App Disappeared After Update

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Level 1

8 points

App Disappeared After Update

I upgraded my 5S to a 6S today, and after backing up my phone to my computer, as I did with all previous incarnations of the iPhone before, I restored from backup to find that all my apps were in the "need to be downloaded" state. They, for the most part, downloaded fine and the apps that I had purposefully not updated stayed at their previous versions. However, I have an app I use often that is no longer offered on the App Store, and when I clicked on it, it disappeared.

Restoring the iPhone from backup again just makes the app reappear in a "need to be downloaded" state, and makes it disappear once again when I tap it. How can I get it back?

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jun 12, 2016 7:00 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,339 points

Jun 12, 2016 7:16 PM in response to montymio

With the newer iOS, a feature called "app thinning" does not automatically add apps downloaded on the iOS device to the iTunes library. Also, they are not included in the backup. Because of this, and unless you specifically updated the app in your iTunes library, it will not restore from the backup. Was this an iTunes or iCloud backup? You can check with the app developer to find out why this is no longer in the App Store, and see if a version is available. You can also try this support document for information on finding compatible versions of apps. Install an app on an earlier version of iOS or OS X - Apple Support

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Answer 2

montymio Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 12, 2016 7:19 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

This was an iTunes backup. The important information on the app for me was the locally stored information - which has always been preserved in the back-ups for the past 5 years I've had this app. Is there no way of getting this back?

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Answer 3

Malignance

Level 5

4,511 points

Jun 12, 2016 7:24 PM in response to montymio

If the app has been pulled from the App Store you won't be able to redownload it. However, if you have the app saved on your Mac or PC than you could sync the app to your iPhone usings iTunes.

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Answer 4

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,339 points

Jun 12, 2016 7:25 PM in response to montymio

Not knowing the app, I'm not sure that you could access the data from the app without using the app itself. That would be a question only the app developer could answer. Not all developers save data in the backup, it is saved within the app itself. If the app is gone, it is possible the data is gone as well. Again, that is a question only the app developer could answer.

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