Why does iPad remove apps automatically?

Question

Level 1

5 points

Why does iPad remove apps automatically?

I synced with my macbook pro so I could import some photos to iPad and iPad imported all my apps, then REMOVED them from iPad, even though sync apps was not checked. What gives? Do I have to worry about erased apps every time I sync with iPad?

ipad, Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Apr 5, 2010 7:12 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 6, 2010 2:24 AM in response to eddymike

Not at all - the iPad will only remove Apps when you choose to do so, or when you sync with a new computer. Was this the first time you synced with that computer ?

You can download to the computer again for free and as long as they are on the computer the sync process will not delete them.

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Answer 2

DaddyMom

Level 1

0 points

May 5, 2010 9:15 AM in response to Graham Outterside

Actually, Graham, iTunes just removed many of my apps (including Pages/Keynote/Numbers) even though I hadn't made any changes to iTunes. It's as if iTunes forgot that I'd put them on there and removed them. As I watched them being removed, I had the presence of mind to snap screen shots of the app panes before they were all gone.

Now, they're all off the iPad. They're not in the window where I can select to put them back on. BUT, they show up in my iTunes App Library.

When I first installed the iPad, iTunes did the same thing to my iPhone apps. I had to go back and download them all over again and reinstall them on the phone.

What gives??

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Answer 3

Ertbor

Level 1

0 points

May 14, 2010 8:40 PM in response to eddymike

I too found that some apps had mysteriously disappeared since I synced this morning. For example, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iBooks, Plants v. Zombies, and all my news and entertainment apps have disappeared. I still have some, like News Rack, Instapaper, Simplenote, and a few others. What makes this bad is the fact that some of the apps that disappeared have data that been created by, and were stored, with them. My guess is that these data are lost. Is there a possibility that there's a backup in iTunes and if so, should I try a restore from backup rather than re-syncing?

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Answer 4

Jun 4, 2010 12:48 PM in response to Ertbor

I had this exact same problem today. Last night all of my apps were on my iPad. After I synced it this morning Pages, Keynote, Numbers and some other paid apps had disappeared. I did not intentionally delete them and I know that I did not inadvertently do a restore because not all of my downloaded apps were gone. I would like to know why this happened.

I was able to restore the apps by syncing my iPad, but the documents associated with them were gone.

Bob

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Answer 5

Jun 4, 2010 1:55 PM in response to eddymike

Same thing with my wife's iPad. Loaded some photo's and "poof" apps and IBooks gone !!! I will look in iTunes tonight and I hope we can recover the >20 apps and the associated data.

Is this a bug in the iPad or iTunes ?

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Answer 6

jenhi

Level 1

6 points

Jun 4, 2010 8:18 PM in response to chino rider

Seems to be a common bug being reported:
intermittent mis-identification of iPad as iPhone, causing sync to wipe out all iPad apps

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2431865&tstart=15
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2437571&tstart=15

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Answer 7

Jun 9, 2010 9:59 AM in response to eddymike

At the risk of adding a me too post - I just had the same thing happen! Many apps deleted, disconnected the ipad and reconnected it, and now all the apps are being reinstalled. I fear that I will have to arrange them on to pages once again, and any data in the programs will be lost - time will tell! BIG BUG!

The offending sync occurred when I connected my ipad to the Mac and powered up - So the sync happened first thing - my fear is that itunes was not fully up to speed yet.

============================================================

Sync complete - the good news is that apps are in the position they were in prior to the mishap - the bad news is that internal app data is lost!

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Answer 8

Jun 13, 2010 4:38 PM in response to eddymike

Same thing just happened to me. I bought a new app from iTunes and when it sync'd the iPad it removed all apps. This included pages etc. Now have lost all data. I checked the settings for the iPad in iTunes and the box for syncing apps is not not checked..... I know I didn't uncheck it and I've been using the iPad and syncing up since it released. Recheck the sync apps checkbox and all the apps are there. All the data is gone. I'm very unhappy....

