How can I move the mobile applications folder

As far as I am aware you can't change the location of the mobile applications folder. Generally the best way to move any of your iTunes media around is with iTunes itself, via Consolidate Library, and it seems that Apple has, for whatever reason, not allowed apps to be 'consolidated'. Long story short, if you try to move the Mobile Applications folder things will get messy before long. iTunes wants it in the same place as the iTunes Music Library.xml file, and that's where it's best to keep it. Luckily it doesn't take up too much space, so for most people it's not an issue.

Actually, I have to make a revision to that. If you properly consolidate your iTunes library then iTunes will copy your Mobile Applications folder to the new iTunes Media folder, but many people, myself included, have run into issues where duplicate copies of apps appear, and where some apps appear in one, but not the other, or both Mobile Applications folders (the old and the new). I'm not up to date with the latest changes in iTunes, but my advice would be to leave the Mobile Applications folder where it is. From the front end, things should run perfectly smoothly.

iLounge has a very good guide on moving/managing your iTunes library if you want more information.

Ah, I see your problem. Well, if you're willing to take the risk you could try the following.

• iTunes > Preferences > Advanced -> Ensure that the iTunes media folder is located where you want it, and that "Keep iTunes Media folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding..." are checked.
• File > Library > Organize Library -> Check "Consolidate Files" and "Reorganize files..." (if not greyed out) and press OK.
• Once it's finished copying and organising, right click an app icon (from within iTunes) and select "Get Info" > Summary to find out where the app file is located. Do the same for a few other apps.
  • If they're where you want them to be (on your other disk) then find the original iTunes Media folder and delete the "Mobile Applications" folder in it (there's a chance that it may be in the same folder as the iTunes Media folder, rather than inside it). I strongly recommend that you back up "Mobile Applications" before you do this, just in case (hold onto the backup for a couple of weeks, until you're happy that everything's going as it should).
  • If they're not where you want them, then I'm afraid you'll have to wait for someone more knowledgable than myself to help you.
• Assuming everything went well, Download a free app and use the "Get Info" window to make sure that it was saved in the right place.

Funnily enough I had to transfer my iTunes library to another disk today and to my surprise my "Mobile Applications" folder was transferred seamlessly. Perhaps Apple have changed iTunes' behaviour in this regard.

Eyal Shahar wrote:

I moved the media folder but can't find a way to move all my installed applications to a new (local) disk drive and to change its default location so future applications will be installed there.

INstead of moving just th emedia folder, move the entire /iTunes/ folder, hold Shift, launch iTunes, select Choose library and select the iTunes folder in the location you moved it to.

Just a quick note to say this worked wonders for me. Just make sure to hold shift and launch iTunes (NOT the iTunes Shortcut). Once I choose the library in the folder I moved it to everything was back to the way it was.

Thanks Chris CA, I've been wondering how to do this myself. Worked a treat! 🙂

Many thanks for this tip Chris. Very useful.

For anyone struggling to get this to work the modifier key required is the Command Key (not the Shift key). Also known as the Apple key on older keyboards

Stuart

stuartfletcheruk wrote:

Many thanks for this tip Chris. Very useful.

For anyone struggling to get this to work the modifier key required is the Command Key (not the Shift key).

Yes it is the Shift key for Windows.

This is the iTunes for Windows forum and everyone else posting in this topic is using Windows.

And for Macs, hold the the Option key when launching iTunes, not the Command/Apple key.

Apologies Chris and thanks for the clarification. I am on a Mac Pro with an old keyboard and was confusing my Alt and Command keys

I can confirm Option/Alt key

Stuart

No worries here.

I am on a Mac Pro with an old keyboard and was confusing my Alt and Command keys

I can confirm Command/Alt key

Now I'm confused? Command/Alt key?

(ya got me there. Went and changed it on me... 😁)

You are quick. I corrected the post within 5 seconds!

I must concentrate and not do three things at once. You wouldn't believe I have been a Mac user for almost 20 year from my posts today!

This comes a bit late and might sound a bit cheap, but... I've been looking for the same answer some time, my app folder consisted of around 35Gb, meaning that in my 400€ - 256Gb SSD it costed around 54€, doomed to increase... after looking for a way out, I asked myself a stupid question: what the **** do I need the apps on my computer for??

They're always cloud accessible, they are available for re-download everytime you need them, why keep a copy on the hard drive??

So, I simply deleted all of them.. now, I see how this might sound a bit too obvious, but since it took me some time to realize it, I wonder if this option would be a good one to some of you too...

See ya!

I don't like the sound of the "Consolidate Files" and "Reorganize files..." solution, my media folder is shared with other apps so I don't want iTunes reorganising it.

Since I connected a new iPad mini to my server where iTunes is running, iTunes has started filling up the small C: drive on this computer by placing large files in :

\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

and

\Documents and Settings\<user>\My Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications

Surely there should be an option in iTunes to specify what folder to use for these files!!

I read about a solution using mklink to redirect the Backup folder to another drive, will this solution work for Mobile Applications too?

Help!

What if I just delete the files from the Mobile Applications folder? I don't need/want these backed up. If I delete them from My Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications will that cause them to be removed from the iPad too? Or will iTunes just restore them again?