Apple recently released iTunes 12.7 and boy have the unexpected changes shocked some people. Like, no longer can you browse iOS App Store on your computer! Here’s our quick rundown of all the major changes in iTunes 12.7 that you should be aware about.
Apple says the new iTunes focuses on music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and audiobooks.
As a result, apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are now exclusively available through App Store on those devices. Those of you who have been using desktop iTunes to back up the apps installed on your devices are now left out in the cold.
App Store links you click on websites like ours now redirect back to the browser and load an iTunes preview page showing information about an app. The problem is, iTunes Preview pages on the web currently don’t offer a way to purchase apps. Previously, app links launched desktop iTunes showing standard app description along with the Get/Buy buttons.
Not only is App Store no more in iTunes 12.7, but the ability to browse, download and sync ringtones has been removed from the software as well. On a more positive note, iOS 11 has introduced the ability to redownload your previously purchased ringtones directly to your iPhone or iPad so be sure to check that out.
Finally, Apple has made it easy to redownload your previously purchased ringtones. That means my Knight Rider ringtone is back 🤸🏻♂️ https://t.co/arYyeknJSB
— Sébastien Page (@SebastienPage) September 20, 2017
Apple’s support document lists the changes in the new iTunes:
- Apps—You can no longer browse App Store in iTunes and download iOS apps to your computer for safekeeping. Apple advises that you redownload apps directly on your iOS devices.
- iTunes U—Collections of iTunes U content now appear in the Podcasts section of iTunes.
- Internet Radio—Internet Radio stations appear in your music library’s sidebar (you may need to click Edit in the iTunes sidebar to show or hide the Internet Radio section).
- Ringtones—Ringtones in iTunes have gone the way of the cuckoo, but iOS 11 now lets you redownload them directly to your iOS device.
- Books on Windows—Books on iTunes for Windows are no longer supported and customers are advised to use the iBooks iOS app and redownload their books directly to their iPhone or iPad.
Bottom line: after you upgrade, all of your previously downloaded iOS apps, ringtones and books (PC only) will still be in in the same place where they’ve always been, inside the iTunes Media folder. And just like before, you can still back up your devices in iTunes and copy files between your Mac/PC and apps on your iOS devices using the File Sharing feature in iTunes.
Any questions?
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