iTunes 12.7: .ipa files (app files)

See the Manually add items from your computer section of Manually manage content on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iTunes - Apple Support. This can be used to copy apps, books, and tones from your computer to your device. The File Sharing feature for copying data between apps and the computer is still there.

You cannot download new apps to your computer, or update those you have. 32-bit apps won't work with iOS 11. There is probably no point in keeping your collection of .ipa files. I probably will because I'm a hoarder, but I haven't used iTunes for app management in ages, even if I've kept on updating the apps on my computer. My iOS devices are set to update automatically, which they do when they are charging, on Wi-Fi, and not busy. Or I can trigger the update myself. All of my past purchases are available to redownload directly to the device from the App Store.

tt2

For those that are running iTunes 12.7 and want to downgrade to a version of iTunes that supports app management see Deploy apps in a business environment with iTunes - Apple Support for a copy of iTunes 12.6.3 which will install properly over the top of iTunes 12.7 on a Mac, or after you've uninstalled the main iTunes application on Windows. You will still need to copy in your pre-iTunes 12.7 database from the Previous iTunes Libraries folder and rename it as iTunes Library.itl, and perhaps fix up any iTunes U content, but at least it makes downgrading iTunes somewhat easier than before.

tt2

Hello 1313mma!

I would be glad to help you. Yes, you can delete the ".ipa" files, if u no longer need them. But, if you frequently connect your apple devices to your mac and perform a clean up regularly, then I would recommend you to keep those ".ipa" files as it would save your time downloading them again and again. You can delete those files if you have a really fast internet connection with unlimited FUP limit, then you can delete them.

Have a good day.🙂

Greeting from

EssKayTech

Hey poqwpoqwpo,

I would be glad to help you today. Yes, you're absolutely correct. iOS manages all those updates. So, if you feel those files are bulking up your storage, your can definitely delete them.

Have a good day.🙂🙂

Greeting from

EssKayTech

Yes, you can delete the entire Mobile Applications folder if you wish. If/when the time comes to restore an iTunes device backup the apps will be downloaded directly from the store. The only reason for keeping any .ipa files would be if you held an archive copy of an app that has been removed from the store (anyone remember Flappy Bird?) as they can still be dragged and dropped onto a device if necessary.

tt2

Many if not all old apps will stop working with the current and definitely the next version of iOS.

So unless you have a phone that cannot run the latest iOS, then the old apps are useless to you.

So delete them to save space.

would you please help me as it seems you have the knowledge about this.

how can I put the apps from my laptop in my iphone again ?

how can i keep them updated ?

as you know sometimes i remove the app from my phone but after a while i drag it again through itunes while i am sure that it is the latest ver as i keep updating all the apps through itunes.

another thing which is more cleaner and storage wise better to update the app through the itunes and after finishing the update do the Syc or to update them directly on the phone ?

thanks in advance

hussan

So it looks like Apple is pushing for a best practice of:

1) Keeping your app's data on iCloud where it can be shared with apps on Mac OS. Alternatively, you can also store data on DropBox and share it with Mac OS and Windows Apps which support DropBox.

2) Downloading iOS apps only on iOS devices. Avoid managing them on the Mac. iOS devices are now just as powerful as Macs. So it makes sense for them to manage their own apps.

After all these years, my Mobile Applications folder since 2008 has accumulated 34 Gigabytes of apps. That is a lot of wasted disk space that I gained back when I trashed the folder.

It has become easier to simply update apps on my iPhone than to synchronize it with the Mac to update the apps. And I had noticed how much space the apps took up on my Mac. There they have no use other than to take up space.

Organizing the apps on the iPhone was difficult on iTunes. So this was eliminated.

The main downside of the change:

1) It is more difficult to find apps on the iPhone than on iTunes. The small screen makes it harder to see multiple apps at the same time so you can make a choice.

2) The small screen makes it more difficult to write reviews of apps.

Hopefully this is improved in the future. For example, if the app discovery, descriptions, review entries and search of apps can also be accessible on the web on larger screen Macs and PCs.

I'm sure there are some who have preferred organizing apps on the larger screen of a computer, and there is no way to reorder whole pages directly on the device, but yes I think it is another step towards making iOS devices independent of iTunes, while trying to ensure that data lives in the cloud so it is available on all compatible devices, and on replacement devices for those that haven't embraced backing up.

tt2

It was already possible to manage apps just by using iPhone. Why removing the possibility to do it by iTunes on a computer ? Some (I) would prefer it, big screen, real keyboard, really convenient to organize, to research new apps. To deal with several devices (iPhone, iPad, etc...) and different accounts in different countries was also much, much easier.

Just another downgrade 😤

Any .ipa files already on your computer when you installed iTunes 12.7 should still be there. You are at liberty to add them to any compatible device using iTunes and a drag and drop operation from Windows Explorer or Finder. iTunes 12.7 doesn't provide a way to browse the app store for new apps, but it does support adding apps to a device, and it supports the iTunes File Sharing mechanism for moving data between computer and device.

iTunes 12.7 has different support for apps. Apple sticking to their "think different" theme I guess. 😕

tt2

I just wanted to add to this because I was having trouble with it: while there is no "Apps" folder any longer, you can copy .ipa files to any of the folders listed on the device summary (I just used Music and the app showed up on my main iPhone screen). If drag-and-drop is not working, trying copying the file with CTRL+C and then pasting into iTunes with CTRL+V.

There is a bigger issue than ease: the problem is those of us "hoarders" who keep our older iPads and iPhones when buying new ones, is that where once, we only had to download each app (or update) once, we now have to do it over and over, once per iOS device. I am currently lucky, in that I have fast (80Mb/s) uncapped broadband, but if I move house, I might have as little as 3Mb/s, and/or a monthly data cap. And with 1 iPod Touch, 3 iPhones and 4 iPads to contend with, that is a LOT of extra downloading to handle.

Even if Apps are gone from iTunes forever more, I wish Apple would supply a Mac-based iOS App Manager utility. The could start, simply by compiling the code they've just removed from iTunes, into a new program!

Brian

Hmm ... configurator looks slightly different than what I had in mind. I simply want something which downloads latest versions of the .ipa files I have bought (like the old check for updates in iTunes pre-12.7), and then syncs them when I connect my devices.

Brian

I'd have preferred they pulled the old hide it and explain that you really don't need this old feature, but here's how to get it back if you really insist approach. But we are where we are. Configurator fits the bill, even if it is obviously nowhere near as simple and intuitive as iTunes. I've yet to play with it, I just know it is there.

tt2