H Gagne

Q: iOS 9: Transfer Purchases no Longer Working

So there's already a few threads going on in the iTunes for Mac Forums regarding this issue but I figured we may as well post one in iTunes for Windows for those folks who happen to only frequent this forum.

 

With the introduction of AppThinning on iOS9, Apple has effectively broken the local iTunes Synchronization model.  AppThinning essentially means that when one install an app via their device, they are installing a smaller "footprint" version of the app tailored specifically for the device - i.e. iPhone, iPad, etc.  For those who wonder ... that's the "Smaller More Convenient" section of the What's New salespitch (http://www.apple.com/ca/ios/whats-new/)

 

Some reference links:

 

Transfer Purchases no longer working

https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/documentation/IDEs/Conceptual /AppDistributionGuide/AppThinning/AppThi…

Posted on Sep 21, 2015 5:42 PM

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Q: iOS 9: Transfer Purchases no Longer Working

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  • by tab1075,

    tab1075 tab1075 Sep 22, 2015 9:18 AM in response to H Gagne
    Level 1 (54 points)
    Sep 22, 2015 9:18 AM in response to H Gagne

    The problem with this is, since my iPhone is with me all the time and my computer is not, I usually update apps on the phone first. Then transfer those updated apps to iTunes when I get around to it. That's not always right away. There's been plenty of times when a few days to a week passes and there are several apps in iTunes waiting for updates. For people on slower internet connections, it can take quite a long time to update many apps, especially with large updates. So without being able to transfer updated apps from the device to iTunes, we now have to update them twice (if we update them on the device first). Once on the device and again in iTunes. Not very efficient, if you ask me.

     

    When searching this issue, I saw someone on reddit had posted they were using iOS 9.1 (they didn't specify, but obviously the beta) and it was not fixed. Question is, will it be changed before the public release of 9.1, or is it something they're going to stick with? Would they have to restructure the whole AppThinning platform in order to return iTunes functionality back to the way it was?

  • by H Gagne,

    H Gagne H Gagne Sep 23, 2015 5:22 PM in response to tab1075
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Sep 23, 2015 5:22 PM in response to tab1075

    Ya; it's a "feature" ... so likely not going to get any better - going to have to live with it until it's time to move to a competing mobile platform.

  • by Memiehic,

    Memiehic Memiehic Sep 25, 2015 4:28 AM in response to tab1075
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Sep 25, 2015 4:28 AM in response to tab1075

    spot on, i am trying to transfer my iPhone 5s settings and apps that was running iOS 9.0, to my new iPhone 6s Plus. Except the settings are there, but the apps are not... now I have icons that are greyed out or "in progress loading" because of my extremely SLOW internet possibly due to everyone going nuts upgrading their apps for restore and transfer... really stupid idea. Worst upgrade experience like ever....

     

    and every time I try to transfer my apps, i see copy 1 of 107 apps, but it stopped. I can't even use my new iPhone, because my app doesn't have the latest setting... haha and Apple killed that route as well... I use to manually grab documents folders out, but I no longer can do that... really inconvenient.

  • by applehatred,

    applehatred applehatred Oct 20, 2015 9:56 AM in response to H Gagne
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 20, 2015 9:56 AM in response to H Gagne

    Hello everybody. I was one of the apple lovers before but now I hate apple. So you ask me why? The reason is that, from the time I installed IOS 9 on my iPhone, I wasn't able to transfer my many apps downloaded from the app store. It seems that it's a feature, I hate this feature because I have to download my apps again via iTunes. I don't want to restore any backup to my iPhone. So what is the benefit and advantage of this ridiculous iTunes backup? It not only takes much time but also needs a high-speed internet to download the apps again. I don't want to take advantage of this disgusting feature! Where is Transfer Purchases? Is it a MUST?

     

    I think in this modern world, everybody enjoys mobile life. That is to have many things in hand and therefore there is no need to sit at your computer desk to check your mail and something like that. I can check my mail, reply my emails and do other things with my mobile phone or my tablet easily. But now, whenever I want to download or update an app on my iPhone, I need my laptop and the Great iTunes!

     

    I don't know what is behind this mandatory feature that Apple has created, If this is a routine and the story goes ahead like this.

    I hope a Jailbreak Tweak would help me, because there is no hope from Apple's side.      

  • by tab1075,

    tab1075 tab1075 Oct 21, 2015 9:39 AM in response to applehatred
    Level 1 (54 points)
    Oct 21, 2015 9:39 AM in response to applehatred

    applehatred wrote:

     

    I don't know what is behind this mandatory feature that Apple has created,      

     

    You can thank App Thinning. A method they're now using to help save space on our devices. In essence, when you download an app to, let's say, an iPhone, it can save space by not requiring everything within the app to work on an iPad or maybe a newer iPhone. While the concept is nice (everyone loves as much memory as they can get) the fact that it disables the Transfer Purchases feature is, in my opinion, unacceptable. Having to download new apps and/or updates to existing apps twice (once on the device, again on iTunes) is ridiculous. I don't understand why they'd do something to make iTunes LESS functional. What does still work is downloading an app or an app update to iTunes first, then syncing it with the device. We just can't go from the device to iTunes. But for those of us who more often than not download to the phone first, then transfer to iTunes later, this *****.

  • by Memiehic,

    Memiehic Memiehic Oct 21, 2015 10:23 AM in response to tab1075
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Oct 21, 2015 10:23 AM in response to tab1075

    iOS9 blocks the transfer feature for Apps way before "App Thinning" was "fixed" and introduced around Oct 5th this month, they could've allowed it before that hehe. And also the developers has to take advantage of it.

     

    I think eventually Apple will introduce a better way to transfer, essentially if you transfer you still need to download other assets that will turn the app into universal, that is better than downloading the entire app again in iTunes.