Mission Impossible? how to copy an iOS App from old iPhone to Mac and to new iPhone

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I need to transfer an App from one iPhone to another.

I did this in the past when I inadvertently updated an App on my iPhone and it sucked big time. I was able to plug in my old iPhone, i was able to see the Apps, in fact I have a folder called "Mobile Applications" since I wanted to have a backup of all Apps. I then plugged in the new iPhone and copied the App.

now I want to do something similar with my wife's iPhone and this seems mission impossible. I can no longer see the Apps.

I have iPhone running 10.3.3, Mac running OS X 10.9.5 and iTunes 12.6.2.20

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

[sekker]

If you are using the same central AppleID for the apps, this is a process where you sync the old phone to transfer the app to your iTunes app library and then repeat but go the other way with the new iPhone. Just have to use the special new iTunes or older iTunes.

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iTunes app library

and where is this folder located???

Just have to use the special new iTunes or older iTunes.

What does this mean?

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Why is the left side EMPTY???

I used to remember seeing Apps listed here

[Carm]

Is the App no longer available on the App Store? That's the only reason for trying to copy apps from iTunes.

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That's the only reason for trying to copy apps from iTunes.

There is an App where I prefer the older version. Simple as that.

[sekker]

Apologies, was typing from an iPhone.

1) You have to transfer the apps from the first iPhone. I don't know what the issue you are seeing, but maybe signing into the Mac as a new user? You will have to authenticate using the AppleID whichever computer you are using.

2) The latest version of iTunes (12.7) does NOT allow you to manage apps in this same way, so you cannot use it. You can downgrade back to a special version - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208079

I have several older apps that I've had to load manually for years. I now have an updated version for each, so I do not have to do this anymore. But it's straightforward if all of the connections and authentications are working.

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yes, I figured out I do not want to update to 12.7

I am still with 12.6

There is an option "File -> Devices -> Transfer Purchases from iPhone" but that does not do anything, despite making sure iTunes and iPhone use the same Apple ID account.

I rememebr when I saw ALL my Apps in the left side, now it is Empty. I managed to add 2 Apps there that I had on my local hard drive but I cannot add Apps from iPhone. It seems like iTunes can upload Apps to the phone, but it cannot download Apps from the phone, which is what that "File -> Devices -> Transfer Purchases from iPhone" is supposed to do.

[GGD]

In your iTunes folder, is there a Mobile Applications folder? That's where the applications would live on your hard drive, they have a .ipa extension, and have the version number of the app as part of the filename.

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GGD wrote:
In your iTunes folder, is there a Mobile Applications folder?

No.

There was no such thing (there used to be one).

I added a few Apps (that I had saved somewhere else, .ipa) to iTunes and this folder was created. But it contained only these 2 Apps. There was no way to bring the Apps from iPhone to Computer.

I gave up.