Moving iPhone App from one computer to another

[Lukeksk]

While I was on holiday, I tried out an iPhone app that I really liked. However, I did not have my computer with me and as it was very expensive doing data roaming from where I was, I decided to use my wife's computer (which we brought along on holiday to keep the kids entertained) and purchase the full version of the iPhone app via the iTunes on her computer. While trying to sync my iPhone with the iTunes on my wife's computer (which only had that new iPhone app), I realized that I might end up getting this new app transferred to my iPhone but at the cost of screwing up all the other iPhone apps on my iPhone. So I stopped rightaway - I now have an iPhone app I wanted but on a different computer's iTunes (my wife's) and I do not know how to get that app onto my iPhone that is paired with my personal computer's iTunes.

So, is there a way to transfer a new iPhone app sitting in my wife's computer's iTunes to my iPhone *without* overwriting anything that is existing on my iPhone?

Thanks for all help.

 

[gadgetdad]

While I was on holiday, I tried out an iPhone app that I really liked. However, I did not have my computer with me and as it was very expensive doing data roaming from where I was, I decided to use my wife's computer (which we brought along on holiday to keep the kids entertained) and purchase the full version of the iPhone app via the iTunes on her computer. While trying to sync my iPhone with the iTunes on my wife's computer (which only had that new iPhone app), I realized that I might end up getting this new app transferred to my iPhone but at the cost of screwing up all the other iPhone apps on my iPhone. So I stopped rightaway - I now have an iPhone app I wanted but on a different computer's iTunes (my wife's) and I do not know how to get that app onto my iPhone that is paired with my personal computer's iTunes.

So, is there a way to transfer a new iPhone app sitting in my wife's computer's iTunes to my iPhone *without* overwriting anything that is existing on my iPhone?

Thanks for all help.

Probably not legally. However I have in the past deleted and app file in iTunes only to have it placed in my trash folder.

 

[mkrishnan]

Yeah, no, I don't think you can do it, because there isn't any way to have the iPhone authorized to two accounts at the same time (that's the core problem -- not that there are two computers involved). You could try contacting Apple and asking for help, but I dunno that they'd really be bothered.

It's kind of a problem with iTunes account management and families. Over time, an iTunes account can be associated with a lot of built-up financial investment -- I have hundreds and hundreds of purchased songs, as well as a handful of apps now. When I have kids, I wouldn't want to start separate accounts for them and have a bunch of new stuff they bought be locked away from the things I've already paid for.

This is really the first time that these kinds of online accounts became endowed with so much value. It seems to me like there really needs to be some kind of asset management / transfer feature at some point.

 

[vectorraster]

2 MACs same account - 1 iPhone

Hi there,

I have a similar problem. I have 1 Mac Pro and 1 Macbook.
Both of them with the same MobileMe account.
I'd like to sync iPhone apps on both because I started with Mac Pro but I travel often and when I buy a new app with macbook I can't sync it or it will resent my other apps.

There's nothing illegal about this, the macs are both mine and I use the same account.

It's like saying that I buy an audio CD and I can play it only on 1 CD player!

Any ideas?

Thanks

Vector

 

[firedogut]

does this help?

http://allforces.com/2008/07/22/share-apps-between-iphones/

 

[jclardy]

That link will probably help the OP, but I am in a similar situation. I have two computers, an iMac and a Macbook. My iPhone is currently synced with my Macbook, but I would like it to be only synced with my iMac. The only problem is that I don't want to lose my app data. I know I can re-download apps and all but I have my cars MPG tracked on my iphone, todo list, 1password, all my accounts set up (twitter, facebook, im, wordpress, etc) plus a ton of saved data in random games.

The problem is, when I plug my iPhone into my iMac it wants to erase and sync. I have already transferred all my purchased music and apps to the computer, but I'm pretty sure that it won't save application data when I erase and sync (If it does it is not very clear...) I was hoping to do this now since I am also updating to 3.1 . Has anyone else had this situation and solved it?

Update: I just thought about this: if I create a backup of my iPhone on my iMac then restore from that backup does it remember that it was syncing with my macbook?