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Answer 9

OKPam

Level 1

0 points

Sep 6, 2010 12:08 PM in response to eddymike

This is frustrating to someone brand new to an iPad and Apple products. I had spent a bunch of time putting a paper Christmas list into an app - and POOF - my app and data are gone in my first synch. Had no idea it would do this. App back. Data gone. In tears. I don't have time to waste. Needless to say, I will do some additional reading before putting data on my iPad.

My paper system in my DayRunner has worked well for years!

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Answer 10

Jan 16, 2011 7:29 PM in response to eddymike

all I did was try to transfer 2 photos to my ipad and now half my apps are gone. lucky i stopped the "sync" before it erased everything. Have to re-download them all. Never plugging this thing into my computer again. ***.

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Answer 11

rztoler

Level 1

8 points

Oct 8, 2011 10:43 AM in response to eddymike

I was trying to update the iPad's iOS, but the system asks me to basicly erase my iPad content before hand, what? After searching and reading this is what ended up working for me.

1. I have my iTunes on my Mac set NOT to automaticlly update content when I connect devices. This way I can connect my iPad without anything automaticlly happening without my permission. I did this in the beginning before buying music, apps, etc. This might have helped this solution, or it may have not matter, just trying to be detailed.

2. Once iPad is connected and setting idle go to iTunes on your computer. Open "File" in the top tool bar... Look down the list near the end and you should see under "Sync iPod". something like "Transfer Purchases from iPad"

3. Clicking on this allows the Mac to download the apps, music, books, etc off your iPad with no deletions or confusion.

Hopefully that helped... Until the iCloud is available I'd watch your automatic sync settings, like leave them off and manuall do it... It's not that difficult.

Make it a good one.

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Answer 12

CPUNeck

Level 1

0 points

Oct 13, 2011 5:29 PM in response to eddymike

What a shame, a bug identified in April of 10' is still present. Being a Linux user, I thought I'd try an IPad for a change. After the learning cure, I liked it enough to use it in lieu of my tablet...FAIL. So I've been using some apps regularly, adding data and never connected it to a "Windows" PC, I don't own one. The IPad is an appliance so it shouldn't need another computer to function. Today I loaded up a windows VM so I could upgrade the OS and OMG, it just wiped all my app data. I am computer savvy and followed the ITunes prompts believing it to be intuitive. Without warning, it tore off and destroyed my data, history never to be recovered.

If following the prompts and direction of the ITunes software, OE MFG of the IPad. If their information is wrong, who has the "right" answer to retaining the data stored for the apps that are purchased. I'm not sure this platform can be trusted with more than games, as mission critical data is in peril. Open to help if I'm the cause of this disaster.

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Answer 13

rztoler

Level 1

8 points

Oct 13, 2011 5:43 PM in response to CPUNeck

CPUNeck,

I really think this issue has to do with the automatic sync options. I have turned all my automatic options off and have never had this happen... A prompt pops-up and clearly warns me that everything will be removed if I continue... Like I posted above, go to "File" in your iTunes toolbar and select "Transfer Purchases from iPad." This backed up my apps, music, movies, etc.

I've used Linux and DOS OSs for years as well... Though this issue is something that needs immediate attention from Apple, it's one of the only issues I have with their products. Compared to the others Apple (UNIX) is the clear winner in the big picture... Call me when one is perfect, lol!

Make it a great one!

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Answer 14

Oct 16, 2011 12:16 PM in response to rztoler

I still think that this behavior does not speak for Apple. Apple wants to be different. Since the user should have full control and a backup should be a backup - with all the data the way they were just for backup. Are not all the apps with the user data in the backup or? In my case the backup has run six steps and then were deleted many apps on the iPad second I could play those apps back to the iPad, but the content on IPIN and other apps are lost? If these contents somewhere or are they really lost?

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Answer 15

Oct 24, 2011 7:36 PM in response to eddymike

I had the same problem, just with Pages! I lost 2 months work with this! HOW APPLE WILL HELP ME??? And I have to buy it back! Where are my files? This is not the first time I have sync it. It happens when I was trying to take de ios5. 2 months work!!! How can I get back may files??????

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