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Apple to Start Charging for Re-Downloading Apps Over-the-Air?

Well, first off, this shouldn't affect free apps like Facebook, right? Free to download means free to download as many times as you like, I assume.

Second, this new rule could be a real bummer if you've ever had to delete an app on your phone, because its database got corrupted or something, and then downloaded it again right away in order to restore functionality. Having to wait until you can get to your computer would be painful.
 
Ok, question:

My wife and I both have iPhones. I often buy apps on my phone and then download them to hers which is tied to the same iTunes account. Therefore I do not pay a second time. Does this new rule prevent that, or simply mean I must download the app to her phone via our computer but still free?

Thanks!
 
Updates?

So how does this work with updates?

If consequently applied this also means you can never update any software on the iPod/iPhone itself. As this surely would be a re-downloading, no?

That would suck big time - to not being able to update any software on the go...
 
I've had to redownload apps, usually just free ones though. Sometimes I have the app unchecked to synch with the phone, but then feel the need to use while on the road. So I redownload it. Mostly recently with "Now Playing". I guess it wouldn't be a big deal if the app is free anyway.
 
ipedro said:
This is perfectly fair and understandable. We should consider ourselves lucky for not having to pay to redownload an app anywhere, even at home. Bandwidth costs money and I can see people abusing Apple's goodwill.
Click to expand...

Are you serious? Bandwith costs money...boo hoo! Poor Apple!

I downloaded an app update that, for a lot of people, caused the app not to open. The recommended fix was to delete the app, and re-download it. You want me to pay for that? Just because I'm not at home with my PC?
 
How will this affect songs you purchased with another account?
I lost my password for my first account but bought 20 odd songs with the old account and around that amount with my new account.
Will the logged in account in itunes govern which songs I can play with my iphone?
 
Dreamail said:
So how does this work with updates?

If consequently applied this also means you can never update any software on the iPod/iPhone itself. As this surely would be a re-downloading, no?

That would suck big time - to not being able to update any software on the go...
Click to expand...

No you will be able to do that of course, that would kill the whole mobility paradigm of the iphone, an update provides assurance that the app is already there, hence legally obtained.
 
This is stupid. Why not just make it so that the iPhone only shows/opens apps downloaded with the current user account? How hard is that? I wouldn't be surprised if it's another concession to AT&T to save their precious (inadequate) wireless bandwidth.
 
t22design said:
I downloaded an app update that, for a lot of people, caused the app not to open. The recommended fix was to delete the app, and re-download it. You want me to pay for that? Just because I'm not at home with my PC?
Click to expand...

You could just wait...

I think this seems like a reasonable move.
 
I will never understand this. I will also never understand why we don't have immediate access to re-download TV shows, movies, music, e-books, etc from the iTunes store. I always have to email tech support and tell them to put something on my queue.

The only thing we were able to re-download without getting charged again was apps. Now they are restricting that. There's nothing to defend here, guys. This is the most absurd thing the iTunes store has done, ever.
 
X5-452 said:
What if, say, you were to download an app that sucked big time and then deleted it. However, an update was issued and you wanted to try it out and decided to download it over the air. Normally, iTunes tells you that you've already downloaded this content and to press "OK" to download it again. Would this new implementation force someone to have to pay for it again when currently they are not required to do so?
Click to expand...

Well...you know...you could wait until you got home. A week without your favorite app that actually sucked originally might not be all that horrible...

I mean, if it were an app that, say...kept you alive somehow, then...yeah, I could see how having to wait to pay for it again would suck....but, otherwise...what's so important we couldn't wait to get home.

I'm just saying kiddos. Sonic the Hedgehog will still be waiting for you once version 1.0.1 comes out.
 
xiozhiq said:
I've been annoyed for as long as I've had my iPhone that whenever I go to re-download apps on the store, the initial button says that I am "buying" the app, when in fact I own it and will be downloading it for free. I would really appreciate it if they changed their system so that the app store would say whether the app can be re-downloaded for free or not.

At the very least, I would expect a change in functionality of desktop iTunes functionality that allowed you to find ALL apps you have purchased and download them, rather than hoping on a wing and prayer that you have already paid for something, only to be told after the download whether or not it is actually free.
Click to expand...

+1

If you have deleted an app and as sometimes happens, they change the price or name of the app, you have no idea if you are going to have to pay again or get it for free. The only way to tell is to 'Buy' again and hope it says it's a free update

This definitely needs to be fixed.
 
One more thing...

Everyone should turn off their iphone every now and then and go outside.

It's pretty.

I like my iphone. I love my life.
 
Calm down, people!

This was posted on different news sites yesterday and reading from the comments it only affects apps purchased with promo codes.
 
I rarely sync with my Mac, so this is a big deal to me. The "free" re-download was touted as a feature during the App store introduction.

