Is there any benefit to keeping .ipa files on my MacBook's SSD?

[ideal.dreams]

I have 24 GB worth of applications (.ipa files) saved to my MacBook's SSD -- is there any benefit to keeping these files downloaded and stored internally vs. downloading them from the App Store?? At one point I thought it used to help restoring an iDevice through iTunes happen quicker as if files were already downloaded, the .ipa files could just be transferred instead of re-downloaded, but it seems like this was changed.

What does everyone else do? What's the purpose of having the apps stored on my SSD?

 

[chscag]

I also store the .ipa files on my Mac for ease of transfer to my iDevices and as a backup, but do not have anywhere near 24 GB. It appears you have a lot of apps or have accumulated them over the years. You can probably go thru them and remove those you no longer need or want to save space. With the advent of iOS 11, 32 bit iOS apps will no longer work anyway so perhaps you can gleen some of them out.

 

[KALLT]

If you make backups with iTunes instead of iCloud, then you need to keep copies of the apps. When you restore an iPhone from backup with iTunes, it will attempt to sync the apps that were installed on your iPhone previously from your library. It will not download them from the App Store.

 

[BrianBaughn]

If the apps are removed from iTunes, moved to the trash, and then deleted doesn't a restored iPhone just download the apps directly from Apple's App Store if they're not on the Mac?

 

[chriscl]

If the apps are removed from iTunes, moved to the trash, and then deleted doesn't a restored iPhone just download the apps directly from Apple's App Store if they're not on the Mac?

That is exactly what mine did. I had trashed some stale .IPA files to free up space, and when I restore my iPhone from a backup, it downloaded the apps directly to the iPhone.

 

[chscag]

If the apps are removed from iTunes, moved to the trash, and then deleted doesn't a restored iPhone just download the apps directly from Apple's App Store if they're not on the Mac?

That's true but what if the particular App is no longer available from the iTunes App Store? I have run into that situation several times which is why I keep the .ipa files on my Mac.

 

[BrianBaughn]

That's true but what if the particular App is no longer available from the iTunes App Store? I have run into that situation several times which is why I keep the .ipa files on my Mac.

Good point. Hasn't been an issue for me in a long time (if ever) but I know that some apps have, in the past, been updated in such a way as to adversely affect their performance in some way on some devices.

So...I would add that the OP or anyone else could copy the .ipa files to an external hard drive to protect against such an occurrence and then freely delete them on your computer to free up needed space.

 

[ideal.dreams]

Thanks for the input everyone. I ended up deleting the apps from my library but do have a backup of them through Time Machine should I ever decide to put them back. Freed up 25 GB in the process.