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What does this iOS software update warning mean?

I'm trying to update the iOS software on my iphone 5 and I keep getting this warning:

There are purchased items on the iPhone “Penfold” that have not been transferred to your iTunes library. You should transfer these items to your iTunes library before updating this iPhone. Are you sure you want to continue?


I have synced 5 times. I have checked in iTunes for all possible downloads. I don't know what else to do, and I don't want to lose any items I've purchased... especially not knowing what those items might be. Any suggestions?

Mac App Store

Posted on Oct 10, 2013 8:44 PM

Reply
5 replies

Feb 26, 2014 2:28 PM in response to minimacmomma

This is an idiotic design choice on Apple's part. Transferring purchases should be the same as syncing and should not be a separate menu item to begin with. Not only did they fail at this, but they also buried the 'transfer purchases' deep inside the File... menu.


People have been comlaining about getting confused by this warning message for years, and Apple has paid zero attention to it.


I first installed iTunes in 2001 and was horrified about how bad this software was. It is now 2014, and iTunes is still the same gigantic steaming pile of crap as it was 13 years ago.

Feb 26, 2014 2:53 PM in response to Ralph9430

You just repeated what I said. iTunes syncing does not include transfering purchases, and that's the very design flaw I was describing. Over in the sane part of the Universe, syncing means transferring stuff to and from both devices so that both are synced.


It just dawned upon me that iTunes syncing was designed around the DRM restrictions dictated by the record labels back in the 20th century, which is why Apple is still not allowing moving stuff back and forth between devices.


Hoping for a solution here is hopeless unless Apple rewrites its DRM policy, which is ... well, also hopeless.

What does this iOS software update warning mean?

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