Resolved How do I backup my apps?

[Perene]

Is there a way to assure the apps you have downloaded, free or paid, from the Apple Store, will always remain available? I mean, I always do a backup from my iPad to iCloud. And we see the cloud icon when we restore from the iCloud the backup, to a new iPad.

However, last time I checked, the backup only contains the configs from the apps and iOS - meaning that while we are restoring from a previously created backup, we are not downloading the apps from iCloud, they aren't there, physically - they are being downloaded from Apple Store.

And what does that mean?

Let's say I have purchased or downloaded an app that is now removed from Apple Store - it will be gone forever in this new iPad, too.

What I want to know is this: isn't there a way to backup the apps we have downloaded for free or paid? And the question includes purchases made inside those apps, in case there isn't a 2nd version from those apps with all paid features.

 

[mikzn]

download apps to itunes on your mac, you can install later from there

 

[Perene]

download apps to itunes on your mac, you can install later from there

And what about PC?

 

[mikzn]

And what about PC?

should be the same, I don't even use the OTA updates on my phones or ipad - since you still have to download the apps on the PC / Mac if you want them available and backed up. It also forces me to back up my phone everytime I want to update the apps - saves bandwith too since the updates are all done from the computer.

 

[Perene]

should be the same, I don't even use the OTA updates on my phones or ipad - since you still have to download the apps on the PC / Mac if you want them available and backed up. It also forces me to back up my phone everytime I want to update the apps - saves bandwith too since the updates are all done from the computer.

I don't think you can backup apps, only app data. Read this:
http://www.copytrans.net/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-ios-9-and-the-backup-of-iphone-apps/

Since iOS 9, I believe Apple made impossible for us to backup the IPA files from paid/free apps we already have. If that's not the case, please provide a link for the alleged software and/or tutorial that explains how to do this.

 

[mikzn]

it does not back up the apps from the devices - iTunes downloads from apple and stores a local copy on iTunes, on your PC

You can use these downloaded files / apps to update your phone or iPad - also they are now on your computer and you have a copy should anything change on iTunes.

For example VLC had to remove the VLC mobile app from iTunes at one time because of a license disagreement - i had a local copy and was able to copy to my new phone even though not available on iTunes ( they are back on iTunes now)

 

[Perene]

it does not back up the apps from the devices - iTunes downloads from apple and stores a local copy on iTunes, on your PC

You can use these downloaded files / apps to update your phone or iPad - also they are now on your computer and you have a copy should anything change on iTunes.

For example VLC had to remove the VLC mobile app from iTunes at one time because of a license disagreement - i had a local copy and was able to copy to my new phone even though not available on iTunes ( they are back on iTunes now)

So basically what you are saying is that if I do a backup using iCloud, I can't restore any app unless it is downloading from Apple Store, but if I do the same backup using iTunes and a PC, all the paid apps will be stored in my hard-drive, and even if they are removed completely from Apple Store, I'll be able to upload them to a new iPad/iPhone?

If that's the case, where is this backup located in the PC? Assuming my hard drive will crash someday, and I want to upload this backup to Dropbox or a similar service.

And will this be the same backup you are doing with iCloud, I mean, there won't be any difference from what you do when backing up to iCloud, except it will be stored in your PC, right?

 

[mikzn]

you can keep using iCloud back up and updates OTA and still keep the apps updated on your PC - I have 2 phones and 2 iPads and prefer to update all from the Mac save bandwidth and I archive the back ups

In itunes preferences < devices you can view the back ups - control click on one of them for a contextual menu to see the location of the file

not the same back up - but no real difference other than the date of the back up - perhaps quicker to restore

 

[Perene]

OK, I tried doing what you instructed, and commented here:
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/10/07/app-store-apps-disappearing-purchase-history/
http://ipod.about.com/od/theappstore/a/How-To-Install-Apps-Removed-From-The-App-Store.htm
http://www.howtogeek.com/183509/what-you-need-to-know-about-iphone-and-ipad-backups/

And once again, I'll say that I failed to backup the apps themselves. I did a full backup using iTunes, and it was only saved the app data. My iPAD was using 7 GB, and only 1 GB was downloaded to my PC.

First of all, if you want to check what I am saying, turn off your internet completely. The backup restored the iOS state, however in the first screen you see after erasing the iPAD, it asks you to connect to the internet. OK, I did, but at the same time I have not chosen to restore anything. It was configured as a new iPAD.

