Is it possible to retain my 32-bit iOS apps?
November 14, 2018 10:08 AM Subscribe
I have an iPad that I’ve resisted updating (iOS 10) because I don’t want to lose some 32-bit apps that no longer exist in the App Store. I also have an iPhone that is fully updated (iOS 12). After updating the phone, I have found that the two have iCloud communication issues (on the tablet I get “locked” out of certain documents, can’t see tabs open on the phone, etc.). What can I do to resolve this situation?
I’m assuming the communication issues are due to being on two substantially different OS versions, and that they will only resolve if I update the iPad. This, however, will cause me to lose the apps, which is unacceptable.
I looked into emulating iOS 10 on my computer so I could still access the apps, but that’s apparently not an option. The only other thing I could think of was to buy an older iPad mini (the different form factor makes it easier for me to justify the purchase over another iPad, plus they’re cheaper) and install the apps on it. However, I’m unsure if that would work for the following reasons:
1) In the case of first generation mini’s - these only go up to iOS 9; would I be able to install apps that were updated to their most recent iOS 10 version?
2) In the case of all other mini generations - apparently these can all be upgraded to the most recent operating system, so it seems likely that any I buy will be on iOS 12. Would it be possible to downgrade them as far back as iOS 10?
Or is there some other solution that’s better/cheaper for retaining these apps while allowing me to fix the communication issues between my devices?
Thanks for any help!
I’m assuming the communication issues are due to being on two substantially different OS versions, and that they will only resolve if I update the iPad. This, however, will cause me to lose the apps, which is unacceptable.
I looked into emulating iOS 10 on my computer so I could still access the apps, but that’s apparently not an option. The only other thing I could think of was to buy an older iPad mini (the different form factor makes it easier for me to justify the purchase over another iPad, plus they’re cheaper) and install the apps on it. However, I’m unsure if that would work for the following reasons:
1) In the case of first generation mini’s - these only go up to iOS 9; would I be able to install apps that were updated to their most recent iOS 10 version?
2) In the case of all other mini generations - apparently these can all be upgraded to the most recent operating system, so it seems likely that any I buy will be on iOS 12. Would it be possible to downgrade them as far back as iOS 10?
Or is there some other solution that’s better/cheaper for retaining these apps while allowing me to fix the communication issues between my devices?
Thanks for any help!
> In the case of first generation mini’s - these only go up to iOS 9; would I be able to install apps that were updated to their most recent iOS 10 version?
If you mean, can you buy a first-gen mini that has iOS 9 and restore a backup from iOS 10 onto it, the answer is no.
> In the case of all other mini generations - apparently these can all be upgraded to the most recent operating system, so it seems likely that any I buy will be on iOS 12. Would it be possible to downgrade them as far back as iOS 10?
What version the device ships with depends which model you buy, who you buy it from, and how long they've had it sitting in their warehouse. If it was sitting with Apple, there's a good chance it was updated at some point. If not, there's no way of knowing.
You cannot downgrade a device once Apple stops signing (verifying) the older update (without significant technical hurdles, the details of which are unimportant for this conversation, except to say you would have to have already been running that device on the older version at some point in time), which usually happens within a few weeks of a new update becoming available.
As far as your communication issues go, I wouldn't be so quick to assume it's just iOS 10 <-> iOS 12 that is the problem. Safari tabs should sync between all devices running versions of iOS that support Safari tab syncing, regardless of differing supported versions between different devices. As an example I run iOS 12 on my iPhone but up until very, very recently had macOS El Capitan (several years out-of-date, in case you are not familiar) installed on my computer, but Safari tab syncing and other Continuity features worked fine between the two. Perhaps you could go into more detail on the issues you are noticing.
posted by tubedogg at 1:12 PM on November 14, 2018
If you mean, can you buy a first-gen mini that has iOS 9 and restore a backup from iOS 10 onto it, the answer is no.
> In the case of all other mini generations - apparently these can all be upgraded to the most recent operating system, so it seems likely that any I buy will be on iOS 12. Would it be possible to downgrade them as far back as iOS 10?
What version the device ships with depends which model you buy, who you buy it from, and how long they've had it sitting in their warehouse. If it was sitting with Apple, there's a good chance it was updated at some point. If not, there's no way of knowing.
You cannot downgrade a device once Apple stops signing (verifying) the older update (without significant technical hurdles, the details of which are unimportant for this conversation, except to say you would have to have already been running that device on the older version at some point in time), which usually happens within a few weeks of a new update becoming available.
