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Why is iTunes forcing me to sync all my apps?

S

slapple

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 25, 2008
466
21
It takes too long to sync all my iPhone apps to my PC, and I don't even need to have my iPhone apps saved to my PC. So I want to uncheck the "Sync applications" box in iTunes, but then I get a popup saying "Are you sure you do not want to sync applications? All existing applications and their data on the iPhone will be removed."

Why is it going to delete all the apps off my iPhone if I uncheck that box? I just don't want it to sync the apps.
 
slapple said:
It takes too long to sync all my iPhone apps to my PC, and I don't even need to have my iPhone apps saved to my PC. So I want to uncheck the "Sync applications" box in iTunes, but then I get a popup saying "Are you sure you do not want to sync applications? All existing applications and their data on the iPhone will be removed."

Why is it going to delete all the apps off my iPhone if I uncheck that box? I just don't want it to sync the apps.
Click to expand...

because it wants to have a full backup of your phone incase you need to restore, it will have all your apps ready to be reinstalled, including the apps data. just sync it overnight if its going to take that long.
 
slapple said:
It takes too long to sync all my iPhone apps to my PC, and I don't even need to have my iPhone apps saved to my PC. So I want to uncheck the "Sync applications" box in iTunes, but then I get a popup saying "Are you sure you do not want to sync applications? All existing applications and their data on the iPhone will be removed."

Why is it going to delete all the apps off my iPhone if I uncheck that box? I just don't want it to sync the apps.
Click to expand...

I notice the same message. I do not want iphone to sync my apps. Besides, I already checked "Manually manage music and videos".

Is it necessary to sync iphone apps?

Has anyone tried not to sync? If I do, will all my iphone apps be deleted leaving me with a blank device?

My apps are all factory default apps, I didn't have new apps inside.

Please comment. Thank you.
 
indeed

would loooove to hear why Apple does this. I too would like to stop syncing apps, but why on earth does that require the deletion of all apps on my phone??? That makes no farking sense...
 
-aggie- said:
I don't know what the problem is here. If your apps are previously synced, it's not going to sync them again just because you sync the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Huh? I've no idea what you're saying here. The issue is very simple: In iTunes, I uncheck the box for "sync applications" and I get the message that it's going to delete all the apps ON MY PHONE. I can't fathom one reason why this should happen, as all I'm trying to do is prevent them from being on my Mac. (I get sick of seeing updates for apps in iTunes when I would only ever care about them on my actual iPhone, plus apps that I deleted from iPhone are all still on my Mac. The whole thing is just stupid.)

I went ahead and unsynced anyway, and sure enough all app-store apps were deleted from my phone. But at least now I'm no longer under the tyranny of things being on my Mac that really have no purpose at all for being there.

But the question remains, WHY did iTunes even have to delete apps from my phone when all I wanted to do is stop syncing them to my Mac?
 
Jeez. You KEEP the apps checkbox checked, so that the next time it won't sync unless you have a new app or delete an app. If you did what you did, then yes, you lose all your apps.

So again, sync everything the first time, and then leave everything alone. That's how it works.
 
-aggie- said:
Jeez. You KEEP the apps checkbox checked, so that the next time it won't sync unless you have a new app or delete an app. If you did what you did, then yes, you lose all your apps.

So again, sync everything the first time, and then leave everything alone. That's how it works.
Click to expand...

Seriously.. I do not know why they are making such a big deal out of this. It makes perfect sense if you don't want it to sync your apps you will have none. If you dont want it to sync music or video, you have none on your device!
 
Mlrollin91 said:
Seriously.. I do not know why they are making such a big deal out of this. It makes perfect sense if you don't want it to sync your apps you will have none. If you dont want it to sync music or video, you have none on your device!
Click to expand...

He is talking about apps he has downloaded from the app store on the iPhone itself.

They are on the iPhone, he doesn't want them copied to the computer, but keeping "sync applications" unchecked causes iTunes to delete them from the iPhone.

All I can say is, welcome to Apple, iTunes, and the iPhone, buddy. So much for "just working", eh? Nothing has served to convince me more to not buy a Mac than owning an iPhone.
 
Eso said:
He is talking about apps he has downloaded from the app store on the iPhone itself.

They are on the iPhone, he doesn't want them copied to the computer, but keeping "sync applications" unchecked causes iTunes to delete them from the iPhone.

All I can say is, welcome to Apple, iTunes, and the iPhone, buddy. So much for "just working", eh? Nothing has served to convince me more to not buy a Mac than owning an iPhone.
Click to expand...

Oh, I see now. Yep, welcome to Apple, OP. However, you have to take the good with the bad.
 
so basically the gripe here is 'i don't want my computer to sync and store the apps my iphone downloaded'.
jeez louise, talk about nit-picking, some might call that a courtesy
 
pixelated said:
so basically the gripe here is 'i don't want my computer to sync and store the apps my iphone downloaded'.
jeez louise, talk about nit-picking, some might call that a courtesy
Click to expand...

Next post: "I lost all my apps on the iPhone. How do I get them back. Didn't sync to computer." Or the oldie, but goodie: "HEEEELP, PLEEEASSEEE!!!."
 
I am experiencing the same issue. I do not want to sync, because 95% of the apps I've purchased have been directly from my iPhone. So if I sync, the only 2 apps I will have are the ones I purchased on iTunes, the rest are gone. How can I keep the existing apps and add these two new ones from the iTunes store?
 
calixtas said:
I am experiencing the same issue. I do not want to sync, because 95% of the apps I've purchased have been directly from my iPhone. So if I sync, the only 2 apps I will have are the ones I purchased on iTunes, the rest are gone. How can I keep the existing apps and add these two new ones from the iTunes store?
Click to expand...

