iphone trouble

June 20, 2010 4:09 AM

Can't transfer iphone apps from phone to computer.

I purcahsed most of my apps with the app store on the iphone itself. When I sync with iTunes, it doesn't seem to transfer any of my apps to itunes. I have authorised this computer for my itunes store account. I have checked the "Sync Apps" box under the iphone App tab in itunes.

I have also tried right-clicking on the iphone icon and selecting "Transfer purchases". This looks like it is about to work, since the status window says "Copying [name of first App]..." but then it immediately stops, and itunes proclaims that it has "successfully" synced with the iphone.

Lastly, the few apps I have bought through itunes on the macbook do show up in the apps part of itunes, it is only ones purchased on the iphone that are missing.

Sorry if this is another tedious iphone question; I couldn't turn up anything useful searching iphone forums.

Computer is a MacBook Pro, OS 10.6, iTunes version 9.2.
iPhone is a 3Gs.

posted by theyexpectresults to technology (6 answers total)

First try File>Transfer Purchases from iPhone.

If all else fails, go to the iTunes store on your PC and redownload them. All future app downloads are free. If your a little weary about hitting the buy now button for a certain item, you can try to write a review. If it lets you, you really do own it and can download for free. If it won't let you review, then you don't own it.
posted by glenno86 at 4:24 AM on June 20, 2010

Did you try right clicking your iPhone name, and selecting reset warnings? Usually iTunes will ask if you would like to transfer back to Itunes

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=525483
posted by glenno86 at 4:37 AM on June 20, 2010

Thanks for the reset warnings tip. Now when I try to sync it gives me an error message saying that I am not authorised for the apps on my computer, and then it still won't sync them. This is weird, since when I go to Store > authorise it works fine and seems to be authorised.
posted by theyexpectresults at 6:38 AM on June 20, 2010

Go Store>deauth then again store>auth and try again
posted by glenno86 at 7:09 AM on June 20, 2010

If glenno86's trick doesn't work, then from Apple/iTunes support you can report the problem. When I had a problem where my iTunes downloads stopped working, I used the form at apple.com and they sent an email to me the next day and everything was working again. Somehow something on Apple's end got hung up and only they could fix it.
posted by birdherder at 11:33 AM on June 20, 2010

Thanks for all the input. It seems there was some unknown problem with my iTunes store account, and they were able to sort it at their end.
posted by theyexpectresults at 4:52 AM on June 28, 2010