Apple Releases iTunes 12.7 With Major Changes, Including No Built-In App Store

[0997853]

The new iTunes focuses on music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks.

And if you focus on music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks you need to remove old functionality? This is just another scheme to force people into iCloud.

Apple sure knows how to give with one hand (after 10 versions, at last, a file browser on iOS), and take with the other (removing functional stuff from apps).

 

[LauraJean]

I wonder how long App Store functionality will remain for those of us that stay with iTunes 12.6? Will we wake up one day and click the app store link inside iTunes and it will be blank or "page not found"?

Maybe not. They will want to continue raking in the $$$. Even Mac OS 10.6.8, Snow Leopard, is still allowed to make iTunes purchases.

 

[stevefeinstein]

If you want to go back to 12.6.2 You'll need to recover it from a time machine or other backup. then you need to revert yout itunes Library.itl which you might find in your itunes library folder called "Previous iTunes Libraries". The 12.6 version refuses to open the 12.7 itl. file. If you haven't made too many changes to your library in 12.7 you should be able to use 12.6. But once you go back to 12.7 it'll upgrade you again.

I don't mind the new version, EXCEPT you can copy media like tones to the phone, but there seems to be no way to remove it. That's really no bueno.

Someone please tell me I'm wrong and there is.

 

[ClvSteamer]

How will enterprise users download .ipa files to mass-install on iOS devices using Configurator 2 now? Did Apple think this through?

Very interested in this as well. I manage roughly 250 iPads at work, I have to assume a Mac iOS store will become available, or hope it will. I would assume we should see an AC2 update as well. Or maybe and all new AC3?!?
I just finished getting these iPads deployed a few weeks ago, so I am not in a major hurry, but I will need to refresh for next semester...

 

[Bokito]

Although iTunes is very bloated, Apple shouldn't have taken this step without a replacement. I use my iPhone for quick access to everything on the internet and playing a few games, but that's about it. It's a pure consumption device. Phone's aren't good at managing things. I have my Mac for that. In recent years I started to love my Mac more and more. Apple loves the iPhone more, but the Mac is so more useful for so many things.

 

[cmichaelb]

Which means that the App store won't be available for Windows users? Is there a version of the Mac App Store for Windows (which would've seem pretty pointless before this iTunes update).

Who uses Windows? JOKING

Good point actually, I hadn't thought of that.

 

[JamesPDX]

It's like they took the bloat out of the wrong part of iTunes. You know what would have been better? A selectable package install. Then, I could disable certain install packages for which I have no use:

Apple Music
Connect
Genius
Podcast
iBooks
Internet Radio

Apple has managed to put a crack into an eco-system that worked really well. Maybe they'll realize this and put it back.

 

[chillywilly]

Maybe not. They will want to continue raking in the $$$. Even Mac OS 10.6.8, Snow Leopard, is still allowed to make iTunes purchases.

That's a good point about iTunes still working from 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.

 

[cmichaelb]

But doesn't that imply it has to be downloaded twice?

Good point, my understanding of the original comment was of someone complaining about having to manage that process on each device.

 

[JamesPDX]

I think you hit on the key point: Apple's larger customer base are the IOS-only users. Those of us who prefer to use the Mac as a master work horse and storage hub providing secondary, mobile devices with content are no longer significant to Apple's business model.

For me, I will stick with plain Sierra, IOS 10, and iTunes 12.6 for a long time. Afraid of change? In this case, absolutely!

You're not afraid of change; you've simply recognized an error and you have chosen to avoid it.

 

[STC]

I use my iPad mainly for reading comics and books. File sharing looks to be the same, I'm able to add comics and books via File Sharing when the iPad is plugged in.

I do have custom ringtones on my iPhone. I saw the article(s) on adding custom ringtones, but how do you remove them? Right click does nothing and I don't see a remove option.

 

[sibcc]

Itunes 12.7 will not keep my chosen size of the column browser when going between it and a playlist. It resizes it into a small window with only a few lines and expands the track list. This is a big problem since that is mostly how I use the program. It seems with every release they screw something up. Where the hell is the Apple quality control.

 

[chewbaka]

I guess there's no more way to install a previous version of an App when a developer releases a newer version full of advertisements/bugs. I went back to the older versions of Shazam, IMDB, TWC, etc., before they sucked.

You can! I actually welcome this. The apps syncing/deleting when I plugged in my iDevices was always a real pain.

 

[DVD Plaza]

Removing apps from iTunes is good. But removing it entirely not so. Should be moved to the AppStore app on the mac. Ringtones should be kept. Books should be moved to the books app on mac.
Or make a dedicated syncing app moving this whole function out of iTunes.

Ironically that's how it started on the Mac - all syncing was done via the iSync app. Then they move it into iTunes.

 

[mrkgoo]

What happens to the applications folder in the iTunes media library once updated? Does t delete it or keep it around? If it keeps it then am I to go and delete my application files?

What about older devices that still rely on a sync? Will iTunes recognise this and not just delete all the apps from my iPad 1?

 

[benguild]

Hrm. I guess you can archive existing IPAs on your system and install them through Apple Configurator, but is there any way to get *updated* IPAs anymore at this point? Keep an older Mac around for a bit, or use a VM?

Seems like a total PITA!

 

[M2M]

Ironically that's how it started on the Mac - all syncing was done via the iSync app. Then they move it into iTunes.

