iPhone Trying to backup iPhone to computer -- apps won't backup?!?!

[eroxx]

I had an archive of a few thousand apps on my computer's mobile applications directory and wanted to clean it up, so i deleted all the apps and then started a backup of my iPhone.

I have 300+ apps on iPhone ... I'm trying to back them up to my computer and it is only backing up 20 of them .. I've tried a few times now. any ideas?

 

[sbailey4]

Not sure how you are "backing them up" The apps in the iTunes folder do not need to be deleted and it will not be repopulated with a backup. The backup is a total different area. All apps are basically backed up as a record of the app so when you restore it actually just downloads them again but the placeholders are there and the record of purchase is there. Not sure where you are seeing the 20 or so apps you are mentioning.

 

[eroxx]

In the past if I hit the "back up now" button, it would provide copies of iPhone apps in my mobile applications directory. Here's a screenshot of the back up now: https://www.dropbox.com/s/evxdaaumhekzs8w/Screenshot 2014-02-12 12.05.57.png

That directory was having thousands of files in it, so I deleting everything in it (because over the years, I've deleted many apps off my iPhone) to save harddrive space. But now when I hit backup now, the apps are not re-transferring over to my hard drive

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Edit: The twenty apps are what transferred after I deleted everything. It transferred 20 out of 400+ apps, and the 20 have no rhyme or reason -- some were downlaoded years ago, some a day ago ...

 

[gaanee]

Currently you have set up iphone for icloud backup, change it to backup To this computer and it then it will transfer app files to your computer.

 

[eroxx]

That's what apple said too, but that is wrong (although I do appreciate you trying!) That checkbox is only for AUTOMATICALLY backing up ... the check box next to it is for manually backing up -- even if I backup to iCloud automatically, if I hit manually back up now, it should transfer ALL apps.

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but just for fun, I clicked this computer and tried to backup ...nothing happened. files not there

 

[Tyler23]

That's what apple said too, but that is wrong (although I do appreciate you trying!) That checkbox is only for AUTOMATICALLY backing up ... the check box next to it is for manually backing up -- even if I backup to iCloud automatically, if I hit manually back up now, it should transfer ALL apps.

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but just for fun, I clicked this computer and tried to backup ...nothing happened. files not there

From what I understand, backing up to iTunes and copying the apps over to iTunes are not synonymous. If you back up to iTunes, that's fine, there is a backup file for your device now registered with iTunes from which you can restore your phone.

However, I believe (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) that just backing up to your computer won't sync over your apps from your phone to your iTunes App section. I think they need to be downloaded from iTunes on your computer directly to populate there. I believe the syncing would only transfer apps from your computer to your device, not the other way around. The only way they would show up in iTunes is if you A) Downloaded directly from iTunes on your computer, or B) Had automatic downloads checked so that any app you downloaded on your phone would download on iTunes on your computer.

It sounds like that may have been what was happening before, but you deleted all apps from iTunes on your computer that had automatically downloaded when they were downloaded on your phone.

That's been my experience, anyways..

 

[gaanee]

I think you are right, I had re download apps to the computer or copy saved .ipa files.

 

[eroxx]

I'm so relieved!!! I figured it out

I went to iTunes, and clicked the right link that says purchased, then clicked on "apps": https://www.dropbox.com/s/4gjy1snhvl6637t/Screenshot 2014-02-12 13.34.02.png

Then, if you delete the apps, they will repopulate when you backup. The issue is that iTunes THOUGHT they were on the computer when they in fact were not. This way, I told iTunes that indeed, they are not on the computer