Hi all, with the recent removal of my baby sim games from the app store, I'm trying to figure out how to transfer apps from my phone to the computer so I can have a copy of the app file just in case the app has been removed and I have to reinstall it. Here are the steps I have done so far, running latest iTunes version, windows seven, with window-eyes. After hooking my phone to the computer, I access the iTunes menu, then go to device, then transfer purcheases. While some of my purcheases, like audio books and music transferred to my computer, none of my apps transferred. I went in to the iTunes prefferences, looked threw every tab, every checkbox, every combo box, and saw nothing about apps. So my question is, how can I transfer the apps on my phone to my iTunes library with the latest version of iTunes on my pc? Is this even possible?
Comments
Not possible
As of some time earlier this year, iTunes on the computer can no longer sync apps to an iOS device, and the App Store can no longer be accessed from iTunes. Your best bet is making a full encrypted backup of your phone to the computer so that if something happens to the phone, you have all the apps in the backup. Note this will only work if you check the box for encrypted backup in the iTunes sync screen. Otherwise it will only back up some settings and other stuff, but not the apps themselves, so if any of them aren’t on the App Store anymore, you wouldn’t get them back.
incripted back up question
I have a question about incripting a back up. If I incript a back up, will I have to enter the password on my device or on the computer before it will restore that backup/ And will I get apps back even if tey've been pulled from the app store if I use an incripted back up?
Answer to your question
Add is an affirmative you will need to use a password for encryption on your back up. The other good thing about encrypt in your back up, is that it was be just like using iCloud to back up your iPhone. This will also save all your passwords on your iPhone to your computer as well. To my knowledge you can use keychain in iCloud to save your password to encrypt your iPhone as well but I am not completely certain about that.
Encrypted Backups don‘t contain actual apps; Try another applica
Sadly, it is not true that encrypted IOS backups contain actual apps. They only contain the app‘s data, including passwords. But the actual app is not stored in there.
If you would like to keep copies of iPhone apps (.ipa files), you may want to look at a non-free application called iMazing. Here‘s what they say on their App Management capabilities: https://imazing.com/ios-app-management
Be warned though: iMazing is not super accessible. Using it is kind of fiddly at times.
Another alternative is to google for iTunes Version 12.6.5. this is a special version of iTunes Apple provided for enterprises. It still contains an „App Store“ tab where one can at least install apps using a PC. I am not certain however if it still allows one to copy and keep apps from iPhones on a PC.
Good luck anyways!