iTunes - Getting rid of old apps

[Handle]

I've had many iPhones and iPads over the years and when getting a new one I always restore from the old one, I've never started fresh.

I've been getting rod of many of the apps I don't use from my current iPhone and iPad, but they are all still listed in iTunes- hundreds of them.

Is there any way to get rid of all the apps in iTunes that aren't currently on my iPhone or iPad? Or do I have to go in manually and delete each one?

Thanks!

 

[Weaselboy]

I don't know of a quick way to sort these, but if you go to this screen you can look for the ones that say "install" and make a list of those since they are not installed on the device.

 

[Handle]

Thanks for the reply.


What if I deleted ALL of the apps from iTunes while my iPhone and iPad were unplugged? Then after I connect the iPhone it would re-download the apps that are currently on the iPhone and the same for when I reconnect the iPad?

Would that work? Or would it mess things up?

 

[BrianBaughn]

Click on "Apps" in your iTunes left-hand column and you should be able to pick a view that will let you delete the apps of your choice by selecting (more than one if you want) then choosing "Delete" from your right-click contextual menu.

 

[Handle]

Click on "Apps" in your iTunes left-hand column and you should be able to pick a view that will let you delete the apps of your choice by selecting (more than one if you want) then choosing "Delete" from your right-click contextual menu.

Oh I know how to delete each one manually, that's what I am trying to avoid.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for the reply.


What if I deleted ALL of the apps from iTunes while my iPhone and iPad were unplugged? Then after I connect the iPhone it would re-download the apps that are currently on the iPhone and the same for when I reconnect the iPad?

Would that work? Or would it mess things up?

I have an idea that might work. What about deleting all the apps from iTunes then turn off auto sync when attached. Then attach the iPhone and it iTunes of to File menu then Devices then transfer purchase. I think that would move all apps from the iPhone into iTunes.

I have not tested this, so don't get mad at me if it goes badly... but it seems like it would work?

 

[JoelBC]

Deleting Apps does not delete them from iTunes but rather hides them noting that this should accomplish what you want...

The other option is to go into the iTunes Stores and then into your account and you can see which apps are NOT on your device -- there is a toggle button.

Though I do wish that iTunes had a way of actually deleting Apps they don't so the best you can do is i) hide them as noted above or ii) start with a new Apple ID.

 

[Handle]

Hopefully they will add a way to do it. I'm sure there are a lot of people like me who have been using iDevices and iTunes for a long time and have hundreds or thousands of apps listed in iTunes, most of which aren't used anymore.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I get it now. Yeah there's no indicators in the iTunes app list view of what's on the iOS device. Weaselboy's suggestion of deleting them all from iTunes, then transferring purchases from the iOS device to iTunes would be the way. A couple of drinks and you're done.

I've been trying to clean up my app list in the same way. It was a little more complicated since I had co-mingled iTunes accounts and I'm trying to get every app to be associated with one particular account. It's an ongoing process as I'm not sure iTunes is behaving as it should.

 

[Handle]

I have an idea that might work. What about deleting all the apps from iTunes then turn off auto sync when attached. Then attach the iPhone and it iTunes of to File menu then Devices then transfer purchase. I think that would move all apps from the iPhone into iTunes.

I have not tested this, so don't get mad at me if it goes badly... but it seems like it would work?

It worked.

I just deleted all the apps from iTunes, then reconnect my iPad and choose Transfer Purchases from the File menu just like you said.

Nice and clean, just the way I like it. Thanks