Many of the paid apps (particularly games) take up hundreds of megabytes of space.

This will just make me purchase less apps.
 
ipedro said:
This is perfectly fair and understandable. We should consider ourselves lucky for not having to pay to redownload an app anywhere, even at home. Bandwidth costs money and I can see people abusing Apple's goodwill.
Click to expand...

Abusing bandwidth? Are you saying there are people out there who constantly delete and redownload massive apps for the hell of it? In what way do you abuse bandwidth downloading apps?

Randman said:
Big deal. Log on to your computer and re-download an app if you need it. Or better manage your apps.

Only people crying about this are the ones who are likely to circumvent matters for illegal downloads anyways.
Click to expand...

Im rarely at home with my computer, its much easier to use the app store on the move or at uni with wifi. Also if anyone were determined to pirate an app they'd find a way anyway. This is useless
 
t22design said:
+1

If you have deleted an app and as sometimes happens, they change the price or name of the app, you have no idea if you are going to have to pay again or get it for free. The only way to tell is to 'Buy' again and hope it says it's a free update

This definitely needs to be fixed.
Click to expand...

So do it on your computer...

moussekateer said:
Im rarely at home with my computer, its much easier to use the app store on the move or at uni with wifi. Also if anyone were determined to pirate an app they'd find a way anyway. This is useless
Click to expand...

So you don't have a computer in your University accommodation?
 
I'd rather not have the choice of changing my iTunes account directly from my iPhone. Sorry but someone please explain me why this new feature was required/benefecial to the users? I never had the need to switch accounts from my iPhone. And I use two. One for my home country and another bogus one from US STORE just in case I need to get an app not available in my country's iTunes store.

And IMHO apples biggest worry should be the cracked/pirated apps. I was shocked when I found out how easy it was to do. The only problem you may encounter is that you can't get updates automatically for the apps. But unless the app is being updated twice a month it's not that big a pain considering you r getting it for free.

I hope they get their acts together or it'll hurt the appstore big time. Which in the end will hurt us iPhone users if devs start loosing interest in appstore due to diminishing profits. As if they didn't have their share of troubles with app store already.
 
applecultvictim said:
No you will be able to do that of course, that would kill the whole mobility paradigm of the iphone, an update provides assurance that the app is already there, hence legally obtained.
Click to expand...

Not for paid updates. Because then same thing applies!

Me and a few buddys could all buy the app now.
Later - when a paid update arrives - we'd all share the same login to wirelessly update our app with just one payment.


So in order to be consistent, paid updates cannot work wirelessly either.
And that would suck.

I hope it's not really happening.
 
sth said:
Calm down, people!

This was posted on different news sites yesterday and reading from the comments it only affects apps purchased with promo codes.
Click to expand...

You're right. I've just tested it. I get the "buy" dialogue for an app that I got using a promo code. I get the "you can download this for free" dialogue for apps that I've bought.
 
sesnir said:
So why let us log out of our account on the iPhone anyway? Who would even do that?

So we get a feature nobody wants for an inconvenience?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Why add a feature when nobody was asking for it? I'd rather download all my apps under one account so it makes updating them easier. For example last year I downloaded the 2.0 firmware a couple days before it was released onto my 1st gen iPhone. The app store wasn't full but I downloaded a few games: Super Monk Ball, Trism, Bomberman, etc..Now when I click on 'Check for Updates' in iTunes, and one of those original apps are updated I now have to logout, log back in under my old account name and update them, logout and log back into my current account. Apple is acting like I WANT to be constantly switching accounts on my phone.


Randman said:
Big deal. Log on to your computer and re-download an app if you need it. Or better manage your apps.

Only people crying about this are the ones who are likely to circumvent matters for illegal downloads anyways.
Click to expand...

It's not always that convenient. I sometimes have problems with apps crashing or not functioning correctly, even after a restart. So what option do I turn to as a last resort? Redownloading it. A game may not be necessary, but what if I want to read from my RSS reader? I'd have to pay again, or what if I was relying on an app for a presentation? Bollocks I say.


xiozhiq said:
While I don't disagree with the mission of the movement, namely the reduction of piracy with apps, I will definitely be inconvenienced. I delete apps just because I don't use them often. That doesn't mean that I disown them, I just don't use them often. If at some point in the future they add more functionality or change so that I can use them, I will install them again.
Click to expand...

I do this too. I like to test out different RSS readers and when there's an update I like being able to redownload and test out the new features. I want to head into 3.0 on a clean slate, but if jailbreaking can somehow circumvent this I will go back.
 
Eraserhead said:
So do it on your computer...

So you don't have a computer in your University accommodation?
Click to expand...

I don't live in uni accommodation. I don't have a laptop. This is stupid, full stop. It does not in anyway stop piracy, it just inconveniences a hell of a lot of people
 
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