iPhone apps on my computer

[tigress666]

Ok, so I'm in the process of seeing if there is any stuff I can delete off my computer cause I'm really pushing the line (I managed to free up 25 GBs already and that leaves me with just 30 free).

I noticed that my iphone apps folder in my itunes is taking 45 GBs up. My question is, if I delete those apps, will it take them off my phone (I want them on my phone but the only reason I see for them on my computer is backup and really, with apple letting me download them again if I need, I don't see why I need that)?

Or should I just tell the itunes app not to synch the applications and it will delete them for me?

 

[SpyderBite]

They will always be available for download via the App Store on both your computer & mobile device under Purchased in either version of the store.

 

[safetybelts]

It will delete the apps

It will delete the apps off your phone the next time you plug it in or sync it on the cloud. If you don't use the apps go ahead and delete the folder on your mac. If you do use them keep the folder.

Every time you plug your phone in, with all the apps on it, your mac will create that folder. It's a stupid glitch in my opinion.

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Also, is you're cleaning big files off your computer I recommend Disk Inventory X. It scans all the files and shows you where your biggest files are. Usually Movies and Music or render files if you edit video....

Also, Terminal has a command to show "hidden files".. google it. You may be able to remove some of those.

Emptying the trash in Mail helps as well.

 

[tigress666]

So their is no way to keep them off my computer but keep them on my iPhone? I do use a lot of the apps but I have no use for them on my computer and I need the space. That kinda sux.

 

[John T]

So their is no way to keep them off my computer but keep them on my iPhone? I do use a lot of the apps but I have no use for them on my computer and I need the space. That kinda sux.

I'm afraid you're missing the point of the relationship between iTunes and your 'phone. Your computer, together with iTunes is the central store for your 'phone. Everything related to your 'phone is stored on your computer (+ the cloud if relevant). It is therefore illogical to store data the other way round - what happens if your 'phone crashes or is lost/stolen? Think about it!

The obvious solution to your problem is to transfer your media files, containing your Apps etc. to and external drive.

 

[T5BRICK]

Time to upgrade your hard drive. Storage is cheap anyway.

 

[mofunk]

Whoever said that the Apps will always be available in the Apps store is wrong. This goes for any media downloaded from iTunes/Apps store etc. .. When those Apps/media are removed from the apps store they are no longer available. I have several games on my iPod that when I tried to download from the Apps store in the Purchase section that wasn't there. I had to upload them from my iTunes on my computer. I do have a few apps that not searchable in the Apps store but I can still download from the cloud.


@OP To save space on your computer you can delete those Free Apps. Like Angry Birds Free. Backing up to an external drive is the best option. (like John and Brick said)

Apps that you can delete from your computer

Google
Facebook
youtube
Apple apps .. for instance idk when I'm going to use Keynote
Any reference apps.

 

[T5BRICK]

Whoever said that the Apps will always be available in the Apps store is wrong.

This is correct. At some point I had the iOS VLC app backed up, but now I can't seem to find it. It isn't available on the App store anymore due to some licencing issue, so I can no longer install it.

 

[SpyderBite]

Whoever said that the Apps will always be available in the Apps store is wrong. This goes for any media downloaded from iTunes/Apps store etc. .. When those Apps/media are removed from the apps store they are no longer available..

I suspect this is unique to your situation. I have access to any app/song/book I've ever purchased in the Purchased section of the App Store. To test this, I signed in to a friend'a old iPhone 4 with my Apple ID and everything (compatible with iOS 5 on that device) was available.

There are certain factors that are common with missing purchases. The most common cause I saw while I worked at the Genius Bar is when people used somebody else's Apple ID to make purchases. Second most common were abandoned apple ids due to forgotten passwords, moved on to their own Apple ID after sharing one with somebody, etc.

If you're not seeing an app or media that you've purchased on the App Store that you are positive you paid for, then you should contact apple care to remedy that.

 

[zorinlynx]

This is correct. At some point I had the iOS VLC app backed up, but now I can't seem to find it. It isn't available on the App store anymore due to some licencing issue, so I can no longer install it.

Note that there are better alternatives to the old iOS VLC app now, in the app store. iOS VLC was never very good in the first place; performance was slow, it murdered the battery and it could barely play HD files.

 

[T5BRICK]

If you're not seeing an app or media that you've purchased on the App Store that you are positive you paid for, then you should contact apple care to remedy that.