Then I opened iTunes, and selected the backup, located at:
\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

It restored everything as it was. However, it needed to connect the iPAD to the internet, in order to download the apps themselves. As I suspected, we can't backup the apps, and relying on the Apple Store to download them again is useless to me, because someday one of these apps can be removed from there, and paid or free, I won't be able to use them again in a new device.

P.S. Apple says we can't do that, in here:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204136

An iTunes backup doesn't include:

• Content from the iTunes and App Stores, or PDFs downloaded directly to iBooks (You can back up this content using Transfer Purchases in iTunes.)

 

[photoj2754]

OK, I tried doing what you instructed, and commented here:
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/10/07/app-store-apps-disappearing-purchase-history/
http://ipod.about.com/od/theappstore/a/How-To-Install-Apps-Removed-From-The-App-Store.htm
http://www.howtogeek.com/183509/what-you-need-to-know-about-iphone-and-ipad-backups/

And once again, I'll say that I failed to backup the apps themselves. I did a full backup using iTunes, and it was only saved the app data. My iPAD was using 7 GB, and only 1 GB was downloaded to my PC.

First of all, if you want to check what I am saying, turn off your internet completely. The backup restored the iOS state, however in the first screen you see after erasing the iPAD, it asks you to connect to the internet. OK, I did, but at the same time I have not chosen to restore anything. It was configured as a new iPAD.

Then I opened iTunes, and selected the backup, located at:
\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

It restored everything as it was. However, it needed to connect the iPAD to the internet, in order to download the apps themselves. As I suspected, we can't backup the apps, and relying on the Apple Store to download them again is useless to me, because someday one of these apps can be removed from there, and paid or free, I won't be able to use them again in a new device.

P.S. Apple says we can't do that, in here:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204136

An iTunes backup doesn't include:

• Content from the iTunes and App Stores, or PDFs downloaded directly to iBooks (You can back up this content using Transfer Purchases in iTunes.)

I don't know it this helps but I had a similar situation. I have always backed up my iPad to iTunes so when I bought an iPad mini for my mother and set that up from the iTunes backup. Well there was an anagram game on it that I had gotten for her (it was also on my iPad which was again backed up to iTunes) that went bad so I thought I would just delete the app from the mini and restore it from the Cloud. Well it didn't work. Found out that the developer had let his license expire for some odd reason and the game was no longer in the App Store. What I did was wipe the mini clean then restored it using my iTunes backup and the game was back on the mini. Sort of your situation since the game was removed from the App Store but because I had the iTunes backup I was able to get the game back onto the mini. Maybe that's all you can do now since Apple has changed things.

 

[Perene]

I don't know it this helps but I had a similar situation. I have always backed up my iPad to iTunes so when I bought an iPad mini for my mother and set that up from the iTunes backup. Well there was an anagram game on it that I had gotten for her (it was also on my iPad which was again backed up to iTunes) that went bad so I thought I would just delete the app from the mini and restore it from the Cloud. Well it didn't work. Found out that the developer had let his license expire for some odd reason and the game was no longer in the App Store. What I did was wipe the mini clean then restored it using my iTunes backup and the game was back on the mini. Sort of your situation since the game was removed from the App Store but because I had the iTunes backup I was able to get the game back onto the mini. Maybe that's all you can do now since Apple has changed things.

What you are saying was perhaps possible in older iOS versions, but now even that isn't. Apple has changed iOS to not allow you to recover any app without having an Internet access available. If you don't believe this is the case, try the following:

1) Do a full backup using iTunes, from your iPad. Tell it to sync your device, it will also transfer your purchases.
2) Turn off "find my iPhone/iPad"
3) Erase all data from the iPad.
4) Turn the Internet off. I mean: turn off the router and/or modem, or remove its cable.
5) When you are configuring this iPad as a new device, it asks for Internet access. Allow it, then turn the Internet off again. Don't insert any credentials you already have from Apple, and configure as new, don't restore any backup.
6) Once the previous step is done, turn off Internet. Connect the iPad to iTunes. Try to restore backup. You'll see iTunes can't even acknowledge your iPad exists (even though is connected through the USB port) without Internet access. Turn on again, and restore from the backup saved to your hard drive.
7) After the restore, all settings will return to your ipad. However, you'll notice the device will start downloading all your apps from the Apple Store.

