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Great, I used to store IOS apps on my mac and was perfect the way it was. Now, I will probably have to spend a good 30, 40 minutes downloading all the apps I am currently using on my iphone instead of choosing them from my mac and syncing directly. Not to mention, how will I sync custom ringtones to my iPhone?

I know what you mean I do the same thing. I keep many apps in my Library folder in itunes that I don't use every day, but I want them there to know which ones I have for when I want to use one for a specific purpose(Especially all the photography apps). I haven't downloaded the new version to my pc yet, just to my macbook. There, on the Macbook I have a seperate icon at the toolbar for books. This was another thing I kept in my library on my pc..I guess as long as there is a window for it, there is still a library for it. Not sure I like this "update" though. =/
 
I know what you mean I do the same thing. I keep many apps in my Library folder in itunes that I don't use every day, but I want them there to know which ones I have for when I want to use one for a specific purpose(Especially all the photography apps). I haven't downloaded the new version to my pc yet, just to my macbook. There, on the Macbook I have a seperate icon at the toolbar for books. This was another thing I kept in my library on my pc..I guess as long as there is a window for it, there is still a library for it. Not sure I like this "update" though. =/

This "update" feels like a step backwards. What's next? No music folder?
 
I use iTunes backups for restore purposes so not idea what will happen if I buy a new device, although that is a long way off unless the mini 5 suddenly arrives. Personally I think removing the app store is an appalling mistake. I manage four devices, two phones and two ipads, this update will simply cause us to drastically cut down the apps we use so we end up using only free apps like Kindle/Audible etc, or the inbuilt apps, its going to be too time consuming to manage all four devices through the cloud. First thing is to make a list of what apps are on each device. I know from experience trying to find an app we've purchased through the app store is a nightmare.
 
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This "update" feels like a step backwards. What's next? No music folder?

Since most user stream music these days I can see Apple getting rid of that in the near future as well. The new Apple Watch is an example as there is no storage on it yet a big selling point is the ability to listen to music without your iPhone.
 
Lightning Camera Connection kit plus Apple's USB Ethernet dongle allows an iPhone to connect to a network via an Ethernet cable. Works great (even with the iPhone in Airplane mode) and can be a lot faster than using the WiFi or cellular radios.

This is a great tip! There's even a straight ethernet to lightning dongle that does the same. Not exactly cheap in Europe (€40) but still cheaper than wasting my data plan every month. Thanks!
 
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Opportunity knocks for Mac App Store (and non App Store) developers to take up the slack left by Apple's decision to lighten the iTunes bloat.

App updating & Syncing to iOS devices, Custom Ringtone creation and syncing to iOS devices, iBooks management (on iTunes for Windows) etc seem pretty high on the list of must-haves for many, judging by the comments on the various forums regarding the upcoming changes. I predict a lot of people. like me, are going to hold off on the 12.7 upgrade until their "Plan B" options are clearer and feasible.
I think the challenge for developers is the need to access the App Store for updates, etc. other than your mobile account.

I also really feel for the app developers as I would have to think the removal of the live web links to their app in the store via Google search or for those like me that use iTunes for app searches and purchases, sales are going to have to suffer.
 
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Well I guess my updates of iTunes come to an end... what a ridiculous move. Guess it took "courage" to come up with this as well.
I agree. How long is that going to be feasible though? I suspect that some version of iOS 11 will require the latest iTunes. So that means keeping iOS devices at 10.x. I'm not ready yet to migrate off of Apple products at the moment, but this is just another reason to continue looking at alternatives for WHEN (not if) that time comes.
 
Well downloading and syncing my iOS devices via iTunes is the reason I bought an iPhone and an iPad, it's easy, full compatibility without worries. Now these advantages are lost, I'm a Mac user, I don't care about iPhones when they don't offer these advantages of compatibility. I can listen to songs on an Android device as well and I can buy them from google as my iPhone's main reason of existence is the full automated way of installing, purchasing, usage!!! I don't want to go to three or more different shops: iTunes for songs; App Store for Mac software, iOS store for iPhone apps, iBook for reading, iPhoto for pictures. The iPhone and the iPad have lost a lot of value to me from today. And no I still will wear my Grand Seiko, keep your watch. Bollocks!
My husband and I have had this very same discussion. Our iPhones and iPads are aging and because of this 12.7 fiasco, Android replacements have become much more attractive.
 