No, he's correct. If an app from the App store or any media from the iTunes store you've purchased is taken down, it is no longer available for you to download.

Like I pointed out in my previous post, this is the case with the VLC app, and it has happened in other situations.

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Note that there are better alternatives to the old iOS VLC app now, in the app store. iOS VLC was never very good in the first place; performance was slow, it murdered the battery and it could barely play HD files.

True, I was just using it as an example of an App that was pulled and no longer accessible.

 

[C DM]

No, he's correct. If an app from the App store or any media from the iTunes store you've purchased is taken down, it is no longer available for you to download.

Like I pointed out in my previous post, this is the case with the VLC app, and it has happened in other situations.

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True, I was just using it as an example of an App that was pulled and no longer accessible.

On the other hand, they pulled Flappy Bird quite publicly not long ago yet those who had it installed before it was pulled (and perhaps deleted it at some point) can still install it on their device from their purchases. So, doesn't seem like it's actually gone for those people.

 

[mofunk]

I suspect this is unique to your situation. I have access to any app/song/book I've ever purchased in the Purchased section of the App Store. To test this, I signed in to a friend'a old iPhone 4 with my Apple ID and everything (compatible with iOS 5 on that device) was available.

There are certain factors that are common with missing purchases. The most common cause I saw while I worked at the Genius Bar is when people used somebody else's Apple ID to make purchases. Second most common were abandoned apple ids due to forgotten passwords, moved on to their own Apple ID after sharing one with somebody, etc.

If you're not seeing an app or media that you've purchased on the App Store that you are positive you paid for, then you should contact apple care to remedy that.

Those factors don't apply to me. I've been downloading stuff for long time and I've noticed this way before iCloud. All my downloads before were backed up to iDisk (big daddy of iCloud) lol. One time I recall moving the media that I purchased back to iTunes and the newer version of iTunes didn't recognize it as a purchase. So when looking around in the store, I noticed the media was removed.. I figured since the media wasn't in iTunes anymore that was the reason.

Same with the Apps. For example, last month I gave my iPod to a kid to play Shrek Kart on my iPod. He asked if this was like Mario Cart? I said yes, would you like to play against me. So I grabbed my iPhone, opened Apps, and selected "Apps not on my iPhone" so that I could download it. It wasn't there. So I did a quick Search, and again it wasn't there. The only way I could add it to my iPhone was to use the copy that's saved on my computer. btw Shrek Cart I purchased in 2009. I can't see how or why Apple would keep a copy of this app or any app removed from the iTunes store..

 

[tigress666]

I'm afraid you're missing the point of the relationship between iTunes and your 'phone. Your computer, together with iTunes is the central store for your 'phone. Everything related to your 'phone is stored on your computer (+ the cloud if relevant). It is therefore illogical to store data the other way round - what happens if your 'phone crashes or is lost/stolen? Think about it!

The obvious solution to your problem is to transfer your media files, containing your Apps etc. to and external drive.

Um, that's what my backup file is for and having any app I own be on the cloud and the cloud backup storage... I just don't see why it's so necessary to store the apps themselves on my computer (We're not even talking the app data, just the app that you can redownload at any time from Apple's app store).

 

[Jessica Lares]

It is safe to remove your apps. iTunes won't pull them off your device, they are manually managed.

But yes, it is a good idea to backup them somewhere else, at least the smaller indie ones.

 

[0007776]

No, he's correct. If an app from the App store or any media from the iTunes store you've purchased is taken down, it is no longer available for you to download.

Tris, a tetris clone from the early app store days was available for me to redownload for years after it was pulled. Recently I checked and didn't see it still there so something might have changed, but at least in the past you could redownload purchased apps even if they were pulled from the store.

 

[mofunk]

Um, that's what my backup file is for and having any app I own be on the cloud and the cloud backup storage... I just don't see why it's so necessary to store the apps themselves on my computer (We're not even talking the app data, just the app that you can redownload at any time from Apple's app store).

You skipped a few post huh? When the developer removes the App or any other media it is no longer in the Cloud. For ex. Recently Flappy Bird was removed, and its no longer in the Cloud. This goes for music, movies, books, or whatever. Right now I have a few travel apps that you cannot buy in the Apps store, but I can access them in iCloud. In the next month or year or so that option will not be available.

