iOS iTunes store: downloading previously purchased alert tones?

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Level 1

40 points

iOS iTunes store: downloading previously purchased alert tones?

Please pardon this post if it's in the wrong forum. I'm writing in with a question about the iOS version of the iTunes store and more specifically about downloading items purchased on one iOS device to another iOS device without having to buy them again. I've already submitted a suggestion for an improvement to the store via the feedback portion of the Apple site.

On to the question!

Exposition: I purchased a Star Trek alert tone on my iPhone 5 (running latest iOS) and wanted to download that same purcahsed alert tone onto my iPad2 (also latest iOS). I can't find the alert tone in the Purchased section of the iTunes store on the iPad. The Purchased section is apparently not searchable, and I don't see the alert tone listed under Recent Purchases, even though it is my most recent purchase. When I find the alert tone in the store proper, I can see it and I receive a message about having already purchased it. I am not given an option to download it from that screen.

The question is: what am I doing wrong here? Shoudn't I be able to download that previously purchased alert tone to my iPad?

Thanks in advance!

Posted on Aug 27, 2013 11:06 AM

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Answer 1

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,150 points

Aug 27, 2013 11:23 AM in response to Alex Hare

Ringtones (and audiobooks) are currently a one-time only download from the store. You should be able to copy it from your phone to your computer's iTunes via File > Devices > Transfer Purchases, which should copy it over to the Tones part of your iTunes library, and you can then sync it to your iPad.

Also other items are only re-downloadable whilst they remain in the store (the content providers occasionally remove them), so ideally you'd be keeping and maintaining your own backup of your downloads, and not relying on being able to re-download them.

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