Why is iTunes transferring purchased apps after upgrading to iOS 8?

[slapple]

I just upgraded my iPhone 4S from iOS 6 to iOS 8. Just before doing the upgrade, I had iTunes backup the 4S. I would think at that point, it would have transferred all purchased apps to the computer.

So after I upgraded to iOS 8, I had iTunes backup the 4S again, and now it is "Transferring Purchases from iPhone 4S" - almost 100 apps. Not sure why it's doing that - it's not like I bought 100 apps right after upgrading. Makes me wonder if I'll end up having duplicate apps within iTunes. I was going to restore that backup on my new iPhone 5S - maybe I'll end up with duplicate apps on the 5S?

 

[rigormortis]

before iOS 8, as far as i can tell, placing apps in iTunes from the iPhone was never done at all . unless you told iTunes to transfer purchases.

its a good idea to back up apps to iTunes so you don't have to get them from iCloud. when backing up to iTunes, it may back up documents and data that are stored in the app, that you don't get when you have to redownload the app from iCloud.

if you want to update the apps in the library with newer software updates, you have to click on 'transfer purchases" to do it manually.

every single time i tell itunes to backup my iPhone, if i click on ' transfer purchases ' it will always transfer apps that i have updated with software updates that i ran on the iPhone that are not copied to your itunes as a regular backup

so to be perfectly clear. if you purchase ' Facebook ' and it trasferrs Facebook to your library at the next backup. any software updates that you get for ' Facebook ' are never copied to itunes , unless you tell it to


apple says it may delete apps and media from its stores, and you may not be able to get them back. unless you backup.. but i have never actually seen this. every single app and media that i have , that was deleted, from the stores i can get back using iCloud and not having to touch iTunes at all

i do not recommend relying 100 % on apple keeping your apps that they pulled though. please do not misunderstand me