessimistic. Trust Apple and their cloud, they surely won't take away anything you really need!

/s

Glassed Silver:mac

 

[MacGarage]

I went from 12.6.2 -> 12.6.3 without issues and without library loss.

I also was able to update without any issues in 10.13. I had gone from 12.7 back to 12.6.2 and now 12.6.3 and all works okay.

I also noticed weblinks to apps now go back to the iTunes store which is nice.

 

[alissa914]

Really sorry I upgraded to 12.7. For me (since I use my iPod Classic and have a large iTunes Match library and lots of videos in there), I don't get Last.FM support since they broke that too and Last.FM hasn't released a fix yet. It's technically possible for it to be fixed as someone with an open-source program got it working so it does work..... But with so many people using iPod Touches, iPads, iPhones, Android playing their music and having scrobbling through those native apps, no one is rushing to fix this.

I was hoping 12.6.3 would also load in the 12.7 library and use it but it refuses to install. Why not just name this 12.7.1 and refuse to let it install future updates? I just don't get it.

And yes, I could just wipe out my library and reinstall this since I have no need to upgrade anymore, but I really have a feeling that at some point the store won't be compatible or they'll have to do a patch and I'll be SOL. This "change" they did with 12.7 is as bad as when they tried to remove star ratings from iOS and eventually put it back in. It's still the default to have heart/broken-heart ratings and you have to manually turn it on for each smart playlist... very annoying.

 

[Mr Todhunter]

Jus

There’s no need, just get the free iBooks app from the Mac App Store. But, you can drag and drop books to itunes also, at least, I have done PDF files that way.

iTunes 12.6.2 is compatible with iOS 11 on all iOS devices except iPhone 8/8+, and iPhone X.
iTunes 12.6.3 adds compatibility for iPhone 8/8+, X.

Yoy say there is no need because you can dl the iBooks aoo. What you fail to mention (possibly because you don’t use the app) is that the iBooks app still cannot be used to change the cover of a book ( the first version did not allow editing of metadata at all. Typical of the CRAP Apple is pumping out the last few years after Steve was gone)

 

[bennyf]

You'd make for a better manager than Joni, Eddy, Tim, Phil and the bunch of bonehead, overrated lemmons that they've become with their irresponsible interim decisions reversed by the day now.
For that reason alone, I will defer any upgrades at least 3 months which is exactly against their own policy.
I suggest a new Board Level vacancy titled: "Badass Decision Impact Manager"

I think everyone understands this, but just in case:

32-bit apps slow down the entire phone, not just the 32-bit app itself.
​

Apple has been very consistent in protecting the average person from their own stupid decisions. They are also in the best position to know how few people are adversely affected. (Not saying everyone who wants to use 32-bit apps is stupid, but the person who keeps one just out of habit and inadvertently slows down their whole phone is who apple has in mind.)

I know a bunch of people with iPhones and the 32-bit app removal went totally unnoticed. For those rare but vocal in the minority, I agree you're faced with an unpleasant dilemma. But if you're using old apps you're probably not the type who want the latest greatest emoji anyway. And the iPhone 7 is a perfectly usable phone. I'm on the 6 and it is only just beginning to show signs of falling behind.

Removing 32-bit apps also seems like a very evenhanded way of clearing out abandoned apps in the App Store. There's a lot more apple could do, but trying to find unpopular apps in the store difficult enough without having to dig through piles of ancient unmaintained relics.

This iTunes move has been hinted at for a long time. It's pretty clear that Apple will be removing local sync options entirely as soon as possible. This 12.6.3 will only be supported while they get the enterprise app syncing tools improved.

 

[Bacillus]

I went from 12.6.2 -> 12.6.3 without issues and without library loss.

That's equivalent to my experience with larger shoes that do fit my feet without shortening my toes

I think everyone understands this, but just in case:

32-bit apps slow down the entire phone, not just the 32-bit app itself.
​

Apple has been very consistent in protecting the average person from their own stupid decisions. They are also in the best position to know how few people are adversely affected. (Not saying everyone who wants to use 32-bit apps is stupid, but the person who keeps one just out of habit and inadvertently slows down their whole phone is who apple has in mind.)

I know a bunch of people with iPhones and the 32-bit app removal went totally unnoticed. For those rare but vocal in the minority, I agree you're faced with an unpleasant dilemma. But if you're using old apps you're probably not the type who want the latest greatest emoji anyway. And the iPhone 7 is a perfectly usable phone. I'm on the 6 and it is only just beginning to show signs of falling behind.

Removing 32-bit apps also seems like a very evenhanded way of clearing out abandoned apps in the App Store. There's a lot more apple could do, but trying to find unpopular apps in the store difficult enough without having to dig through piles of ancient unmaintained relics.

This iTunes move has been hinted at for a long time. It's pretty clear that Apple will be removing local sync options entirely as soon as possible. This 12.6.3 will only be supported while they get the enterprise app syncing tools improved.

From a technical perspective, that's not necessarily true because you could develop a separate 32bit emulation layer and give it a low Ux priority - very much like Rosetta emulation on Mac OS X

 

[dan110]

To me, this says that iTunes and it's team is somewhere in the equivalent of the basement. Maybe near the cafeteria or something. It's not really something on the minds of the business strategists.

