Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I've had this issue, since updating to iOS 9 GM-candidate, and the last version of iTunes, and it persists now to iOS 9.0 and iTunes 12.3.0.44 (today's updates).
Clicking 'File->Devices->Transfer purchases (etc...)' does nothing.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
I'm trying to back up a couple apps to my iMac, as they have been taken off the iTunes store, and I would like to keep a backup.
I understood the part about apps downloaded to your iOS device are no longer available to the 'Transfer Purchases' function in iTunes as apps downloaded directly to the device are slimmed down versions specific to the type of iOS device to which it was downloaded.
So I thought a workaround to this was to download apps and app updates using iTunes as these shouldn't be slimmed down for any specific device type. This downloads the full size app that can then be installed to whichever iOS device you may have that this compatible with the app. I have a few devices: a couple of iPads, an iPhone and an iPod Touch, so if I can download apps to iTunes, then install to my devices from there, this would save me from having to download the same app 4 times. One example: Microsoft Word is close to 250MB. If I can't install updates for this using iTunes, then it would be a 1GB download for me.
At first it seemed this didn't work. I downloaded an update for an app in iTunes on my MacBook, then plugged in my iPhone and got the phone synced. After this sync, the App Store on my iPhone still showed the same update available for this app. But after closing and reopening the App Store it no longer showed an update available. Opening the app and checking its version also confirmed that it was the same version as the one available in my iTunes library. What was misleading was that upon plugging in my iPhone and opening the Apps tab, previously it would show 'Update' as one action available next to an app if the app in the library was a more recent version than installed in the phone.
Yes buddy! It is not a bug, but it is the major change in iOS version.
If you are on iOS 7 then it will work, because iOS 7 will not support to latest iTunes version.
The better way is to download the new app or updates on your iTunes and then transfer it to your iPhone.
I hope this information will help you.
Transfer Purchases no longer working
