Ondrej Holzman There is never enough free disk space, especially if, like me, you own a MacBook Air with a 128GB SSD. However, if you are the owner of any iOS device, I have a tip for you to save a few precious gigabytes - just delete iOS apps from iTunes.
Of course, not everyone can take this step. You can only delete iOS apps from your iTunes library if you only purchase, download and update apps directly on your iPhone or iPad and at the same time you back up your iOS device to iCloud, not to iTunes. So that iOS applications do not have to be physically present in iTunes, it is also necessary sync your iPhone or iPad wirelessly over Wi-Fi, not via cable. Personally, I've been doing it this way for months, and I can't even remember the last time I bought an iOS app in iTunes on a Mac. That's why the applications in my library were just taking up space unnecessarily.
[do action=”infobox-2″]You cannot delete applications from iTunes if you back up your iOS device to iTunes, because they then require all downloaded applications on the iOS device to be transferred back to the computer during the next synchronization.[/do]
So, when I was thinking about how to create space on the disk, the choice fell on iOS applications and their deletion. The process is not complicated at all, but I highly recommend making a backup of your iPhone or iPad beforehand in case of an emergency. You certainly don't want to lose all your applications, or rather their settings and data.
After performing a backup to iCloud, open a tab in iTunes for the selected iOS device Application, uncheck the option Synchronize apps and choose to keep them on the device.
Before you start deleting apps from iTunes, visit Preferences, where in the tab Shop uncheck auto download apps. This will ensure that apps from your iPhone or iPad will not disappear even remotely after you delete them from iTunes, and that they will not start downloading to iTunes when you do so on your iOS device.
Now just mark all apps and move them to trash. I saved almost 20 GB, how much did you?
Thanks for the tip Karl Boháček.
[do action="sponsor-counseling"/]
I would just clarify that unchecking the applications in Preferences in the Store tab will ensure that when the user downloads the application on the iPhone or iPad, it will not automatically start downloading in iTunes. They won't be smeared, even if you leave it checked.
I wouldn't be so sure about that. A friend deleted the apps in iTunes like this and all of them disappeared from his iPhone overnight. Although I don't know if he had this option ticked or not.
Hmm, same thing, all the iPhone apps are gone even though I chose to keep them…
The same thing happened to me. I had to choose restore from the cloud so I wouldn't lose my data.
Where can I turn on to restore my app data from iCloud?
I'll answer myself, it's not possible, I'd just have to reset the iPhone to factory settings and do a restore from iCloud, but sorry, it's a very big leap...
I'll answer myself, it's not possible, I'd just have to reset the iPhone to factory settings and do a restore from iCloud, but sorry, it's a very big leap...
That's how I do it too, except I don't turn off app sync ;), I just go to the itunes folder and delete them, iTunes still thinks it has them and is happy with the sync, but then pulls them back from the iPhone or iPad, so after synchronization I have to delete them again, but I'm used to it ;)
Of course, it's quite unnecessary and tedious.
But safe…
Thanks for the idea. 21GB :-)
Thanks for the idea. 21GB :-)
And what happens when I restore and one of my applications is no longer available in the AppStore?
I wonder if the marked or unmarked applications will be deleted?
Did the author of the article try this guide exactly step by step? I did, and now I'm just watching 20 GB of apps and their data disappear from my iPhone and I'm literally furious…
I've been backing up to iCloud for some time now and I can't let it happen.
Me too, of course, but this article is about something else…
but the basic 5GB of space is probably not enough, right?
Enough. Not all things count against your iCloud space limit.
25Gb :) thank you
hey, but during the next synchronization, it tells me that I have purchased items on my iPhone, and if I don't copy them to the library, it will delete them from my iPhone...
Yes, unfortunately there was an error in the instructions. If you back up to iTunes, you can't delete apps.
instructions like a pod.. just in iTunes there must be at least those applications that are in the iPhone...
They don't have to.
The advice is good, but this is how I lost the iKamasutra, which is no longer available. Hell. :)
Obviously good value for money. If I did what was suggested, I would lose at least 4 applications that are no longer on the App Store some Friday.
