iTunes Media Kind: missing Apps

NinjaJay wrote:

You mean it was explained after upgrading, Losing this feature for me is bad bad bad, I have had enough of apple time to move on. Hello Samsung.

The Android world is even more screwed up than the Apple world.

There is unfortunately no real third option. Well, yes there is, do not use

smart phones or tablets anymore. Or with tablets, move to Windows 10

devices.

So, how do you backup, restore, organize apps? I used to move them around in iTunes and simply apply to change them around, group them, etc. I can do it on the iPhone but it's a bit more clumsy. If I get a new iPhone, how do I restore the apps? Does iTunes back up apps? Checked the new App Store and there does not seem to be an obvious way to do all this. Any tips?

So, how do you backup, restore, organize apps? I used to move them around in iTunes and simply apply to change them around, group them, etc. I can do it on the iPhone but it's a bit more clumsy. If I get a new iPhone, how do I restore the apps? Does iTunes back up apps? Checked the new App Store and there does not seem to be an obvious way to do all this. Any tips?

Why they list media types of Audiobook or Podcasts ? Once synced to my iPhone 7 Plus, they do not seem to work as intended in iOS 11 anyway ... For example, consider the following steps:

1. In iTunes, select some music album with multiple songs; right click, -> Get Info -> Options ... and convert the media type to Audiobook.

2. Sync iTunes with iPhone 7 Plus (to get audiobook loaded onto the phone) under the new iOS 11.

3. Now, play a middle "chapter" of the audiobook; Pause it and minimize the Audiobook app.

4. Go to the new iOS Control Panel and force touch the Music box (now showing the paused audiobook chapter listed at the top), and tap the chapter name.

Note the response: The chapter of the audiobook will open up in the MUSIC app (not the proper Audiobook app). And you will be stuck in a LOOP mode.

I.e the next chapter/previous chapter buttons will not perform properly. Tapping on either of those buttons will go the the end, beginning of the current chapter, then loop to start playing the current chapter from the beginning. In fact, if you let the chapter play to the end by itself, it still will not advance to the NEXT chapter ... it will loop and start over. Furthermore, there is no way from the controls of the phone to get out of that "looping mode" of the audiobook that opened in the MUSIC app.

Now, if you perform the same steps above with a purchased true audiobook from Amazon, it opens in the AUDIOBOOK app as normal.

Why the different responses by the iOS 11? What do I need to do to the "iTunes converted files" to be considered truly audiobooks and act like such ? Is this an bug of iOS 11, or is there some missing metadata stuff that needs to be tagged in the file to be considered a true audiobook.

=====

related problem, but different problem: When I convert a music album to a Podcast ... and play in my car ... then the Next episode button on the steering wheel of the car (that used to work fine in the previous iOS version) no longer works ... it too just starts the current episode from the beginning.

===

It's like converted podcasts/audiobooks are not considered a collection, they are individual files. the Next/Previous buttons do not work.

Thanks for any additional information I may be missing ...

irolf2 wrote:

what is a practical ALTERNATIVE to APP MANAGEMENT?

is there a 3rd party tool (web or app)?

is Apple working on separate App Mgt app (iOS + macOS)?

is Apple working on more efficient version than pre-iTunes 12.7 for a near-future update of iTunes?

anyone have suggestions/tips on how to manage 100s of apps across many screen in iOS?

Deploy apps in a business environment with iTunes - Apple Support

thank you Idris.

but...

1. what is different/new/better in iTunes 12.7/iOS11? are there not many advantages to previous iTunes version?

user would want those advantages, but not lose the advantages i.e. App mgt, right?

so if one wants App Mgt so badly, how much is one sacrificing compared to new version, what features & UI/UX gems?
2. is iTunes
12.63
compatible with iOS11/macOS 10/13 High Sierra? or does one have to go through the complicated process of using old OS on device?

3. it is no excuse for Apple to kill what is insanely great:

if one has to backtrack old app versions i.e. iTunes 12.63 and use different OSs on different devices, you end up with Android-like chaos.

turingtest2 wrote:

The same link is also included in my user tip, along with instructions on how to go back to a version of your iTunes library database that is compatible with iTunes 12.6.3.

I'd forgotten it was in your user tip. Thanks for the reminder.

thanks so much tt2 ; )

the question now remains:

1. how is iTunes 12.7 DIFFERENT from 12.63, what are the feature/ui advantages? where can one see a comparison?

2. how is iTunes LIBRARY going to be affected by switching iTunes versions and is it possible to revert if something happens or gets corrupted

3. is it possible to keep BOTH copies of iTunes (12.7 + 12.63) and go back & forth between them? would it require 2 Libraries or can it work on 1?

thank you

I have a Mac mini with a 1Tb hard hard drive split into two partitions. (There's actually a second drive, but it is unstable so I've abandoned it). When High Sierra came out I made a clean install, added the apps that I want, and connected to my data. When the next version comes out I shall probably wipe the Sierra partition and do the same. This means if there is something I need to use that doesn't work on the new version of the OS I can easily revert to the previous one until that issue gets fixed. Most of my data lives on an external drive accessible to either system.

tt2

It depends. It should be possible with recent version of OS X, but really shouldn't be attempted unless you have a backup in case it goes wrong. See Disk Utility - Add, Delete, and Resize Existing Volumes.

tt2

This is major topic of this board today.

http://osxdaily.com/2017/09/13/itunes-12-7-update-removes-app-store/

You mean it was explained after upgrading, Losing this feature for me is bad bad bad, I have had enough of apple time to move on. Hello Samsung.

Google Pixel is looking pretty sweet about now to me ...