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User profile for user: Sehend
Sehend Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Keeping purchased apps between transfers of phones and apple ids

I recently got a new iPhone and noticed that many of the apps i had downloaded weren’t “remembered” as previous downloads. When I checked out the problem remembered that i had switched between a couple apple id’s throughout 3 iPhones. Doing a back up as usual wouldn't fix the problem entirely, since I'd get into the problem of getting notified that the specific app is downloaded with another apple id. This causes some barriers some times. I would just re-download the apps, but the real problems are the paid apps. Since the apps doesn’t show up as previous purchases id have to pay for them again…

How can i not pay for the apps a second time, whilst being able to re-download them?

iPhone XS Max, iOS 14

Posted on Nov 22, 2021 12:55 PM

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User profile for user: Michael Black
Michael Black
User level: Level 10
80,274 points

Posted on Nov 22, 2021 1:10 PM

You cannot. Purchases are permanently tied to the AppleID used when making the purchase. Purchases cannot be transferred between AppleIDs. Your only real permanent fix would be to re-purchase those apps under whichever AppleID you wish to use.

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User profile for user: Michael Black
Michael Black
User level: Level 10
80,274 points

Nov 23, 2021 7:10 AM in response to Sehend

That won’t allow you to download them for free. The AppleID is the identifier tied to the software license. To get those for-fee apps on another AppleID you will have to pay for them again. The purchased license cannot be transferred to another AppleID.


And you cannot alter the purchase history if an AppleID, so there is no point in logging into the other AppleID just to delete those apps off your device. You can just do that now while logged in with the current AppleID. Just delete the apps, then open the App Store and purchase them again but now logged in with the current AppleID you wish to use.

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Keeping purchased apps between transfers of phones and apple ids

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