Just sync, it'll copy the apps from your phone to your computer, and install the other two on your phone.
 
calixtas said:
I am experiencing the same issue. I do not want to sync, because 95% of the apps I've purchased have been directly from my iPhone. So if I sync, the only 2 apps I will have are the ones I purchased on iTunes, the rest are gone. How can I keep the existing apps and add these two new ones from the iTunes store?
Click to expand...

Just click "Transfer Purchases" in iTunes and it will transfer all your iPhone apps to the computer.
 
Apps removed

Hello. Last week I downloaded a movie and synced it to my iphone and everything else was removed. TV shows, ringtones and all my apps. I got the paid apps back by manually downloading them from the iphone app store but when I try to sync the ringtones or tv back itunes says it will remove all the apps. I am lost and so is the apple guy I've been working with. Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
anjinhamarota said:
Why is syncing them such a big deal? :confused:
Click to expand...

The time involved. The poster above seems to think that one long synch for a new application is the only time it happens. Not true. Any time I want to add new music, I am forced to wait at the very least an hour for my applications to be 'backed up'. It actually makes the device almost unusable.

EDIT 150 minutes since I posted and it's 55% backed up.
 
transfer purchases

To avoid losing your mobile device purchased items, follow this document:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1848
Simply put, "transfer purchases" can be right-clicked when over your device in itunes.

Sorry I am replying to a really old thread, but I found this thread when looking for the answer and wanted to copy it here!
 
-aggie- said:
I don't know what the problem is here. If your apps are previously synced, it's not going to sync them again just because you sync the iPhone.
Click to expand...


But if someone happens to download a few more apps on their iphone, or in my case, ipad, then next time we hook it up to the computer to transfer a couple of photos, we are forced to sync the frigging apps?

I don't want to back up apps on my computer. I'd love the option if I so choose.

I don't see why it's necessary though, if we have itunes accounts. If ones idevice messes up, can they not just redownload the apps again?

I too got some weird message asking me if I was sure I wanted to delete two of the apps on my ipad.

itunes sucks balls big time. im all for the option of syncing. but I do not appriciate it deciding i HAVE to sync apps from the ipad, even when I unchecked the frigging box to not sync them. I just wanted to transfer 6 photos. That's all.

It's embarassing that there appeared to be no easy way to simply plonk a few photos on the ipad, without all this fuss. Just embarassing. I ended up having to send them to myself and download through email on the ipad.

The justification for the invasion of our time, is that we'll moan if we lose the apps. Not if we can redownload through the same account.

How about I force Steve Jobs at gunpoint to do an hour in the gym everyday? He won't appriciate me forcing him to go through the boredom - and even if he does go to the gym in his own time, he won't appriciate me telling him WHEN he should go to the gym. But I'll just keep reminding him it's for his own good. And when he gets some muscles, he will thank me, and see I did know best.....
 
DaveB-UK said:
The time involved. The poster above seems to think that one long synch for a new application is the only time it happens. Not true. Any time I want to add new music, I am forced to wait at the very least an hour for my applications to be 'backed up'. It actually makes the device almost unusable.

EDIT 150 minutes since I posted and it's 55% backed up.
Click to expand...

I had this backup issue once. I solved it by doing a one-time restore. It's because programs get fragged in memory when you mix iTunes app installs and iPhone app installs. If you go and put everything back one way, it will significantly speed up your backup.
 
The confusion is some users just want the apps and music purchased and photos and videos on the phone to stay on the phone.

I assume that selecting BACKUP in itunes backs up the phone without "syncing".

I have lost TONS of stuff syncing. Like photos.

WHY itunes would EVER assume that if a photo does not exist on the computer that it should be DELETED from my phone is asinine.

NEVER should ANYTHING on my phone be REMOVED by iTunes.

This is my big problem with iTunes and why I HATE it far more than I like it.

I realize that knowing how to PROPERLY use iTunes is the key, I just wish it was as easy to understand as iOS.
 
I want to sync iPhone apps automatically into new Mac

My problem is similar, albeit the other way round.
I actually want my Mac and my iPhone to sync apps.
However I am now using a new Mac- so I used the "Transfer Apps" right click to get all my apps into the laptop. Done.
Still, when I click in the "Sync Apps" option under the Apps tab when connecting the iPhone, the Mac tells me it will replace all Apps in the iPhone with the Apps from the Mac... in theory not a big deal because once they have been transferred they are one and the same.
Problem is that the iPhone screen pictures in the iTunes Apps tab show all the apps individually, i.e. not organised in folders as they actually are in my iPhone.
I want my iPhone to override this, and have the same folders in iTunes- I do not want iTunes to override this and have to organise them all again! I have 150+ apps so this would be a pain in the bum.
Any ideas?
Many thanks!
 
Regarding the original question and the inability of this person to accomplish what they want, the way iTunes works seems quite ridiculous.

If you no longer want to sync one type of item between 2 devices, the way it should work is that after a sync, items of that type should be unmodified from how they were on both devices before the sync.

For iTunes to delete apps on your phone, it *should* be necessary to delete them from the computer and then *continue* syncing apps. Unfortunately, this seems to not be the case, however. :(

Maybe I should start a new thread, but maybe this is related enough to the original. If I want to copy pictures from my computer to someone else's iPod, will iTunes force me to sync apps with their iPod, deleting their apps and replacing them with mine?
 
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