Despite wanting a less bloated iTunes, completely agree with the majority, this should have been done differently...
I can see it being a major issue, specially for those with caps on their WiFi usage.
In my case, despite managing 5 iOS devices in my household, I've actually always done app updates individually on each device... I know, doing them through iTunes would be quicker and consume less data, but without a broadband cap on usage, to me, specifically, it becomes a non-issue.

I do have a handful of paid apps (with my Apple ID), that I transfer to my partner's iPhone (different Apple ID) without having to pay for them again. Will the new version still allow me to do this?

From what I read so far it seems to be the case, but can anyone confirm everything will be the same as before regarding Backing up/restoring iOS devices with iTunes?
 
there's no reason it shouldnt be able to be, it was last updated in june i think it was.

Only one of them will recognize the iOS device if both of them are running. For me it is Configurator 2 that recognizes my iPad when it is connected. I must close C2 and disconnect and reconnect my iPad for iTunes to recognize it.
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Makes no difference. Your apps will download directly to your phone. if your phone is on wifi it'll use wifi. If your phone is on 3/4G it'll use that. The lightening cable isn't used at all for this.

I expect that only the apps that are currently available in the AppStore and of the same version will be downloaded directly into the phone. If the app is no longer available or if it is an older version then it will copy over from your computer (if a copy of the app is there).

Also, perhaps all of the apps will copy from the commuter if the phone is in airplane mode.
 
I expect that only the apps that are currently available in the AppStore and of the same version will be downloaded directly into the phone. If the app is no longer available or if it is an older version then it will copy over from your computer (if a copy of the app is there).

Also, perhaps all of the apps will copy from the commuter if the phone is in airplane mode.
No. iTunes 12.7 doesn't copy apps from the computer at all, under any circumstances. (You can manually do it, if you have copies of the relevant .ipa files, by dragging them to the phone in the sidebar once in sync/backup mode in iTunes.)

Apps which were at an older version will be installed using the latest version. Apps which have been removed from the app store won't be installed at all. These are the issues that are worrying some people about the way Apple is now doing things.
 
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Im so confused..so I have Windows 10 and I had all my apps on iTunes, so what now..I cant view the app store on my PC anymore only through the iPad?? Good thing I wrote down all of the apps I had on the iPad BEFORE I installed this new iTunes update but still..no more syncing, and I have pictures and music on my PC that I want to sync can I no longer do that??
 
in their defence, remember it isn't just the kind of people who come here who buy apple devices... it's grandmas and non-computer savvy nouveau rich. the vast majority of apple's customers probably have no idea what we're talking about. i think our use case is very niche and you'd hope anyone savvy enough to need a solution would be savvy enough to find it.
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and you didn't get the ipa from, say, a family member? is google maps in your purchase history? ios and itunes both update apps purchased by a different apple id as long as it is available in the same country as the active apple id, but configurator 2 will not.



I think the fact you had downloaded the updates locally but not transferred them across may have confused matters in this case... it doesn't work like that usually. sorry for the long explanation below but only the full story will illustrate things properly:

I have two apple ids. One for all purchases since I moved to china, and one from back home which I used from, like, 2008 or so. some apps aren't available in china but i still need/want them (mostly a vpn, banking apps etc, in addition to duet display which i don't want to pay for again). my workflow involved having a second user account, and itunes logged into that account. the 10 apps i wanted, were downloaded locally (and these were the only apps i had locally, out of 100s bought). I would then use home sharing to import the apps to my main itunes library, and transfer the apps across to my iphone. for whatever reason (bad luck and forgetfulness, mostly i guess) i hadn't done this for months... i was planning on doing it late this week. the last time i had updated any of these apps was 21 june 2017.

