Apps won't sync from computer to iPhone - please help

[Quackington]

Hi there,

Earlier this week, I followed the instructions in this thread:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141

...to change my sync computer from my iMac to my Macbook. It seemed to work okay. I can connect my iPhone 6 to iTunes, it syncs photos and contacts and I transferred my iPhone apps to my Macbook via the instructions in the thread above. Today I downloaded app updates on my Macbook and downloaded a new app. I then connected my iPhone to it, and it began the sync process (backup, sync contacts etc.) but it didn't go to the next step which is to transfer the latest app updates and the new app to my phone. It just finishes, nothing else.

Any ideas as to why this may be occurring and how I can resolve this? My iTunes is authorised to use purchases on the same account that my iPhone is using.

Many thanks.

 

[rigormortis]

as long as the itunes library is logged onto your itunes account
click on store and view account

and computer is authorized to play music
click on store and "authorize this computer"

and on settings on the iPhone
settings
itunes & app store

as long as all that matches, it should just work

anytime you update an app on the iPhone or buy an app on the iPhone you must click on transfer purchases for it to be put in your library
click on file
click on device
click on transfer purchases
automatic downloads might make this no longer necessary, some claim, but "transfer purchases" will update older apps in your library, where as automatic updates wont

f its syncing music, tv shows, movies, from the library to the iPhone, and its not updating apps, thats a head scratcher


click on the app in question
hit command I
click on file

was it purchased on the same account as all the other apps??

is the app compatible with your iPhone???

for instance, you can't sync flash light to an iPad because it has no light

that was a very good article. if it won't work. call applecare . applecare phone support is free as long as its itunes related. if they want $ then tell them i recently installed iOS 8

or go to a genius

it should just work, i just don't get it

you can also try deleting the app on the iPhone
and go to the apps section of the iPhone
and select the apps and make sure "install" is checked

if your computer dies and you have to erase an iPhone from scratch, it won't sync apps to your iPhone unless
you go to the apps section of itunes and manually click on "install" on every single app

thats happened to me at least twice

---

you can also just go to the apps store on the iPhone and click on updates, click on purchases
click on "not on this iPhone'
and then just redownload every single app there and then force itunes to refresh by clicking on transfer purchases

---

if its not updating a limited number of apps, its gotta be those updates are not compatible or they were purchased on another account, i don't understand why it wouldnt work

 

[Quackington]

Hi there,

Thanks for the response, most appreciated. I've only ever used one iTunes account, it's the same one on my iPhone and Macbook. This is the first app I've downloaded on my Macbook since making this my main sync machine (I always download apps to my computer and then they transfer to iPhone when I connect it - or at least it used to on my iMac).

The app is definitely compatible, I have an iPhone 6 on iOS 8 (it's RunKeeper).

I don't sync any music/movies/TV shows etc. I only have apps on my phone, never had any need for other stuff really (I have a small MP3 player for music, so I can save my phone's battery).

I may have to give Applecare a call to see if they can help, or take it into the Genius bar as suggested. Such a silly little problem, doing my head in!

 

[rigormortis]

when syncing a brand new device to itunes with no backup. it won't put apps on your phone unless you click install on the tab

your app could be on a different screen, try scrolling to the right on the iPhone


i had this happen to me

i remember going to this screen and clicking everything to "install" and then clicking on sync or apply

go to this screen, find the app, and click on install and then click on sync.
that "remove" tab will change to like "install" or "will install" , "remove" and "will remove"

if you choose the app and change the tab to "will install" it will sync the app when you click on sync

if that won't work, then man i dunno! call apple

 

[Quackington]

when syncing a brand new device to itunes with no backup. it won't put apps on your phone unless you click install on the tab

your app could be on a different screen, try scrolling to the right on the iPhone


i had this happen to me

i remember going to this screen and clicking everything to "install" and then clicking on sync or apply

go to this screen, find the app, and click on install and then click on sync.
that "remove" tab will change to like "install" or "will install" , "remove" and "will remove"

if you choose the app and change the tab to "will install" it will sync the app when you click on sync

if that won't work, then man i dunno! call apple

Hi there,

This worked, thanks very much. However, I'm a bit concerned as to why I had to do this, even with app updates I downloaded on my machine. On my iMac, if I ever downloaded new apps or app updates, when I connected my iPhone it would automatically install the new apps and the updates apps when it did the sync. I didn't have to go through this process. Is there any way to set this to happen automatically?

