The removal of the 'apps' tag in the new iTunes is one of the most unhelpful things Apple has ever done (and there have been many of late).. How am I now supposed to manage my iPhone and iPad effectively? It's a joke. I can no longer easily copy files such as pdf and epub books via my Mac!
This is a disaster! I have so many devices I manage, that's one of the reasons I use my iMac as "hub central". I only have to install the APP once, then when I connect a device that device updates in seconds because it's already live on my hard drive.
We came home one time after visiting the Genius Bar. They told us we needed to do a backup from iCloud. I was leary because as the rabbit said "that trick never works", but we didn't want to be a pain so we did. We tried it through WIFI using the iCloud back up. What a mess. With over 2,00 APP's this backup ran 3 days and there were STILL apps black saying "waiting'. I finally had to pull the plug. We needed up have to do a clean install. Although it was a pain it took 6 hours compared to 3 days and counting.
But the reason the clean install was so effective using the hard drive back up? We had an iPad with the correct layout of all the apps in all their correct folders. Using the "Sort by Alphabet" sort we were able to go to folder #1, enter the names of each APP in that folder, download, unplug the device, place them into the folder, plug the device back in and it saved those changes.
By doing it this way we didn't have 2,000 apps spread across pages and pages and pages trying to move them holding and pulling from page to page. I mention this because with iTunes 12.7 this is NOT possible to reconstruct this way. We'd have to click clouds and wait and wait ad wait. Even in Appe's own descriptions it states "Plan ahead. If you line up a friend with a fast WIFI or even a hotspot near by with a faster WIFI, you can do your backup there". SeriouslY! <LOL. Like I'm going to ask a friend "Hey can I camp out at your place for a few days while I update my device?" You have got to be kidding me.
This is by far the dumbest move Apple has made to date. I just hope they come to their senses and undo this monster of a mess before too many people just leave out of frustration. Steve one's said "It just works!" Not since he passed it doesn't. Imagine what he would think reading all these comments on this forum because there's ;literally thousands of unhappy people like us.
With that said, please post your "feeling" (Apple likes feelings) to their FEEDBACK area. If enough people report their unhappiness maybe they will listen, or at the very least fire the guy that thought this was a good idea? Here's the link. Please do it:
SIDE NOTE: They FEEDBACK page does not show the latest iTunes 12.7 so make sure you add that to your feedback manually.
I'm trying to find out how to restore an older version. It is very inconvenient to have the Apps management area deleted with no replacement.
I tried restoring iTunes 12.6.2 from a Time Machine backup, but by the time it finished the restore it was magically back to 12.7. There must be more to it than the application.
By the way, an entire discussion, "what do you think about the new iTunes," that I was reading earlier this morning has been "Unauthorized."
Phil, I have a lot of iPhones and iPads (of family and coworkers) to manage. Removing the apps management function is very inconvenient.
Also, restricting my purchasing of new apps to a little screen is more than irritating. Sorry, developers. I won't be buying nearly as many apps as I did before.
An excuse to get angry?
If I were a developer, especially a smaller developer, I'd be very concerned. Buyers can only see a handful of apps at a time on the iPhone App Store. It's hard to browse, therefore it is harder to impulse buy.
Also, I can't ever find something specific that I'm looking for. I don't seem to have mastered filters. Are there filters beyond a few categories and some sorting? Not the best way to deal with millions of apps. Don't jump on me for that. It's my experience I'm talking about.
I need to manage multiple devices on multiple user accounts. If everything is stored centrally on an OSX device, this makes life a lot easier. The new iTunes is just a scan to boost iCloud storage sales, as far as I can see.
I shall try this in the morning on one of my Macs. Meanwhile I have disabled all automatic updates in the App Store on both, along with on my iOS devices. My fear is that the OSX update next week will just then over-write the iTunes reversion by default... ho hum.
Apple just MUST back down on this. As you say, SJ would be turning in his grave. I'm lucky enough to have a pretty fast fibre connection here in London, but I really pity anyone relying on rural connections. And yes, my feedback reply refers to 12.7 specifically in the subject line.
I just managed to revert to 12.6.2. AND restore all my playlists, apps, etc. Took a couple of hours starting with making backups and using Clean My Mac. So frustrating! Not my ideal use of a Friday evening. And my poor partner had to endure some seriously obscene language. But I think I got there. 🙂 There is no way I'm 'upgrading' to the new High Sierra until I have a guarantee from Apple that they have mended iTunes, though.
Just a note to all you developers out there: I have been using an iPhone and iPad more or less from the moment they came on the market. Since the existence of an App Store I NEVER EVER bought an app on the device itself, but ALWAYS on my Mac. This is no longer possible with the new iTunes 12.7. Oké. This means that I won't buy or search for new apps. It is as simple as that.
If Apple thinks this is the way to go... Too bad. For you in the first place.
The fact that they just deleted the app-store WITHOUT WARNING or help has really shattered my trust in the company itself. I was stupid enough to think they were different.
They are NOT.
I have been loyal to Apple since the mid 1980s, when DTP was first establishing itself in my line of work. I always prided myself on being 'discerning' and 'professional'. I even fell for the iPhone crap. It was just 'easier' to have all one's devices syncing themselves without a thought. And I'm the same as you, always downloaded iOS apps on my iMac first, before installing them on iPhone, iPad etc.
Now I just feel ripped off.
High Sierra can stay where it is. On top of Mt. Cupertino. Until they fix device integration back to where it was. And iPhone X can stay in its £1k box as far as I am concerned. I mean, a GRAND for a telephone? I could buy a decent small car for that. It's bollocks.
It's important to replace the .itl file with the previous last dated one (which you saved elsewhere). Then restart iTunes. I was going mad, no playlists or anything, although the music was showing up.
If you didn't save it, dive into Time Machine and find anything before September 13, copy it on to the desktop, then delete the existing one before moving it in to the folder. Took me a while and a bit of cursing to work it out!
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Not only that, but you are restricted to downloading the most up to date version of the app, which you might not have had because it was a paid for update. Also, it's impossible to upload obsolete apps from the store, but you could keep and manage them with 12.6.
Noggin the Nomad wrote:
As it stands, they don't. As long as you wish not to pay for extra iCloud storage. It's disgusting. We pay enough to have Apple gear at premium prices. How DARE they rip us off for more?
How dare a for profit company in a capitalist economy try to make money!
But seriously, apps are not now nor were they ever stored in iCloud.
Bobbinfish wrote:
Making money by offering us new and improved products we choose to buy is fine; deleting functionality and the use of something we already have, forcing us to buy replacements, is unethical.
If you feel that way, submit your feedback to Apple.
Noggin the Nomad wrote:
As it stands, they don't. As long as you wish not to pay for extra iCloud storage. It's disgusting.
What nonsense are you talking about? You don't need any more iCloud storage than you had before iTunes 12.7. Which could even be no iCloud storage. The only difference I have seen is that the panel for apps is no longer in iTunes. At this moment I am restoring iOS on my iPhone 7+ using iTunes 12.7. All of my music is restoring, all of my settings, all of my apps (I would guess from the App Store over WiFi because not all of them are in my iTunes library with the latest version). I have seen no difference in my iCloud usage.
Anyone else reverting to the previous version of iTunes? 12.7 is a disaster.