If you enjoy playing your favorite games on your iOS Device and you want to keep them, make sure you back them up to your computer/external drive.

 

[C DM]

You skipped a few post huh? When the developer removes the App or any other media it is no longer in the Cloud. For ex. Recently Flappy Bird was removed, and its no longer in the Cloud. This goes for music, movies, books, or whatever. Right now I have a few travel apps that you cannot buy in the Apps store, but I can access them in iCloud. In the next month or year or so that option will not be available.

If you enjoy playing your favorite games on your iOS Device and you want to keep them, make sure you back them up to your computer/external drive.

I have been able to install Flappy Bird simply from the Purchases section of the App Store a number of times since it's been removed from there, as have quite a few others who had installed the game before it was removed (and later deleted it and then wanted to get it back for whatever reason).

 

[tigress666]

You skipped a few post huh? When the developer removes the App or any other media it is no longer in the Cloud. For ex. Recently Flappy Bird was removed, and its no longer in the Cloud. This goes for music, movies, books, or whatever. Right now I have a few travel apps that you cannot buy in the Apps store, but I can access them in iCloud. In the next month or year or so that option will not be available.

If you enjoy playing your favorite games on your iOS Device and you want to keep them, make sure you back them up to your computer/external drive.

Ok,that's a good reason to keep apps that have been removed. But not a great reason to keep apps on the computer that haven't been removed. It's not like they are usable on the computer and they are using up 40 gigs of space (seriously, both my itunes collection and video collection and picture collection aren't taking up near as much space).

Granted, whining about it isn't really going to do anything, it is what it is. I just think that's really annoying of Apple to design it so that I'm forced to take up 40 gigs of my hard drive for apps that I can't even use on my computer. They serve no use on my computer except to take up space which I could use more. And yes, my next computer is having a bigger hard drive but I can't afford much since it's flash (MBPr) and I'd love to remove room I can use for other stuff I can use on the computer (because hard drive inevitably fills up and I can only double my hard drive space right now to 512GBs). Basically I just feel because of the way Apple decided to do it, those apps are wasting precious space that I'd rather have for other stuff.

 

[mofunk]

A lot of what you see on a Mac are improvements of an older application. When I started using my Mac more, I signed up with .Mac. What the genius sold me on was that whenever I erased my hard drive or got a new computer, I could go to my iDisk (.Mac storage) and get all my settings and stuff back. Sounds familiar? iCloud does basically that. The difference is that you managed what was backed up to iDisk from your computer. There is nothing wrong with iCloud. I love it because when you replace your iOS device, setup is easier than before.

Since iDisk I started backing up my own stuff. Its not that hard. Every two months I back up my media. You can store your iTunes media on an external drive. That would free up your computer. It's definitely a hog.

 

[east85]

Those factors don't apply to me. I've been downloading stuff for long time and I've noticed this way before iCloud. All my downloads before were backed up to iDisk (big daddy of iCloud) lol. One time I recall moving the media that I purchased back to iTunes and the newer version of iTunes didn't recognize it as a purchase. So when looking around in the store, I noticed the media was removed.. I figured since the media wasn't in iTunes anymore that was the reason.

Same with the Apps. For example, last month I gave my iPod to a kid to play Shrek Kart on my iPod. He asked if this was like Mario Cart? I said yes, would you like to play against me. So I grabbed my iPhone, opened Apps, and selected "Apps not on my iPhone" so that I could download it. It wasn't there. So I did a quick Search, and again it wasn't there. The only way I could add it to my iPhone was to use the copy that's saved on my computer. btw Shrek Cart I purchased in 2009. I can't see how or why Apple would keep a copy of this app or any app removed from the iTunes store..

So I found out that this application shows up for me in the app store on mobile, but not on mac in iTunes.

Just saw this while setting up my returned iPad.

 

[mofunk]

So I found out that this application shows up for me in the app store on mobile, but not on mac in iTunes.

Just saw this while setting up my returned iPad.

Lol that crazy. I know I looked and did a search and nada. After I saw your post I checked again and the only one that shows up is Shrek Free. I bought the paid version let me see if it shows up now. lol its there. Weird. very weird.

Only thing I can think of is… After I added Shrek Kart from my backup copy on my computer… Shrek Kart was saved to my iCloud. That's good to know if that really happened.

I'm gonna play with it and see if I can find another App that's not in the cloud.

Thanks