As far as your communication issues go, I wouldn't be so quick to assume it's just iOS 10 <-> iOS 12 that is the problem. Safari tabs should sync between all devices running versions of iOS that support Safari tab syncing, regardless of differing supported versions between different devices. As an example I run iOS 12 on my iPhone but up until very, very recently had macOS El Capitan (several years out-of-date, in case you are not familiar) installed on my computer, but Safari tab syncing and other Continuity features worked fine between the two. Perhaps you could go into more detail on the issues you are noticing.
posted by tubedogg at 1:12 PM on November 14, 2018
Response by poster: Mostly games - Symphonica, Horn, The Secret of Chateau de Moreau (as well as a few visual novels). I just hate the idea of losing them forever...
posted by Sakura3210 at 1:14 PM on November 14, 2018
posted by Sakura3210 at 1:14 PM on November 14, 2018
Response by poster: The two more annoying issues have been:
1. Numbers: “To open this spreadsheet, you’ll need the latest version of iOS and Numbers” (this is new, before it said I had used effects that couldn’t work in iOS 10 so I changed to a more basic form; afterwards I think it said something about not having permissions?)
2. Safari:History syncs, but I can’t see what pages I have open on my phone (when I click the double box in the upper right corner it shows all tabs open on the iPad, but shows nothing else when I scroll to the bottom).
posted by Sakura3210 at 1:22 PM on November 14, 2018
1. Numbers: “To open this spreadsheet, you’ll need the latest version of iOS and Numbers” (this is new, before it said I had used effects that couldn’t work in iOS 10 so I changed to a more basic form; afterwards I think it said something about not having permissions?)
2. Safari:History syncs, but I can’t see what pages I have open on my phone (when I click the double box in the upper right corner it shows all tabs open on the iPad, but shows nothing else when I scroll to the bottom).
posted by Sakura3210 at 1:22 PM on November 14, 2018
I am holding on to my ipad3 until the day it can no longer hold a charge, just to keep my 32-bit games going.
It would be nice to have an alternative solution, though...
posted by jozxyqk at 1:41 PM on November 14, 2018
It would be nice to have an alternative solution, though...
posted by jozxyqk at 1:41 PM on November 14, 2018
> "To open this spreadsheet, you’ll need the latest version of iOS and Numbers"
Unfortunately I don't think there's a way around this, at least sticking with Numbers. Assuming the latest version of Numbers does not support iOS 10 (which it seems to not, based on that message), there is no "versioning" of file types for Numbers that I am aware of, as there is for Microsoft Excel, for example. With Excel, you can saves as compatible with X range of versions. In your case, the Numbers file you're trying to open has already been automatically saved as compatible with the latest version, and it apparently isn't backwards-compatible.
You could try using something like Google Sheets instead, which should allow you to work between devices.
> but I can’t see what pages I have open on my phone
Apple says, as the first step in making it work, to upgrade all devices to iOS 11 or later. Which is odd, because the first step in the very next section mentions iOS 10.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I have an iPad that is stuck on iOS 9 that I haven't used in a while, but my husband started using recently when his back is acting up and he has to lie down. The reason I bring this up is, I could see, on my iOS 12 device, tabs that he had open on that iOS 9 device. Which says to me, Apple is just trying to ensure the best experience by making sure you have the latest versions of stuff, not that it's an actual technical hurdle.
So I would treat this as iCloud is just being iCloud and not working correctly right now. The easiest thing to try is to sign out of iCloud on the iPad, wait 15 minutes, and sign back in. Make sure Safari is checked under the iCloud settings after you sign in again.
posted by tubedogg at 1:42 PM on November 14, 2018
Unfortunately I don't think there's a way around this, at least sticking with Numbers. Assuming the latest version of Numbers does not support iOS 10 (which it seems to not, based on that message), there is no "versioning" of file types for Numbers that I am aware of, as there is for Microsoft Excel, for example. With Excel, you can saves as compatible with X range of versions. In your case, the Numbers file you're trying to open has already been automatically saved as compatible with the latest version, and it apparently isn't backwards-compatible.
You could try using something like Google Sheets instead, which should allow you to work between devices.
> but I can’t see what pages I have open on my phone
Apple says, as the first step in making it work, to upgrade all devices to iOS 11 or later. Which is odd, because the first step in the very next section mentions iOS 10.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I have an iPad that is stuck on iOS 9 that I haven't used in a while, but my husband started using recently when his back is acting up and he has to lie down. The reason I bring this up is, I could see, on my iOS 12 device, tabs that he had open on that iOS 9 device. Which says to me, Apple is just trying to ensure the best experience by making sure you have the latest versions of stuff, not that it's an actual technical hurdle.
So I would treat this as iCloud is just being iCloud and not working correctly right now. The easiest thing to try is to sign out of iCloud on the iPad, wait 15 minutes, and sign back in. Make sure Safari is checked under the iCloud settings after you sign in again.
posted by tubedogg at 1:42 PM on November 14, 2018
As someone who has an iPad 1, an original iPad Mini, a first-gen iPad 3, an iPhone 4, 2 iPod Touches (one with retina display and one pre-dating it), I can say that older devices certainly do retain access to older apps, but they also drop off iCloud and related syncing stuff. Due to changes in authentication, I've had to sign off pretty much all the old devices from iCloud services to prevent account lockouts and looping pop-ups and warnings on all the newer devices.
