Turn off App Syncing without losing applications...?

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Level 1

4 points

Turn off App Syncing without losing applications...?

Hi All,

I'm having some issues with syncing and whatnot in iTunes. Basically, I want to turn App Syncing off. However, I currently have 90+ applications and now it is warning me that if I stop syncing it will remove all 90 applications. So, I have 2 questions:

1) Why does it feel the need to do this?
2) Why can't it just stop tracking it rather than delete existing items?

Best.

multiple, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Nov 2, 2009 9:44 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 3, 2009 1:42 AM in response to simplecoder

If you turn off App syncing the apps will remain on your computer so they won't be lost.

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Answer 2

simplecoder Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 3, 2009 9:21 AM in response to PinkLouise

Well, my whole goal is to leave everything on the phone. In the future I only care to sync Contacts and Music. I don't want it bothering with my Apps. Again, I don't want it to remove them from my phone.

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Answer 3

Nov 4, 2009 1:29 AM in response to simplecoder

The only way to do this is to have your computer set to sync only the apps on your phone. In that way the ones already on your phone will remain there. If you remove syncing altogether the the apps will be removed from the phone but will remain on the computer. That's the way it works and I don't know of a way round this.

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Answer 4

simplecoder Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 7, 2009 8:22 AM in response to simplecoder

Thank you PinkLouise for your input. Does anyone else have any insight into this issue? I'm not doubting what currently occurs as that's what caused me to post in the first place. My issue is with the "why?" and whether or not there is a quality way around it. I mean, what if I never sync my apps, will it perpetually remove them from my phone?

Best

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Answer 5

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,365 points

Nov 7, 2009 8:25 AM in response to simplecoder

The iphone will only have what is selected by checking the box. If you uncheck the box, the content will not be on the iphone.

Why would you want to uncheck? What is to be gained by doing this?

There is not a way around this, this is the way it works.

I don't understand why you would want to uncheck.

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Answer 6

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Nov 7, 2009 8:36 AM in response to simplecoder

Definition of syncing:

iphone/iPod Syncing is employed when users want to add or remove content - songs, albums, movies, TV shows, podcasts, etc. - to their iPod/iphone. It is used to synchronize (thus the term sync) the contents of the iTunes library on the computer and the iPod/iphone library on the device.

This is the conduit chosen by apple to add or remove content on the iphone, by design, manufacture & software implementation.

You can provide feedback to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

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Answer 7

simplecoder Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 7, 2009 8:40 AM in response to simplecoder

Several reasons really:

1) I just got the iPhone and I'm constantly swapping apps so the application syncs are more time consuming than useful.

2) From a software purist's standpoint, unchecking "Sync Apps" means just that -- stop syncing. It doesn't mean delete everything one last time then stop syncing.

Again, I'm not disputing what happens. It's obviously happening. I'm sure there is some reason they do this -- perhaps for "legit" business reasons, perhaps for hackers. In either case, it's annoying. I simply want the option to quit tracking without affecting my apps. Surely there is some plist somewhere that can be edited. I'll continue looking, but if anyone has any helpful input, I'm all ears.

Best.

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