iTunes 12.6.4 does not show iOS 11.3.1 as the current version

Then you are going to have to update iTunes. You cannot use iOS 11.3 or above with iTunes 12.6.4. It requires iTunes 12.7 or above. Of course, you probably know that will remove your ability to manage your apps in iTunes.

Because 12.6.3.6 was supposed to be the last version that supported apps and it was likely supposed to work with all builds of iOS 11 without further attention. Something about the iOS 11.3 update means that iTunes needed a tweak, which it got in the shape of 12.6.4.3, but only for the purposes of backup and syncing. They haven't updated the iOS detection and update mechanisms. There may be another build at some point.

tt2

Make sure you are running the latest version of iTunes, if you are then try updating from the device or downloading the update

Same here. I happily downgraded to iTunes 12.6.4 so I could use it to sync my many hundreds of apps across multiple devices. But now it seems it cannot be used to handle the iOS updates, or indeed to do any restores etc with the current iOS 11.4 as that comes up with a message that you need the latest version of iTunes.

So now we have to use Configurator or OTA updates for updating the OS (personally I have always steered clear of OTA - part updates in my experience have not been as reliable as doing a full OS update via iTunes) and use iTunes for the app syncing.

When someone pointed out that iTunes was getting rather bloated, maybe that was a clue that it might be a good idea to consider how to make iTunes more efficient in it's programming/data handling and allowing users the options to choose how they prefer to use it, such as what's stored locally or not, rather than just trashing what was evidently for many customers, the main reason for using iTunes in the first place, not just music.

You should be able to update your device OTA and 12.6.4 should still work with it.

tt2

What you prefer and what Apple make possible don't currently agree. You could install 12.7.4.80, upgrade in iTunes, then downgrade iTunes to 12.6.3.4 and restore your iTunes database, but that seems like a lot of work. OTA updates work fine.

tt2

Posting here does not provide an Apple Support record. This is a user to user support forum, and Apple does not participate here. If you wish to share information with them about your distaste with iTunes, then use the feedback link, http://www.apple.com/feedback

My point is you were told this information when you started this thread back in April, so adding to it now makes no sense.

You’re missing the point. These are user to user support forums, Apple’s main focus in them is moderation, and catching some threads that have gone unanswered and can be addressed with a relatively scripted response. While it is always possible that some notice will be paid to what are essentially feedback or complaint threads it is by no means certain. If you want Apple to see your feedback then use the appropriate feedback channel for the product in question.

tt2

I don't have a problem. I was under the impression that you did, and that you thought that writing about it here would provide feedback to Apple despite a number of voices suggesting that you'd be better off using the official feedback channel. Apple aren't going to reply to you in either case but providing constructive feedback in the right venue will do more good than complaining here, even if you find it less satisfying.

tt2

@relh - Agreed. I no longer used iTunes for anything other than syncing apps anyway. Now they've made that absurdly difficult. So I'm left with little choice other than to buy iMazing to avoid wasting time and bandwidth.

I'm actually considering going back to using PCs. There's so much Tim Cook managed to screw up it could fill a book. This is ridiculous.

I know this is NOT pretty but I have an old external half-TB drive that has Boot Camp & the current version of iTunes. I know this is not a supported Boot Camp configuration (or a supported Windows configuration for that matter) but this does get me around the issue a bit. For most things I use iTunes 12.6.4 for my library & the Windows version on the external drive when I need the newest version of iTunes (I have iMazing on my wife's computer but am cheap & did not want to buy another copy -- the Windows license was purchased for another use & moved to the external when that task ended.)

In my opinion, removing Apps from iTunes was a really BRAIN DEAD idea but that is my opinion. Requiring download of apps from iTunes has 3 major issues from my perspective -- 1) I live in a rural area so Internet access is the pits, 2) apps I have paid for have disappeared from the App Store (for example, Merriam-Webster nuked the dictionary I bought) & 3) I am retired IT & the concept of not having backups for anything makes me cringe!

By the way, I hate disagreeing with turingtest2 because that usually means I am wrong.

If Apple isn't going to allow iTunes to manage the apps on the iPhone they should release a separate app. They probably stopped doing it in iTunes because there were so many sync bugs and they were being lazy.