Can't update because "there are purchased items that have not been transferred" to my iTunes library.

Question

Can't update because "there are purchased items that have not been transferred" to my iTunes library.

I have followed instructions seen in other threads.

Computer is authorized

File->Devices->Transfer Purchases

Ensure I have enough space on phone ( I'm not sure why this has anything to do with a transfer to my PC... ) have 50G available on phone.

The sync runs for a second, but doesn't seem to do anything.

Kind of funny that this issue goes back to 2012, and the UI hasn't been improved at all. I know Apple isn't the company I grew up with in the 80s, but it's still sad to see the failure that is iTunes.

Posted on Jan 24, 2024 5:42 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

the fiend

Level 7

22,434 points

Jan 26, 2024 11:56 PM in response to unlisted account

unlisted account wrote:

I don't sync my phone and my itunes library, I manage them independently.

In that case you can update your phone over Wi-Fi, without using iTunes.

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Answer 2

the fiend

Level 7

22,434 points

Jan 25, 2024 3:01 AM in response to unlisted account

I don't know whether you mean update your phone's software (the iOS) or update the music on your phone, but for the time being it may not matter.

I think perhaps what the message means is that you have purchased songs from the iTunes Store, using your phone and now you are trying to Sync your phone with your iTunes Library, but those purchases are not in the Library, which is what the message is trying to tell you.

Have you signed into the iTunes Store in your iTunes Library (the programme on your computer), using the same account ID as on your phone and then downloaded the purchases to it? As a minimum you need to sign into your account in your iTunes Library, which might allow iTunes to automatically download the purchases.

unlisted account wrote:

The sync runs for a second, but doesn't seem to do anything.

That may be because:

there is nothing to synchronise (unlikely) or
that you don't have Sync options set for the phone (have you synchronised the phone with this iTunes Library before now)
there was very little to synchronise and it all happened very quickly

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Answer 3

Jan 26, 2024 10:55 AM in response to the fiend

Thanks for replying. I am attempting to update the OS. I doubt I have any iTunes purchases, but perhaps there is an apple movie or something in there from the past.

"Have you signed into the iTunes Store in your iTunes Library (the programme on your computer), using the same account ID as on your phone and then downloaded the purchases to it?"

It says "No Downloads Available"

I don't sync my phone and my itunes library, I manage them independently.

Anyway, thanks for your help, I'm just going to update the OS. if I lose something I'll deal with it another time.

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Answer 4

Jan 27, 2024 1:00 PM in response to the fiend

Thank you. This is what I ended up doing without realizing it. iTunes was taking forever to download the update. I just unplugged it and 5 minutes later the update had downloaded.

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