Thanks.

 

[rigormortis]

Hi there,

This worked, thanks very much. However, I'm a bit concerned as to why I had to do this, even with app updates I downloaded on my machine. On my iMac, if I ever downloaded new apps or app updates, when I connected my iPhone it would automatically install the new apps and the updates apps when it did the sync. I didn't have to go through this process. Is there any way to set this to happen automatically?

Thanks.

for example today i received the following updates

flow version 2.5
assassians creed pirates 2.0.0
amazon instant video 2.9.5
imdb movies and tv 4.5.1

if you update the apps on the phone and then sync / backup to itunes, it will NOT transfer your app updates to itunes, because you have to remember that syncing is only one way. it goes from your itunes library to your iPhone and not the other way around!!!

once your done syncing and backing up your iPhone, then you must manually transfer software updates ( as well as anything you bought on the iPhone which is not in itunes ) by clicking on " transfer purchases "

go to itunes
click on file
ciick on device
click on "transfer purchases from xxxxx's iPhone "

once you do that transfer, you can sync all your other IOS gadgets and it will put new software versions on them as well

---------
if you are downloading software updates on itunes and then syncing, and its not putting new versions on the device, i am stumped. the only time i ever heard about that is when someone has older iOS or an older gadget and your software updates in itunes are no longer compatible with your old device

 

[Quackington]

if you are downloading software updates on itunes and then syncing, and its not putting new versions on the device, i am stumped. the only time i ever heard about that is when someone has older iOS or an older gadget and your software updates in itunes are no longer compatible with your old device

It's definitely this last part. I have the latest iTunes and iOS, too. I'll have to give Apple a call.

Thanks for your responses.

 

[Quackington]

Just a quick reply to say this is solved. When an iPhone is connected, I went to the iPhone on iTunes, to the apps screen, and underneath the app box is a small tick box that says 'automatically install new apps'. It wasn't ticked. All sorted now.

Thanks.

 

[XT550]

for example today i received the following updates

flow version 2.5
assassians creed pirates 2.0.0
amazon instant video 2.9.5
imdb movies and tv 4.5.1

if you update the apps on the phone and then sync / backup to itunes, it will NOT transfer your app updates to itunes, because you have to remember that syncing is only one way. it goes from your itunes library to your iPhone and not the other way around!!

Not so.
Every time you update apps on your phone and you then sync to iTunes all updates will automatically be transferred and the old versions of the apps will automatically get moved to the recycle bin.

 

[rigormortis]

[/ATTACH]

for example today i received the following updates

flow version 2.5
assassians creed pirates 2.0.0
amazon instant video 2.9.5
imdb movies and tv 4.5.1

if you update the apps on the phone and then sync / backup to itunes, it will NOT transfer your app updates to itunes, because you have to remember that syncing is only one way. it goes from your itunes library to your iPhone and not the other way around!!

Not so.
Every time you update apps on your phone and you then sync to iTunes all updates will automatically be transferred and the old versions of the apps will automatically get moved to the recycle bin.

no it does not

try it sometime

on your iPhone download a bunch of software updates
1 is good enough, but get as many updates as you can

connect iphone to computer
click on backup
click on sync
it might ask you to transfer , apps, so do that

once everything is finished
go to
file
device
"transfer purchases from iPhone "
and you can watch it send all the updates you downloaded from the app store on your iPhone back to itunes
if you transfer 2 or three times in a row afterwards, it won't do the same thing again, proving that you need to click on "transfer purchases" to update apps on itunes


if your itunes is getting software updates, its not because of syncing and backing up. its probably because you have automatic updates turned on.

syncing is one way. its impossible to use sync to transfer something from the iPhone to itunes.
thats illegal. its driving the wrong way on a wrong way street ! you would get a ticket
to do a reverse sync you need to "transfer purchases"

here is a screen shot
this is iOS 8.1.2 and itunes ( current)
i conencted my iPhone
i clicked on sync
i clicked on backup
i waited for it to finish


i clicked on transfer purchases, and it updated my radio app to my library, something that sync and backup WILL NOT DO AND CANNOT DO

update :

it is possible that "transfer" is absolutely needed for the mac version only. i do not know. i haven't used windows itunes in 6 years

why the long post?
because, if you rely on backing up and syncing your iPhone, and something happens, and you need to restore your iPhone from an itunes backup, or set it up as a new phone, transferring purchases regularly will save you from having to download 100 software updates.