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iTunes will not let me sync apps to my iPhone because it says I am not authorized on this computer, however my account is authorized!?

When I try syncing my apps onto my phone I get the message:" The app(s) were not installed on the iPhone because you are not authorized for it on this computer. To authorize this computer for items purchased from the iTunes storem, choose Store > Authorize this computer. "



So I went ahead and did what the message said and this is the message I get after I try to authorize: " this computer is already authorized. Including this one, you have authorized one computer of your available 5."



So its telling me to authorize my account on this computer but yet its already authorized! I'm really fustrated. I just updated my computer software and the iphone soft ware, so maybe this is a bug in the new software?


Can someone please help me, cause this is really fustrating!


I've restarted itunes, I've restarted my phone, and I have restarted my computer and I still get the same problem!

iPhone 4, iOS 5

Posted on Oct 14, 2011 9:09 PM

Reply
69 replies

Jul 7, 2012 8:26 PM in response to itsTiffanny

Hi,


I know you wrote you can't sync apps but I had the same problem syncing TV shows from my mac to my ipod and this solution was suggested by another member and it worked. Maybe it is a similar issue for apps in that the file name must be changed?


One workarwound is to do the following:


1. Remove the digital content from iTunes (but keep the files)

2. Rename all .m4v files to .mp4 files

3. Add the files back to iTunes


--->>> I just went into my Harddrive -> Music -> TV shows and changed the endign to .mp4 -> synced again (i.e. I didn't remove the files from itunes at all) and then they were all there.


Thought maybe this could be a clue for someone clever to figure out the issue with syncing apps?


Good luck!

Jul 7, 2012 8:31 PM in response to nscollins

Hi,


this worked for me when I got the same error trying to sync tv shows from iTunes to my ipod touch:


I went into my Harddrive -> Music -> TV shows and renamed all .m4v files to .mp4 files -> synced again and then they were all there. Worked like a charm.


The original post I found said to do this:


1. Remove the digital content from iTunes (but keep the files) -->> I didn't remove anything though, I just renamed them and then they synced the next time

2. Rename all .m4v files to .mp4 files

3. Add the files back to iTunes


Good luck!

Jul 21, 2012 11:09 AM in response to itsTiffanny

Same Problem here...

New installation of windows7 32bit, new Installation of iTunes newest version....

iTunes sign in with my appleid xxxx@web.de > computer activated

Downloaded all purchased apps to pc.


Connected my iPhone to iTunes , sync app, computer need to be activated....


Same apps on iPhone as on pc, all solution suggested here and found trough google not working ....


Does anybody can help me please ?

Oct 27, 2012 7:55 AM in response to itsTiffanny

I have had this problem and I'm not sure if it's exactly the same but Apple needs to fix it because it's extremely annoying and very difficult to solve.


Here is the message I got today when trying to synch my iPhone:

"The app "Mines Free" was not installed on the iPhone <my Device Name> becasue you are not authorized for it on this computer. To authorize this computer for items purchased from the iTunes store, choose Store > Authorize This Computer."


Well, guess what... this has NOTHING to do with the authorization of my computer or phone device. It's simply that the app with this name is no longer on the iTunes store. I guess the developer of the game must have deleted it or renamed it or something.


This has happened to me before with another app, and I even called Apple and nobody could help me. I figured it out myself.


Apple, please change this message to "This app is no longer in iTunes" or something similar, so we all don't think our devices and computers have authorization problems!!!!


thanks.

Feb 26, 2013 11:20 PM in response to itsTiffanny

So I just fixed my problem - unfortunately it requires the old Apple ID you used to make all the purchases...


When I plugged my iPhone 5 for the first time into my new Macbook Pro (running on OS X 10.8.2), i was asked to authorize. I used my new Apple ID, i decided I needed my own apple id because my familys phones were all tied together under our old ID and we were all losing our contacts and information.


It authorized under my new one. Then my phone actually began syncing, and I was told that "This computer is no longer authorized for apps that are installed on the iPhone..." then something prompted me to sync again.


In that form I used the old ID i used to buy my music and apps. I had to deauthorize my old laptop because you can only authorize 5 computers with the same ID.


Now my phone is syncing!

Mar 30, 2013 10:51 AM in response to jhu55555

Same problem..but here is what I did which worked for me.


In this ORDER


  • Disconnect iPhone
  • Deauthorized computer in iTunes.
  • Signed out of App Store
  • Signed out of iTunes
  • Quit iTunes
  • Delete your iTunes preference file (User/Libarary/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist)
  • Open iTunes
  • Connect iPhone
  • Do a backup of iPhone to your Hard drive (this maybe not necessary but for what I needed I did it)
  • Sync


No problems after that about asking me to authorize apps.


Also. I've decided to just purchase apps on my phone only sync back to the computer. So I can basically stay logged out of itunes since I never buy any content from them anyway except apps. I just don't think Apple has done enough to stop these glitchy problems. I never know what is syncing now with what and in what direction.


NOTE: do not assume any cloud sync is a backup..it's only syncing to a cloud. If something goes wrong..it goes wrong everywhere instantaneously. There is no place in the cloud to ask.."please restore my addresses, notes or apps from this particular date". A REAL backup is that....a backup on another drive somewhere else out of Apple's hands.

iTunes will not let me sync apps to my iPhone because it says I am not authorized on this computer, however my account is authorized!?

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