I'm not at all surprised that a lot of people here in the comments complain about the instructions in the article.
It should have said something like this at the beginning:
This guide is only applicable if you're only backing up to iCloud and don't own apps that no longer appear on the App Store (for whatever reason). If you synchronize your iDevice with a computer, the guide is useless, and even more dangerous, because you may lose some (all) of your data.
Exactly, I really didn't imagine that I would spend the rest of the day reinstalling all the apps and games :-(…
I am sincerely sorry for that. I wouldn't expect such amateurism on an Apple tech site, but whatever. Hopefully, you only have apps that are still on the App Store. In that case, in theory, you wouldn't have to lose anything.
I think I lost the data of all those applications
In addition, they started moderating and approving the discussion. My answer must be pre-approved. And I didn't use a single inappropriate word.
This will be more of a limitation of WordPress. We have no plans to delete posts that do not fit our store.
Just restore from backup.
I love advice over gold. :-/
We all know we should back up before any major changes, but honestly, how many people actually do this?
Despite the fact that a clean app restore will no longer return user data entered into the app. That is, they can get lost.
What kind of hand on the heart? It is written in the instructions to do so for all cases, especially when it can be such a fundamental intervention. It is only your fault for not doing so.
Plus, if you've actually backed up your phone, then you'll get your apps back, including their data and settings.
I admit my mistake in that the tutorial doesn't work if you back up to iTunes. I haven't tried feedback. The applications then want to be uploaded again during the next synchronization. I have already corrected the error in the article.
However, I also warned in it that everyone should make a backup, so that those who lost their applications should have no problem uploading them back.
The iTunes application and everything related to synchronizing an iOS device with a computer is so poorly done that it's glaringly obvious. I'm syncing four devices on one account and I want something different on each one - it's purgatory to chat.
When I look at how much iTunes has improved recently, I have the feeling that there is only one developer working on it in Cupertino, and that too on a part-time basis.
For me, iTunes is the worst Apple product and one big fail.
let's wait for the arrival of the new iOS and for the arrival of iTunes 11, where there should already be a noticeable change compared to today...otherwise, I will just add that iTunes was not directly developed by Apple, but then there is an unnamed outsourcing company ;)
Oops, it's an eraser, like a recent question about synchro Things...
Libor
What was the question?
We all make mistakes. However, I notice that probably not all iTunes behave the same. It is interesting that according to the instructions, someone managed to remove the applications without problems, while others did not. The only mistake I made was that we didn't try this procedure with syncing to iTunes, but even if I do that, the apps definitely won't be deleted.
So to summarize the result:
1) I will not deal with the fact that I followed the instructions and everything was deleted from my iPhone
2) I have turned off application synchronization in iTunes
3) I have the synchronization turned on not on the computer, but on iCloud
4) Nevertheless, when I download the application to the iPhone and start the synchronization with iTunes (which is set to iCloud) and emphasize again that the synchronization of applications is turned off, the applications are copied to my PC again
BTW: I only use itunes on PC to sync music, so the other features are stolen from me, so I wanted to save disk space taken up by apps.
I have a very similar experience. Every time I connect the iPad to the PC, 20GB of iTunesU content starts copying from the iPad, even though I have turned off iTunesU synchronization and have backed up the device to iCloud.
Thanks for confirming that the article's instructions are completely useless because the apps always download again. So who wants to waste half a day, let him try it, or just reset the iPhone and manually install everything again, it will work out the same :-(
The only solution: You need to sync with iTunes via Wi-Fi, then everything works without problems. Once again, I'm sorry for the complications, but when I tried iTunes it worked a little differently, now I'm seeing the same problem.
9 o'clock in the evening, finally downloaded and installed all the apps and games I had there... :-/
so 30,35GB gone for me, quite a relief. Thanks for advice :)
chuper 20 Gb gone :)
Thanks! 15GB saved!
Thanks for the advice, saved over 30gb of space :)
Please update for iTunes 11 where I couldn't find an option to turn off Sync Apps.