the apps - in their older forms - still resided on my iphone. every app i want which is available on the chinese app store has been kept up to date, but the aforementioned apps aren't available and this had not updated since i last manually did so through itunes. I don't care to switch itunes accounts on my phone after the headaches that has caused me wrt apple music in the past (and having to re-download my entire library). so that was the situation. as an example, i have the .ipa in my mobile applications folder for BBC Sport 1.14.0, the latest version as of 21 june.

when i first used configurator 2 i signed into the "back home" itunes account (because i've been letting ios keep my apps up to date where it can, i have no need to use configurator 2 for my china account) and was presented with updates for 6 of the apps on my iphone - all of which were apps which were unavailable in China and thus ignored by iOS. I did the updates, and now I have BBC Sport 1.16.1 on my phone (along with an updated VPN app, banking apps etc).

If I go to "add apps" it shows every app I have purchased, ever, on that account including apps which AFAIK aren't even in the app store anymore such as FlightControl. I haven't tried to install these, but I can assure you that the list is (or is supposed to be) populated with apps from your purchase history and not from your local mobile apps folder. there are hundreds of apps on the list and they are definitely not locally stored anywhere on my computer.

re: the updated apps for anyone still reading, they didn't touch the copies of the apps still stored in /Mobile Applications. I still have BBC Sport 1.14.0.ipa in there, despite both my phone containing 1.16.1 and the option to add BBC sport to another device saying the version is 1.16.1.

If something has gone wrong in your specific case... it'd be good to find out what.

There is no other user involved. I am the user ever on my iPad and I have had only one Apple ID ever.

I checked the apps listed under "Add" in Configurator 2 and Google Maps is listed. Also, Configurator 2 sees that Google Maps is installed on my iPad.
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No. iTunes 12.7 doesn't copy apps from the computer at all, under any circumstances. (You can manually do it, if you have copies of the relevant .ipa files, by dragging them to the phone in the sidebar once in sync/backup mode in iTunes.)

Apps which were at an older version will be installed using the latest version. Apps which have been removed from the app store won't be installed at all. These are the issues that are worrying some people about the way Apple is now doing things.

Sorry, I was thinking about 12.6
 
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I agree. How long is that going to be feasible though? I suspect that some version of iOS 11 will require the latest iTunes. So that means keeping iOS devices at 10.x. I'm not ready yet to migrate off of Apple products at the moment, but this is just another reason to continue looking at alternatives for WHEN (not if) that time comes.

And the alternative's devices purchase price will half of Apple's devices purchase prices.
 
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I reverted to iTunes 12.6. Configurator 2 may be better for managing apps than iTunes, but it still requires using the AppStore on the iOS device to get apps and to get updates. And it is the AppStore functions that I want.
 
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Does anyone have a link to download iTunes 12.6.2 for Windowsx64? I cannot find it anywhere! I found this page (https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1934?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US) which says download iTunes 12.6.2 but the download button only sends the OS X DMG file even though it mentions Windows on the page. I have tried five different browsers in case there was some problem with Apple's site recognizing my platform but it makes no difference.

Found it (iTunes 12.6.2 x64 Windows) if anyone needs to revert: https://secure-appldnld.apple.com/i...6BB9-11E7-A878-C6374A4DD6D5/iTunes64Setup.exe

Just rolled back from iTunes 12.7 to iTunes 12.6.2. Thanks for the download link.
 
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Like I said, I have not updated yet and won't even consider it until iOS11 is out as iTunes 12.7 is intended to work with that and if you have opted to allow automatic updates, that's on you.
I did NOT opt to allow automatic updates. I had that disabled but when I updated to Sierra, unbeknownst to me Sierra changed that setting. So I got stuck with iTunes 12.7 without my consent. I alerted my husband so he checked his computer and sure enough automatic updates had been enabled by Sierra. He disabled it and thought he was safe as he had not yet opened iTunes. Regardless when he opened iTunes it updated to 12.7 WITHOUT his consent. If you had read through all the posts here you would know his was not an isolated case. Others have had iTunes update automatically without their permission.
 
