itunes app updates locations

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Dano330 Author

Level 1

10 points

itunes app updates locations

OK - I am completely lost on the locations of my apps and updates on my iPhone and iTunes.

I always download apps on my iMac / iTunes store.

Sometimes the apps update will show up on iTunes/iMac & I just hit update all and then sync the iPhone.

Other times the app updates show up on my iPhone under the App Store App.

Often, they are not synchronized in that if I update an App on iTunes/iMac the same app won't be updated on my iPhone,

Instead I have to update it on the iPhone independently.

I have done File>Devices>Transfer Purchase from "iPhone" many times

I don't have fast internet so I can't be downloading the same update 6 times!

(3 iphones, 2 ipads, 1 iMac)

I never used to have this problem until iOs 9

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Apr 26, 2016 1:39 PM

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Answer 1

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Apr 27, 2016 12:28 AM in response to Dano330

Apps won't copy back via Transfer Purchases from an iOS device that's on iOS 9+, a developer feature called 'app thinning' was introduced in iOS 9 that allows only what is needed by an app on a particular device to be downloaded onto that device (so you may have the 'complete' app on a phone or iPad). I tend to download updates on my Mac's iTunes, and then select which updates to sync over to each device

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Answer 2

Dano330 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 27, 2016 12:06 PM in response to King_Penguin

I tend to download updates on my Mac's iTunes, and then select which updates to sync over to each device

That's what I am trying to do, but somehow it loses that & the update only shows up on the devices-

then I have to update 4-6 times, instead of once (then sync over the lightning connection)

Trying to figure out how this is a 'good thing'

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Answer 3

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Apr 27, 2016 12:41 PM in response to Dano330

So the steps that you are doing are :

- downloading the updates on your Mac's iTunes

- connecting a device and selecting its Apps tab

- going through the listbox of apps, clicking the Update button (so that it changes to Will Update) against those that you want to update on the device

- clicking Apply at the bottom right of that screen to copy those updates over to the device

Does that appear to then do anything, does the box at the top middle of the iTunes screen imply that it's copying those updates over to the device ?

After doing that, on the device that I'm updating, if I had the Updates tab open in its App Store app, I have to exit the App Store app and go back into it for the Updates tab to refresh and recognise that I've done the updates.

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Answer 4

Dano330 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 27, 2016 1:40 PM in response to King_Penguin

Here is what I do - (Every Sunday)

Launch iTunes

Click on (script) A in upper left row

Click on Updates tab in middle of row

Click on Update All box in lower right

(do this for 3 IDs mine, hers, ours)

Connect device1 - sync manually

disconnect device 1 - see # apps in app store still need updating in App Store upon device

(often the same I just updated in iTunes, sometimes apps that are in iTunes but didn't require updating

Update apps over wireless through App Store update

Repeat for N devices, even if it is the SAME APP

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Answer 5

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Apr 27, 2016 1:53 PM in response to Dano330

Connect device1 - sync manually

Does that mean that you connect and select the device, you are then selecting the device's Apps tab, and in the listbox of apps you clicking on the Update button next to each app that you want to install the update for, and then clicking Apply to copy that selection over to the device ?

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Answer 6

Dano330 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 27, 2016 2:04 PM in response to King_Penguin

No - in the past just syncing (after updating apps in iTunes) would load those updated apps on to each device.

I know what you mean - after connecting a device, then clicking on the device, symbol, at the top left, then clocking on the script A on the left column, then scrolling down the icons in the middle widow, the buttons of SOME apps say UPDATE - I have to click on each and everyone of those separately, and I see no way to sort by status to make sure I am updating all the apps.

But that still means I have to download the same update over and over again for EACH device when is connected.

I have only a 3MB/s connection, so some weekends, I am spending all weekend updating apps!

Why do some apps show up as needing updates in iTunes (with no device connected) and then sync the app on the device when connected, and other apps require multiple updates, even if it is shown on iTunes as having the latest version?

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Answer 7

Dano330 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 27, 2016 2:12 PM in response to Dano330

OK - here is one - Key Ring is showing on my iPhone/App Store as needing updating.

On iTunes with or with out the device connected it does not show as needing updating (in either location).

Apparently the only was to update is on the iPhone for the 3rd time today!

(once on iTunes, once on my iPad - I haven't even checked my wife's iPad/iPhone)

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Answer 8

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Apr 28, 2016 12:09 AM in response to Dano330

But that still means I have to download the same update over and over again for EACH device when is connected.

Why does it ? I download an update once on my Mac's iTunes, and when I connect my iPad I can click the Update button next to the app on the device's Apps tab and copy it over to the device (and similarly for my iPhone and iPod Touch) :

The app is only downloaded from the store once, the Update button, as shown above, is used to decide whether to copy the updated version of the app from the My Apps section of that iTunes library to that device, it's not downloading it from the store for each device.

Why do some apps show up as needing updates in iTunes (with no device connected)

This is in the My Apps section of your Mac's iTunes library ? They will show as having updates available if you haven't got the currently version in My Apps, that part of your iTunes doesn't know anything about any iOS devices that you have, it's only looking at whether what you have in My Apps is up-to-date.

... and other apps require multiple updates, even if it is shown on iTunes as having the latest version

Is that the above, for copying app updates to devices ?

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Answer 9

Dano330 Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 30, 2016 4:55 AM in response to King_Penguin

Yes, the above is one of the locations - as well as the original iTunes location shown here.

So I click on Update All Apps in this screen:

After several hours all of the updates are downloaded,

(1) Old way (last year, before iOs 9, I guess)

Connect devices & sync - all apps on device are updated.

(2) New way (after iOs 9, I guess)

Connect device - In your screen, and search one by one for a button, that says "Update" & click on it.

(Can you sort so all the needed Updates are in one area?)

Click on update - Changes to "Will Update"

Click on sync -

Dialog in iTunes changes to "Downloading App A" then to "Copying App A"

Then "Downloading App B" then to "Copying App B"

(Which takes as long as the original download)

Do this for each device. Each and every device requires re-doing step 2 for each and every updated App!

Literally, it takes all weekend to update my devices on a 3 MB/s connection.

(Or at least 2-3 hours on each Sat/Sun)

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