Yes. This made more sense I think.

 

[Morgenland]

Other annoying thing about this is. If I have 30 apps on my 2 iphones and 40 apps on my 2 iPads. When I have 20 or 30 updates at once, I update them on my computer and then just sync my devices. Now I have to eat up my data updating all those stupid apps on multiple devices. If apple didn't force you to update iTunes, there's no way in heck I would upgrade this. Everytime Apple does something right with hardware, they do something stupid and unecessary like this. This company is just hard to like.

I fully agree. Just nowadays organizing my apps for 2 iPhones and 3 iPads (mini, Air, Pro) is a challenge. Now it becomes time-consuming science.

Why do individual Apple managers have the opportunity to make life difficult for us?

No Fun! Desaster! Black Tuesday!

 

[bradl]

I do, this is stupid. It's easier to download an app once to my mac and sync all my apps to multiple devices than to download the same app 3 or 4 times. Not to mention, I have a LOT more apps on my computer than the ones I use on my devices. I use certain apps for certain occasions. This just f's things up for no damn reason.

Not only that, but the speed to download something from there to your Mac, especially over ethernet is a hell of a lot faster than it would be over WiFi. Syncing would be faster as well, as USB speeds would still be faster than syncing over WiFi.

Not a good move here, unless they plan to place the iOS app store in a different app on the Mac or PC.

BL.

 

[Richdmoore]

What happens to the applications folder in the iTunes media library once updated? Does t delete it or keep it around? If it keeps it then am I to go and delete my application files?

What about older devices that still rely on a sync? Will iTunes recognise this and not just delete all the apps from my iPad 1?

I just checked, I still have the mobile applications folder inside the iTunes. I would hold off deleting the application folder for awhile unless you need the space, in case apple reverses course or creates a stand alone app for the mac like they did with iBooks. (Also, it may be the last way to get ahold of an iOS App to manually load it using the instructions below.)

I think only the original phone didn't have an app store, although it was updated in iOS 2/3 to include one. As far as I can tell, apple wants you to either use the iOS app store on the device itself to download the last compatible version (if the app maker has set up the app to allow it) or you can manually add the old app if you have the actual app file still on your mac/pc iTunes library via the instructions included:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208075

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201593

Manually add items from your computer
If you have media on your computer that you can't redownload from the App Store or iTunes Store directly on your iOS device, such as custom ringtones or iOS apps, you can drag and drop the media from your computer to your iOS device using iTunes.

1. Connect your device to your computer.
2. Open iTunes. Make sure that you have the latest version.
3. On your computer, find the item you want to add to your device. If you're looking for Apps, Tones, or Books (for Windows) that previously appeared in your iTunes library, you can find them in your iTunes media folder.
4. Drag the item from your computer to your iOS device in the left sidebar of iTunes.
   

 

[Kilmister]

What if you made your own custom ringtones?

Apparently, it's still possible. I was worried.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207955

 

[mrkgoo]

I just checked, I still have the mobile applications folder inside the iTunes. I would hold off deleting the application folder for awhile unless you need the space, in case apple reverses course or creates a stand alone app for the mac like they did with iBooks. (Also, it may be the last way to get ahold of an iOS App to manually load it using the instructions below.)

I think only the original phone didn't have an app store, although it was updated in iOS 2/3 to include one. As far as I can tell, apple wants you to either use the iOS app store on the device itself to download the last compatible version (if the app maker has set up the app to allow it) or you can manually add the old app if you have the actual app file still on your mac/pc iTunes library via the instructions included:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208075

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201593

Manually add items from your computer
If you have media on your computer that you can't redownload from the App Store or iTunes Store directly on your iOS device, such as custom ringtones or iOS apps, you can drag and drop the media from your computer to your iOS device using iTunes.

1. Connect your device to your computer.
2. Open iTunes. Make sure that you have the latest version.
3. On your computer, find the item you want to add to your device. If you're looking for Apps, Tones, or Books (for Windows) that previously appeared in your iTunes library, you can find them in your iTunes media folder.
4. Drag the item from your computer to your iOS device in the left sidebar of iTunes.
   

Thanks for the info.

Yeah I was aware you can still do it...jsut wondering what happens if I plug an iPad 1 in and hit "sync" if i deleted all the apps - will it just delete them all thinking I deleted them from iTunes? So many unknowns lol.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Wow, a day full of f*** yous from Cupertino.

This has me SERIOUSLY reconsider my stay in the ecosystem.

A walled garden is okay if there are some doors and windows (haha, yes I know..)

If Apple wants to dictate even the version of the apps I want to run beyond this 32bit-deprecation dilemma then that is just one more negative point on the long list of things that start to irk me.

Affects my willingness to swallow these ridiculous prices, too.

Glassed Silver:ios

 

[Mactendo]

I’m surprised people don’t care about the core issue. Ringtones, etc are fine but right now with the new iTunes there’s no way to install/update an app over cellular if it’s bigger than 100Mb in size. You can do it only via wi-fi. But there’re a lot of places in the world without wi-fi or any other connection except cellular. So if you happen to live in such location you’re forever cut off from bigger apps. Unbelievable they didn’t think about it.

 

[page3]

Thank you Anonymous. They can expect all they want, but I will not use iCloud.

And those of us with 1000000+ photos can’t until they allow specific albums to be synced.