How can I preserve old versions of IOS apps?

[Turnpike]

Having done some research, Apple is "app thinning" which means that apps are downloaded now for the specific device they are being downloaded to, vs the old way where the app (and every possible version for every possible device it could be used on) was downloaded.

Also, you can no longer back up your apps into iTunes, you can save your purchases, but apps are no longer saved in the iTunes library on your computer....

So, does anyone know how to save older versions of apps that I still happen to have on an old computer? The old (and better) version of OneNote, plus some really great pedometer apps that are no longer available are still saved in my old iTunes library, but once I have them on the phone, I can't back them up into the iTunes libarary on my new Mac.

And I don't want to do anything where they would be updated, either...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[chscag]

Also, you can no longer back up your apps into iTunes, you can save your purchases, but apps are no longer saved in the iTunes library on your computer....

What made you come to that conclusion? I can still save all my iOS apps and their updates to my iTunes library on my iMac. I just last night did that very thing. And I have some very old apps which no longer work with 10.3.3 saved in that same library.

 

[Turnpike]

What version of iTunes are you using? I can't on my Macbook, and I just read an article that after an update, Apple themselves said apps wont transfer with purchases....

http://www.macworld.com/article/3125509/iphone-ipad/more-on-backing-up-your-ios-device.html

Check out the first 1/4 of this article.

What version of iTunes do you have running on your iMac?

UPDATE: I just discovered that on an old computer I could update iTunes to a current version, and my old apps are still in there, in the old version. But I can't back them up into a newly set up iTunes account on my new Mac. I can't load them onto my phone from the old computer and unload them into the newly set up iTunes account on the new computer.

 

[chscag]

What version of iTunes are you using? I can't on my Macbook, and I just read an article that after an update, Apple themselves said apps wont transfer with purchases....

http://www.macworld.com/article/3125509/iphone-ipad/more-on-backing-up-your-ios-device.html

Check out the first 1/4 of this article.

What version of iTunes do you have running on your iMac?

UPDATE: I just discovered that on an old computer I could update iTunes to a current version, and my old apps are still in there, in the old version. But I can't back them up into a newly set up iTunes account on my new Mac. I can't load them onto my phone from the old computer and unload them into the newly set up iTunes account on the new computer.

I'm running iTunes version 12.6.2.20 along with Sierra 10.12.6. That article is talking about something different all together. Whenever I download a new app from the iTunes app store, I download it first to my iMac and the app goes to this folder: Macintosh HD/Users/my user name/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Mobile Applications/

And unless I specifically delete them from there, they remain throughout any update to iTunes and macOS. I can then sync any app that's there in that folder to any one of my iDevices. As long as the app is still supported, it will continue to work. It doesn't matter if I reset my iPhones or iPad because I will always have a copy of my apps. Of course I continue making backups to both of my iPhones and iPad Pro, but I will never lose my apps.

 

[tnoll]

Check out an app called iMazing. It let's you back up iOS devices and get into their file structure so it might let you get into the iTunes stuff.

 

[iRaynor SK]

And if I reinstall macOS? How to keep older versions of iOS apps in this case? (I reinstall macOS every year after major update -> Sierra to High Sierra and I do clean install)

 

[tnoll]

Can't you back them up somewhere?

 

[chscag]

And if I reinstall macOS? How to keep older versions of iOS apps in this case? (I reinstall macOS every year after major update -> Sierra to High Sierra and I do clean install)

Ever hear of Time Machine? After your clean install, restore with Time Machine or any other backup scenario.