Apps not getting transferred to iTunes library

[desertman]

I have at least two apps on my iPad that seem to get never transferred to my iTunes library. One is "Insight Timer", a free timer app, and the other is "Audrey Grant’s Better Bridge", a Bridge learning app for $34.99.

Simple syncing does not help, going to File - Devices - Transfer Purchases from iPad and then syncing does also not help.

Can somebody explain this? Can this be fixed? Am I doing something wrong? Is this a bug?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Apps no longer transfer to iTunes because of app splitting. You must download it to your computer or turn on auto-downloads in iTunes.

 

[desertman]

Interesting (whatever app splitting is). Why then do I have tens of apps in my iTunes library that I only downloaded on my iPad? And where would I turn on auto-downloads (for apps, not just for album covers) in iTunes?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Interesting (whatever app splitting is). Why then do I have tens of apps in my iTunes library that I only downloaded on my iPad? And where would I turn on auto-downloads (for apps, not just for album covers) in iTunes?

iTunes preferences has the ability to turn on auto-download. As to why you have apps in your library that were only on your iPad, not sure. Maybe because they are iPad only apps and not both iPhone and iPad. But app splitting was introduced in iOS 9 or 10 (someone can verify). This only downloads the information for that specific device. So if it's an iPhone it would not download the extra iPad information and vice versa for an iPad.

 

[desertman]

So far it is impossible to get these apps into my iTunes library on my Mac. I found the "Automatic Download" (for apps) option. However, activating it does not make a difference.

When I download these apps directly in iTunes there seems to be some download activity going on, but the apps are still not showing up in the library.

If I understand you correctly it is now "normal" that apps do not get transferred or downloaded to iTunes anymore. If this is the case, why is there an app library in iTunes at all? Why do I see there 50+ apps with the option to install or remove them with the next sync onto or from my iPad?

 

[Mlrollin91]

So far it is impossible to get these apps into my iTunes library on my Mac. I found the "Automatic Download" (for apps) option. However, activating it does not make a difference.

When I download these apps directly in iTunes there seems to be some download activity going on, but the apps are still not showing up in the library.

If I understand you correctly it is now "normal" that apps do not get transferred or downloaded to iTunes anymore. If this is the case, why is there an app library in iTunes at all? Why do I see there 50+ apps with the option to install or remove them with the next sync onto or from my iPad?

A few things:

1) When turning on Auto-downloads, next time you download an app on your iPad, then you launch iTunes, it will auto-download the app to your iTunes library. It does not download past apps.

2) In order for your iTunes library to match your iPad, you must download each app individual in iTunes from the iTunes Store. Then they will be in sync again.

3) Yes, you are correct, it is now 100% normal for apps not to transfer from iOS devices to iTunes anymore because of app splitting. The iTunes IPA file is the whole app download, but what is download to the device is not because of app splitting.

4) Because of what I stated in #3 this is why you can still sync apps via iTunes, you just can't transfer from iOS -> iTunes but iTunes -> iOS is perfectly fine. The file can always transfer from your iTunes to an iOS device because its the full app download. But it cannot go from device to iTunes.


This does not impact downloading apps from the iTunes App Store directly into your iTunes library. I do this once a week to make sure my iOS devices match my iTunes library.

 

[desertman]

Thanks a lot for your explanations. I downloaded now both apps for the third time directly in iTunes, and guess what - they show up in the library!

 

[Mlrollin91]

Thanks a lot for your explanations. I downloaded now both apps for the third time in directly iTunes, and guess what - they show up in the library!

Glad it all worked out! After all these years, iTunes still sucks :/. But at least you got it working. And with auto-download, it should help keep things in sync. The only problem is with auto-download is if you download something on your iPad that you don't like/need anymore, you need to remove it from iTunes.