Here is a way to downgrade from iTune 12.7 to 12.6 for both Windows and Mac:

https://www.itipbox.com/downgrade-itunes-previous-version/

Make sure to disconnect from the internet first because after you reinstall the older version of iTune, it is set to automatically download program update. After disconnecting the internet, in iTune go to Preference -> General and uncheck the "Check for iTunes Updates Automatically".

Edit: One more step, in your Mac:

* Open System Preferences
* Click on App Store
* Untick EVERYTHING except ‘Automatically check for updates’

This is probably going to last until Apple decided to force us to update the program.
At that time, it is goodbye apple for me...
 
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I use iTunes backups for restore purposes so not idea what will happen if I buy a new device, although that is a long way off unless the mini 5 suddenly arrives. Personally I think removing the app store is an appalling mistake. I manage four devices, two phones and two ipads, this update will simply cause us to drastically cut down the apps we use so we end up using only free apps like Kindle/Audible etc, or the inbuilt apps, its going to be too time consuming to manage all four devices through the cloud. First thing is to make a list of what apps are on each device. I know from experience trying to find an app we've purchased through the app store is a nightmare.

This has nothing to do with not wanting to "change to newer", it's not wanting to be forced to do it.

They seem to be making it difficult for us to be individuals who want our custom music, books, tones and preferred versions of apps. And Having us focus on getting used to "streaming" everything online.

Consider these issues:
With the way Apple is doing it now, one will not be able to restore the older devices with the correct versions that are now already stored in our iTunes folders (ready to be restored as needed) in just minutes. I still have an iPod 4 that I still update with the proper music, apps and files in my desk. With 12.7 It is now useless.

If a person has an Iphone 6 today, and has the apps that work with it in itunes folders. They are happy with all of them as they are. But, in a few months, needs to do a restore. Where will that person get the apps they had, if they are not able to get them back because they are no longer able to use iTunes to restore them? The new iTunes will not even be able to restore it at all. In a year the apps they rely on won't even be available to them anymore for the iPhone 6 in the "new App Store". Not every one has the cash to throw at Apple's latest "innovations". Much of us are families that update "one at a time" and not all at once. And if we were to use the new iTunes we won't be able to run what we have. Someone that still has a 5s, and often uses itunes to sync, change and re-use older versions of apps that only will work on the 5s or earlier. when an update crashes the app. He simply would delete the bad version and use the last good one.

Also, wait until you have an app that "changes their previous rules of purchase" (like so many already do), or constantly crashes or corrupts the device itself, and you try to use a previous version - and cannot. Because you only have a current version to download and it overwrote the stable version. With no previous version to go to. And no way to get up and running. And try to constantly run each device update for hours over wi-fi instead of minutes in the comp.

No, Apple did not think this through.
 
it has 8 or 16GB of storage, what are you talking about?

Sorry, wasn't aware it was that much storage. So watch owners should be able to fit a lot of albums on the watch already, that's pretty cool actually.

As far as not updating, is probably best to buy an iPhone or iPad now as new models will have iOS 11 preinstalled and might not work with older versions of iTunes. At least that's been my experience in the past.
 
Here is a way to downgrade from iTune 12.7 to 12.6 for both Windows and Mac:

https://www.itipbox.com/downgrade-itunes-previous-version/

Make sure to disconnect from the internet first because after you reinstall the older version of iTune, it is set to automatically download program update. After disconnecting the internet, in iTune go to Preference -> General and uncheck the "Check for iTunes Updates Automatically".

Edit: One more step, in your Mac:

* Open System Preferences
* Click on App Store
* Untick EVERYTHING except ‘Automatically check for updates’

This is probably going to last until Apple decided to force us to update the program.
At that time, it is goodbye apple for me...

Thanks! This restore brings back the former complete functionality of iTunes 12.6.2 including managing the devices and the possibility to update the apps and storing these updates on the Mac in iTunes 12.6.2!
 
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