General iOS 9 + iTunes 12.3 = Bye bye fresh install.

[sanke1]

I have 12 GB of downloaded apps. I always backed them up using iTunes transfer purchases option.

Now that option has been taken away from us by Apple, what are our other options?

By the time iOS 9.2 or whatever future iOS release, most of the 12 GB apps would have already been updated so transferring those apps would be useless. Also I will not be able to copy existing apps from my iPad to pc.

So if I have to DFU restore my iPad, I have to download 12 GB apps all over again each amd every time I test a new beta or final version? There are 4 iDevices in our house and this one's a bugger.

Having 50 GB data cap by my ISP is not helping.

I would say F*** app thinning bu**s***. I want normal app sync back!!

 

[soniasim]

If all your apps are downloaded and updated to the latest version on iTunes, when you restore from a backup it will copy them automatically, like it previously did. The only problem is that you now have to update the apps on iTunes manually, because it does not automatically transfer the updated version of an app you downloaded to your phone, when you do a sync on iTunes...

 

[sanke1]

If all your apps are downloaded and updated to the latest version on iTunes, when you restore from a backup it will copy them automatically, like it previously did. The only problem is that you now have to update the apps on iTunes manually, because it does not automatically transfer the updated version of an app you downloaded to your phone, when you do a sync on iTunes...

That IS my problem my friend.

 

[Tulani]

depressing indeed

 

[Fzang]

Go to a cafe, grab a coffee and use their wifi. It's not like you're going to do fresh installs every second day anyway.

 

[sanke1]

Go to a cafe, grab a coffee and use their wifi. It's not like you're going to do fresh installs every second day anyway.

Unfortunately most coffee shops here have 256 kbps free wifi including Starbucks.

But full marks for your snooty reply.

 

[gordon1234]

Go to a cafe, grab a coffee and use their wifi. It's not like you're going to do fresh installs every second day anyway.

Downloading 12 GB over pretty much any public wifi I've used would take about a year…

 

[Veldhuis]

I have 12 GB of downloaded apps. I always backed them up using iTunes transfer purchases option.

Now that option has been taken away from us by Apple, what are our other options?

The option is still there for me. File -> Devices still shows it.

 

[Bromio]

Can't you install the apps from iTunes to iOS? They may be obsolete version, though.

 

[warburg]

I don't understand. After you update your apps in iTunes, won't the updated versions automatically sync when you backup your iPhone or iPad?

 

[chrfr]

The option is still there for me. File -> Devices still shows it.

It's there but doesn't transfer apps back to iTunes anymore. It's a byproduct of the new "App Thinning."

 

[chrfr]

I don't understand. After you update your apps in iTunes, won't the updated versions automatically sync when you backup your iPhone or iPad?

No, they don't anymore.

 

[warburg]

No, they don't anymore.

So how do you install the updated apps?

 

[wacky4alanis]

Can't you update all of your Apps from inside iTunes (without even connecting your phone?)

 

[chrfr]

So how do you install the updated apps?

You have to download them from the App Store within iTunes.

 

[sanke1]

Can't you update all of your Apps from inside iTunes (without even connecting your phone?)

Updating apps in iTunes downloads the whole app. While updating app on iPhone or iPad is a delta update.
Time and bandwidth are considerably saved if updated apps on iPhone are transferred over to iTunes. I guess most people do this to save bandwidth.

 

[newellj]

I don't understand. After you update your apps in iTunes, won't the updated versions automatically sync when you backup your iPhone or iPad?

No, they don't anymore.

I've had this happen a couple of times over the years and it was happening for the last week. I got it working again by checking the "automatically install new ... apps" go under the app list on the Apps page (under Summary) of my iPad. Click apply then click sync. I then unchecked the box (because I don't want every app that someone in the family purchases automatically installed) and clicked apply then sync. I had to do this a couple of times but it fixed whatever was keeping the iPad from updating apps on the iPad that had been updated on the Mac in iTunes. Hope this is reasonably clear and works for you, too.

 

[warburg]

It's not really very clear. Perhaps you could describe the process step by step.

 

[Dark Goob]

No, they don't anymore.

What the heck is the point of that? Why force people to download things twice...? Doesn't that just cost them bandwidth?

Can you *manually* copy apple you've bought from your device to the computer, or not at all? Why on earth would the pull crap like this?

 

[lint2015]

What the heck is the point of that? Why force people to download things twice...? Doesn't that just cost them bandwidth?

Can you *manually* copy apple you've bought from your device to the computer, or not at all? Why on earth would the pull crap like this?

Because space is precious on iOS devices, so App Thinning ensures only the required resources are downloaded for that specific device. Conversely, if you were to sync that app from your iOS device back to iTunes, it wouldn't be a complete package for that app, only the components for the device it synced from.

I think you guys are getting mad about the wrong aspect of this. The question you should be asking is, why doesn't iTunes look at the current version of the app it has and then only download a delta update to the latest version just like iOS devices have been doing for a long time?

 

[gaanee]

Are you sure that if you update an app on iphone its only a delta update and not installing a new version?

Also, are there apps taking advantage of app thinning yet? I haven't seen any of the apps mention that feature. I think app thinning makes much more sense for games and other apps over 200MB where app thinning could save considerable space. For most productivity apps (~50MB) the gains may not be enough.

Updating apps in iTunes downloads the whole app. While updating app on iPhone or iPad is a delta update.
Time and bandwidth are considerably saved if updated apps on iPhone are transferred over to iTunes. I guess most people do this to save bandwidth.

 

[bushido]

i absolutely hate it. it took me 4 hours to restore my iPhone the other day oppose to the usual half hour

 

[Yongkykun]

This concerns me greatly. I have 6S Plus preordered to replace my 6. I fear that this issue will render my local backup data on iTunes useless since I'm going to have to redownload huge amount of apps I have installed over the years. And I totally have to say goodbye to some datas stored on apps I have updated over the course of iOS 9 beta because they almost certainly won't be transferred over to my new phone.

Frustrating and enfuriating.

 

[Diego F.]

Well, I see more benefits in app thinning, saving space in our devices than avoiding manually updating iTunes Apps. You have a button to upgrade all apps, so it's not that disturbing.

 

[Yongkykun]

For someone like me who lives in a country with very limited internet access and/or expensive data package over cellular network, that option is not a solution. Prior to iOS 9, I could just download update on one of my iOS devices, sync to iTunes and I can update my other iOS device just by syncing with iTunes. That option is no longer available.

Plus once my 6S Plus arrives, what then? Restore from backup? What exactly got backed up by iTunes nowadays? iOS related data only I imagine. I have hundreds of apps installed and some of them are no longer available on App Store though I still frequently use them. Sorry, but though it's convenient and may not disturb some of you, please don't dismiss the fact that this issue does disturb others. You can have a peep at Apple's official discussion forum to see how many got angered by this particular issue.