how do I update iPhone apps with new iTunes 12.7?

I still own a iPhone 5s with Wi-Fi problem. The only way I can update my apps is thru iTunes else I will spend more money for data just to update my apps!...😟

Thank you. Great post. Even though logged in it will not allow me to hit helpful.

Well i found a very annoying workaround without leaving your home. But this requires to have a computer running macOS, any router that can broadcast a wifi network (AirPort Extreme in my case) and an ethernet thunderbolt adapter.

1. Create a wifi network on your router with name and password as usual, making sure it's using "DHCP" and "Bridge Mode".

2. Activate hotspot on IPhone with USB and Wifi.

3. Plug the IPhone via USB into your Mac. Activate "internet sharing" on it, make sure to select "Share your connection from: IPhone USB" and "To computers using: Thunderbolt Ethernet"

4. Plug your Mac using thunderbolt ethernet adapter to your router (RJ45 Cable).

5. On your IPhone now connect to your router wifi network and done 🙂 Moebius Ribbon Mode Engaged !

6. You can now download any apps that are over 100mb stupid limitation kind, but it's longer than usual, at least it works.

Please Apple put back the app tab ! Because i'm not doing this each time i want to do some app shopping, especially to find new games that usually are over 100mb. I don't want to go out each time at Starbucks or whatever to spend more money just to do that, especially if the shop is closed because it's too late

One other thing that everyone needs to be aware of once you update to 12.7 - I have an iPhone 6 - 64GB - according to iTunes 12.7, I have 40.32GB free - when I check the phone, I only have 27.3GB free - thats because iTunes is now ignoring apps.

Now we have to pay attention to our capacity on the phone

This is not a good move

We also find this frustrating.

We dont have unlimited downloads and with now 10 plus apple devices in the house, we would use up all our Mobile Download limits downloading updates (we have no Broadband other than Mobile Broadband)

We also have a Mac Server and liked the functionality to use the Proxy to download only once and then deploy to multiple devices. Surely this is a problem for multiple users like us.

What options exist.

Yes! thats it! You got it Gail!

The term Backed up should be "restored and "Copied OVER!!!! The apps are stored on the iTunes folder, and Copied Over back to the device! The "Back Ups contain a link to the folders......

But with those folders gone, or the devices only able to be accessing the App Store, we are only able to get a current version of the App. But if we restore Off-Line we were able to get the "linked Folder" App back on the devices from the folders!

And with this new version of iTunes, we can no longer do this.

According to Apple - Apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are now exclusively available in the new App Store for iOS.

Ridiculous feature given the inconsistency where it appears you have a Wifi connection but you don't actually have one. It's simply going to tear through user data doing it off your phone rather than the ability to go through a laptop or PC. Change it back because it's the dumbest update idea I've seen in a long time.

Mr. Grumpy wrote:

This is exactly the problem that Apple doesn't get. There are large swaths of this country which have limited data access. And OMG! They don't have a Starbucks! And certainly not one which will appreciate you downloading several hundred megabytes of data should you need to restore your phone. Oh, and let's not forget the inconvenience of driving many miles to find a "Starbucks". Apple is stuck in this coastal mentality that everyone has limitless, high speed, no BW restrictions On their WiFi. Well, I hate to burst their bubble, but that's NOT the case.

Oh, and did I mention that some of us don't want our stuff on "the cloud"?

So, not sure you are understanding how the removal of the app store is going to affect you. Are you indicting that you purchase all of your new apps via the App Store on your computer, and then you sync those apps to your device? If so, then the next question would be, do you purchase tons of apps on a regular basis? The removal of the iOS App Store from iTunes will require you to purchase and download new Apps OTA, so that is a change.

As far as updates go, are you indicating that you have been in the habit of applying App updates by syncing your device to iTunes on your computer? If so, then you will have to start updating them OTA as well.

Mr. Grumpy wrote:

And certainly not one which will appreciate you downloading several hundred megabytes of data should you need to restore your phone.

For awhile now, when restoring your device, whether via an iCloud backup or an iTunes backup, the apps themselves were being downloaded directly from the app store for the specific device being restored. So, that's nothing new. You can still backup and restore your device the same way you always have. Absolutely nothing about the way you restore your device, or the amount of downloading that will be done, has changed one iota.

Mr. Grumpy wrote:

Oh, and did I mention that some of us don't want our stuff on "the cloud"?

OK, so your stuff is not in "the cloud". If you are referring to the little cloud that appears next to iTunes Store purchases (music included) that have little clouds next to them, that is a symbol for iTunes in Cloud. And all that means is that you have a link to a particular purchased item in iTunes Store which allows you to download that item as many times as you want to because you have purchased it. If it is already downloaded to the device you are looking at, you won't see the cloud. So, you don't need to worry that any of your personal "stuff" is in the "cloud". iTunes in the Cloud is not related in any way to iCloud.

You can share your concerns with Apple here: Apple - Feedback. Perhaps they would consider creating a separate iOS App Store app that would allow folks to purchase, sync, and update apps by connecting to their computer.

Cheers,

GB

Apple has a channel for you to register your displeasure. This forum is not that channel.

As for "the cloud"—commercial hype for "remote servers"—you can't get away from it. Your pay, your pension, your property records, your financial records, your automobile registration and drivers license, your tax records, your utilities, your credit cards, your health records—everything in your life that needs to be recorded is in the cloud. Get over it.

The levels are app data, not the app itself. App data are included in the backups you made. Apps are NOT included in backups. So if you follow the instructions here: Transfer content from your previous iOS device to your new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support then sync your new phone the app will be downloaded from the app store and it will have access to the data contained in the backup that you have just restored.

To expand on this, I have over 250 apps on my phone. I just got a replacement phone from Apple because mine had a defect covered by warranty. When I restored the backup from iTunes, then synced my apps, all of the data for all of the 250+ apps was exactly where it belonged.

Taiitsukun wrote:

Hey. You actually have the File Sharing as the app section.

How does that help?

The File sharing section only lets you transfer files to Apps on your iOS devices. It does not let you manage apps or update them at all which is what the OP was asking about.

The advice above works well (thank you for posting!) but it may be neccesary to remove iTunes by force through Terminal.

In order to do so:

Open Terminal app.

navigate to the Applications folder - use the command cd .. twice to get to the root of your mac, then use command cd Applications to go to the Applications folder.

Then use the command: sudo rm -rf "iTunes.app" to remove iTunes, and reinstall from the page above.