Meaning this: the full backup only saved app data and the state of your operational system, not the apps themselves, like I wanted.

 

[mikzn]

Maybe the windows version is different?

Says a "full back" up ?

FWIW - I wiped my phone - from the iphone, then did a restore (turn off find my phone) with wifi off ( air plane mode) after letting the phone contact apple to register, also turned off wifi off on computer, restore took less than 40 min.

As far as I can tell everything is there and OK.

My iOS apps and updates are stored and updated in the itunes folder < iTunes data < Mobile Applications

Maybe things are different on Windows ?

 

[Perene]

Or maybe you are still accessing the Internet through the 4G, even if the wifi from the router/modem is offline. I know the iPhone doesn't work after being restored to factory settings without the SIM card inserted in it. And I didn't select the automatic backup, I did a manual one. The thing is, the full backup only saved 1 GB of data, from 7 GB I had in this iPad. Meaning it didn't copy any app to my HDD.

P.S. Another discussion confirming this change:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7218373?start=45&tstart=0

So it seems now when you restore a backup, it puts placeholders back for the apps but then re-downloads them on the device over WiFi, not off my hard-drive via itunes as it did before (though all apps were synced from source iPad to iTunes so MUST exist on hard drive), and any no longer in app store or that are no longer free don't download, they're gone! They ought to change the wording from 'backup' to 'approximation' as that's what it is.

https://imazing.com/why-did-apple-kill-app-extraction-in-ios-9
https://www.reddit.com/r/ios9/comments/3mezjg/you_cant_backup_apps_from_your_ios_9_device/
https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/3lxzgr/transfer_purchases_on_itunes_no_longer_works_for/

 

[Perene]

It is possible to make a backup from the apps. This information was posted here:
http://www.ipadforums.net/threads/how-do-i-backup-my-apps.130796/#post-1119722

That's great, now I am really capable of making a backup from any app that is currently available in App Store and that was downloaded from my Apple ID. The only downside is that when creating a backup and restoring, we are still going to witness the iPAD downloading all contents from Apple-Store (skipping the missing ones). I mean, we can't instruct iTunes to add all downloaded .IPA files to our already created backup.

Meaning that if the app is removed from Apple-Store, we will lose app data, too. For example, say FoxIt (ebook reader) is removed from App-Store, 1 day after I created an iTunes backup where it was in my iPAD and still availble for download. I can add as a brand-new app using iTunes (by syncing the data), after opening the FOXIT.IPA file from my Hard Drive, however, if I already added ebooks (meaning: app data) to FoxIt and changed a few settings from the app itself, both of these will be lost in this scenario.

That's a minor inconvenience, compared to losing the apps themselves.

 

[Shirasaki]

My iPhone now has an app called SysSecInfo, being removed from App Store for a while. I have never made a restore attempt yet, fearing I have zero access to certain apps and its stored data anymore.
Certain apps also don't save data in places backup is able to include, especially some games. In this case, user needs alternative methods to restore app data rather than through backup.
Apple is really forcing users to go all cloud even though it is not for everyone.

 

[Perene]

For the record, the procedure described in this thread still works for iOS 11.0 in the iPAD PRO 9.7, using of course iTunes 12.6.2.20, since the 12.7 version removed this feature.

Here's proof:

I removed the last version of this app and uploaded using the iPAD cable and iTunes to open the IPA, from the version released before (4.2) the actual one. It worked!

One thing that must be noticed is that we need to drag and drop the .IPA file in the Library area from iTunes. From there we can add to the iPAD without even using the internet, by syncing the thing.

About iTunes, please check this discussion:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...lt-in-app-store.2066504/page-20#post-25013828

 

[Perene]

Just posting to let all you know this method still works with the last iTunes version, using iOS 12 in the IPP 10.5 (256 GB wifi+cell):

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208079

In case this link no longer works download from here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xjwZV70MDuR7ApmE3by225Pxh6yAPF5o/view

It's the 12.6.5.3 version:

Released:
September 12, 2018; 18 days ago

With the following changes:

- Adds iOS 12 support
- Fixes a problem with iOS updates and version numbers

And in these links you can see why I was right when said we need to backup ALL our apps:

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-collection-list.2079929/page-2#post-26604531

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2541702