 

[benji888]

Yoy say there is no need because you can dl the iBooks aoo. What you fail to mention (possibly because you don’t use the app) is that the iBooks app still cannot be used to change the cover of a book ( the first version did not allow editing of metadata at all. Typical of the CRAP Apple is pumping out the last few years after Steve was gone)

Oh, sorry, I've never tried to change a book cover. ...and, correction, I drag PDF files to iBooks app, then sync books via iTunes, I can select books/PDFs dropped into iBooks app, but, I see no way to change a cover. If it's not an iBook, maybe you can use iBooks author app to change the cover?

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Brilliant. I was getting really fed up with Apple, but glad they listened to their customers. Will download now!
[doublepost=1507664102][/doublepost]If I am still on 12.6.2 do I need to do anything different? Or do I just download and run this? All the notes talk about installing after installing 12.7

 

[CoronaOrange]

I'm new in the Apple Universe.
Can I download Apps from another country App Store to my iPhone, by simply signing out and in with the different ID's in the App Store or do I require Itunes 12.6.2 to sideload the App files or whatever that is called?

 

[RecentlyConverted]

If using time machine or similar, you could restore the iTunes library file from backup pre-12.7 and not have to rebuild it.

Can you do a quick walk through as that could be useful?
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I don't think we'll find evidence one way or the other, but do you not think it's logical to assume that a very small percentage of iOS users manage apps via iTunes? I'd guess that most users don't even know that you could do such a thing with iTunes.

Quite possibly, but I wager those of us that do are the customers with a higher spend per year on hardware and software.
[doublepost=1507666039][/doublepost]

I just tried it. I went from 12.6.2 to 12.6.3... it was just like every other update to iTunes. No need to go through the steps outlined for those who upgraded to 12.7.

I missed this quote. I haven't upgraded iTunes or OS X, so if I update using this installer from 12.6.2 to 12.6.3 it performs like a normal update? Do you think then upgrading to High Sierra will cause any problems?

 

[sracer]

I missed this quote. I haven't upgraded iTunes or OS X, so if I update using this installer from 12.6.2 to 12.6.3 it performs like a normal update?

Correct.

Do you think then upgrading to High Sierra will cause any problems?

I don't know since I have not upgraded to High Sierra, but I expect that there won't be any problems.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Correct.


I don't know since I have not upgraded to High Sierra, but I expect that there won't be any problems.

Thanks. I shall give it a go and let you know about OS X.

 

[kobochi]

I'm new in the Apple Universe.
Can I download Apps from another country App Store to my iPhone, by simply signing out and in with the different ID's in the App Store or do I require Itunes 12.6.2 to sideload the App files or whatever that is called?

Yes, you can sign in/out to different accounts on iPhone. It will automatically switch to the App Store of the country of you Apple ID.

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Correct.


I don't know since I have not upgraded to High Sierra, but I expect that there won't be any problems.

Just to confirm - update to 12.6.3 from 12.6.2 went well, just like a standard update. I then updated to High Sierra, and still have 12.6.3, so all good. Well done Apple!

 

[BiggAW]

I'm glad that they got rid of the app management in iTunes. It was a waste of bandwidth and redundant to everything on the devices themselves and kind of a kludge at this point. Every time there is an update for apps, especially large ones like Office, my iPad would download them automatically. Then my iPhone would download them automatically. Then my computer would download them when iTunes is open. This eliminates the third set of downloads in my case. The one fringe case I could see for this being an issue is a tightly metered connection doing a restore outside of the US, but those folks will have to deal. Even if you have a slow connection with a decent cap or no cap, just let the restore happen overnight. If you have a tightly metered connection in the US, you should probably have Unlimited data on your phone from AT&T or Verizon, in which case, just do it over LTE.

 

[sracer]

I'm glad that they got rid of the app management in iTunes. It was a waste of bandwidth and redundant to everything on the devices themselves and kind of a kludge at this point. Every time there is an update for apps, especially large ones like Office, my iPad would download them automatically. Then my iPhone would download them automatically. Then my computer would download them when iTunes is open. This eliminates the third set of downloads in my case.

That's not a result of having app management in iTunes but how you decided to configure your devices and iTunes.

For those of us who have the automatic downloading of apps disabled on our devices and iTunes, we can download once (iTunes) and then sync our various iOS devices. We have 9 iOS devices in our household and we only have to download apps once. With the removal of app management in iTunes, we're going to have to download the common apps we use 9 times. We'll leave the Apple ecosystem before that happens.

Thankfully 12.6.3 exists and works well.

 

[BiggAW]

That's not a result of having app management in iTunes but how you decided to configure your devices and iTunes.

For those of us who have the automatic downloading of apps disabled on our devices and iTunes, we can download once (iTunes) and then sync our various iOS devices. We have 9 iOS devices in our household and we only have to download apps once. With the removal of app management in iTunes, we're going to have to download the common apps we use 9 times. We'll leave the Apple ecosystem before that happens.

Thankfully 12.6.3 exists and works well.

Why on earth would I want to download once and then have to sync every device locally when I can just have them auto-update over the internet? If I had 9 iOS devices, I'd want them all to update automatically in the background without user intervention. The iTunes functionality is redundant to the auto-update already built into the devices.

 

[jebarne]

...without offering an alternative. iTunes is a bloated mess, so removing it makes sense, but they at least need to provide a viable way to keep backups of Apps so that people with slow internet connections don't have to download everything again and again.

It seems the easy way to have both slimmed down iTunes and keep user satisfaction would have been to move the functionality to the app store app. Use the app store app to manage all your installs on apple devices.

But that's just me.