Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Jumpie

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 7, 2008
2,162
1,806
Atlanta
So I used to be able to see the Apps in the dropdown but now they're gone. Where did it go? How do I bring it back? I'm so confused!
 

Attachments

  • itunes 12.7.png
    itunes 12.7.png
    1.7 MB · Views: 847
You skipped over a dialog box that appeared on first launch. iTunes doesn't do apps anymore! More details here:

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/12/apple-itunes-12-7-no-app-store/

In short, if you want an app, get it on your device (!). There are advantages to this — if you download an app on, say, an iPhone 8, it gives you a copy of it just for that device, whereas previously the size was bloated as it needed to include all the assets for everything from an iPhone 5 and up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jbachandouris
You skipped over a dialog box that appeared on first launch. iTunes doesn't do apps anymore! More details here:

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/12/apple-itunes-12-7-no-app-store/

In short, if you want an app, get it on your device (!). There are advantages to this — if you download an app on, say, an iPhone 8, it gives you a copy of it just for that device, whereas previously the size was bloated as it needed to include all the assets for everything from an iPhone 5 and up.

ugh em effer! I saw that but only read Ringtones and Tones. I missed the whole app piece. Well sh^t! How did I miss that. Dammit! oh well....

thanks!
 
I read that you can drag and drop ringtones onto the phone by “expanding” the phone in iTunes and then by dragging the ringtone file across from Finder. That makes me wonder whether the same thing works for apps. I’m still on 12.6 and therefore haven’t tried it myself.
 
Wonder if they deleted the copy of the apps that were stored on my laptop. Realize it doesn't do me any good to have them but wonder if they freed up space by deleting the apps.
I will miss this function if only because I could use the computer to re-organize the screen and then sync to my phone to do the organization - found it easier than on the phone.
 
Thanks - makes sense since there is nothing you can do with them now if I understand.
 
I can honestly say this is the first time Apple has annoyed me. Don’t take that function away!

there have always been complaints about itunes and iphone apps; for many, this is a solution. either way, it's workable, simple, and... the way it is. you'll adapt in no time, and it won't matter anymore...
 
  • Like
Reactions: beachmusic
Yep, it mentions iOS apps under the heading Manually add items from your computer ..." such as custom ringtones or iOS apps"

I tried the method and it worked for me.

But if you can't update existing apps anymore the benefit is quite limited...
 
there have always been complaints about itunes and iphone apps; for many, this is a solution. either way, it's workable, simple, and... the way it is. you'll adapt in no time, and it won't matter anymore...

It might matter. Until this revision, if you had an app that was no longer available in the iOS App Store but you had archived in your iTunes library, you could reinstall the app. That won't be possible going forward, although you can continue to do this with apps you've already downloaded.
 
It might matter. Until this revision, if you had an app that was no longer available in the iOS App Store but you had archived in your iTunes library, you could reinstall the app. That won't be possible going forward, although you can continue to do this with apps you've already downloaded.

post#12?

and, if you have an app archived in itunes library, can't you reinstall that archived app?? not sure what you're pointing out...
 
post#12?

and, if you have an app archived in itunes library, can't you reinstall that archived app?? not sure what you're pointing out...

I'm pointing out that if you made a practice of downloading and keeping local copies of apps you could, in general, reinstall them after they were no longer available in the app store.

In the new version of iTunes, you can't download local copies as a backup, so if you need to reinstall an app that's not currently available in the iTunes app store, you're out of luck.

This isn't a frequent requirement, but I've had it happen several times over the years. I will miss having the option.
 
When an update for a given app is released I always download it from my iPhone first and evaluate it before updating the version I have within iTunes. If the given update presents with any issues (in some cases bricking the app) it's a simple matter of deleting the app from my iPhone, then syncing the prior version of the app from iTunes back to my iPhone. I've been following this procedure for many years and have never been screwed over by an app update as a result.

There are also certain apps that I own which are very large in size which I don't always have downloaded to my iPhone. On certain occasions I'll download those apps to my iPhone locally from iTunes. I have no desire to re-download them from Apple each time instead. I also have no desire to browse, purchase and manage apps only with my iPhone when I can do so from my PC and 24 inch monitor using iTunes.

Looks like I'll be staying on iTunes 12.6.2 and pre-iOS 11 in conjunction with my iPhone 6 Plus until said combination no longer serves my purposes. Will re-evaluate at that time whether I continue down the Apple road or not.
 
When an update for a given app is released I always download it from my iPhone first and evaluate it before updating the version I have within iTunes. If the given update presents with any issues (in some cases bricking the app) it's a simple matter of deleting the app from my iPhone, then syncing the prior version of the app from iTunes back to my iPhone. I've been following this procedure for many years and have never been screwed over by an app update as a result.

There are also certain apps that I own which are very large in size which I don't always have downloaded to my iPhone. On certain occasions I'll download those apps to my iPhone locally from iTunes. I have no desire to re-download them from Apple each time instead. I also have no desire to browse, purchase and manage apps only with my iPhone when I can do so from my PC and 24 inch monitor using iTunes.

Looks like I'll be staying on iTunes 12.6.2 and pre-iOS 11 in conjunction with my iPhone 6 Plus until said combination no longer serves my purposes. Will re-evaluate at that time whether I continue down the Apple road or not.

nothing wrong with your process... and am sure there's at least 1 or 2 others who work like this. :D anyway, will be interesting to see if apple gives us a mac app to work with ios apps (but i'm not holding my breath).
 
LastOneToKnow is far more disciplined than I have been. My strategy has been to upgrade but not empty the trash on my Mac. In the rare event that there's an issue, I put the prior version of the app back. I think this has happened only a couple of times in the last five years or so.
 
Friday will not be fun for those of us setting up our new iPhones as new as downloading from iCloud or the App Store is going to take forever. I don't have 'over 250 apps' as a poster on another thread has mentioned, but I do have enough to make this process VERY inconvenient.
 
LastOneToKnow is far more disciplined than I have been. My strategy has been to upgrade but not empty the trash on my Mac. In the rare event that there's an issue, I put the prior version of the app back. I think this has happened only a couple of times in the last five years or so.

Well, I'm on PC and if I don't empty my trash at least once a week it starts to smell. :p
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.