The app store still mostly works, though, and some apps happily provide an older compatible version (that works 9 times out of 10).
You can either have a time capsule for old games, or a device that works with Apple's cloud services and 1st party apps, but both is near impossible.
posted by krisjohn at 7:52 PM on November 14, 2018
The app store still mostly works, though, and some apps happily provide an older compatible version (that works 9 times out of 10).
You can either have a time capsule for old games, or a device that works with Apple's cloud services and 1st party apps, but both is near impossible.
posted by krisjohn at 7:52 PM on November 14, 2018
You can either have a time capsule for old games, or a device that works with Apple's cloud services and 1st party apps, but both is near impossible.
some apps require cloud access. you can't use a device that requires both.
apple deliberately breaks old things - and damn the consequences to you! to make you spend more money. they prioritize this philosophy again and again over your data and property rights.
remember: apple devices aren't computers you own. they are things that are controlled by apple that you have a temporary license on.
posted by lalochezia at 10:14 AM on November 15, 2018
> apple deliberately breaks old things
That's a bunch of crap. Macs have OS update support for seven years from release (longer in some cases; Macs released in 2010 are able to run this year's major OS update). iPhones were running at four years of updates (an industry best by at least two years, mind you) but have recently increased to five.
My mom still uses a 2009 iMac daily. My husband and I use a 2012 Mac mini as a home server. My primary computer is a 2009 Mac Pro. My husband uses the third-gen iPad I mentioned upthread, with the device logged into my account, mind you.
If it was about getting you to spend more money, they'd adopt an Android-style update strategy where you can count yourself extremely lucky if your device ships with a relatively recent version of the OS, let alone ever receives a single update.
You only need look to the giant pile of steaming mess that is Windows to see what it looks like to hold onto backwards compatibility at all costs. Win32 will presumably outlive humans at this point, but it's resulted in massive problems for Microsoft trying to move the OS as a whole forward. Dropping support for 32-bit, which is the decision that ultimately resulted in this thread, allowed Apple to do all sorts of things in both the OS and hardware that just simply wouldn't have been possible without it, not the least of which is do away with the 32-bit subsystem that had to be loaded every single time a 32-bit app was loaded.
Does it suck from the user perspective? Yeah. I, too, lost a lot of old games in the transition. But it's also not like this occurred overnight. Apple dropped support for 32-bit with iOS 11, released in September, 2017. They started requiring all app submissions, both new and updates, to be 64-bit as of June, 2015, over two years earlier.
posted by tubedogg at 2:01 PM on November 15, 2018
That's a bunch of crap. Macs have OS update support for seven years from release (longer in some cases; Macs released in 2010 are able to run this year's major OS update). iPhones were running at four years of updates (an industry best by at least two years, mind you) but have recently increased to five.
My mom still uses a 2009 iMac daily. My husband and I use a 2012 Mac mini as a home server. My primary computer is a 2009 Mac Pro. My husband uses the third-gen iPad I mentioned upthread, with the device logged into my account, mind you.
If it was about getting you to spend more money, they'd adopt an Android-style update strategy where you can count yourself extremely lucky if your device ships with a relatively recent version of the OS, let alone ever receives a single update.
You only need look to the giant pile of steaming mess that is Windows to see what it looks like to hold onto backwards compatibility at all costs. Win32 will presumably outlive humans at this point, but it's resulted in massive problems for Microsoft trying to move the OS as a whole forward. Dropping support for 32-bit, which is the decision that ultimately resulted in this thread, allowed Apple to do all sorts of things in both the OS and hardware that just simply wouldn't have been possible without it, not the least of which is do away with the 32-bit subsystem that had to be loaded every single time a 32-bit app was loaded.
Does it suck from the user perspective? Yeah. I, too, lost a lot of old games in the transition. But it's also not like this occurred overnight. Apple dropped support for 32-bit with iOS 11, released in September, 2017. They started requiring all app submissions, both new and updates, to be 64-bit as of June, 2015, over two years earlier.
posted by tubedogg at 2:01 PM on November 15, 2018
Response by poster: Ended up buying an old iPad that hadn’t had its OS updated beyond 9. I was fortunate in that I had done a complete backup to my computer of my original iPad before updating to 10 (though it was old - iOS 7), so I was able to use that and only lost a little of my most recent save data. Moving forward, what I will do (and my advice to others who might end up in this situation) is to create at least one full backup before doing a major number update (e.g. iOS 12, iOS 13). Thanks for the help everyone!
posted by Sakura3210 at 6:19 AM on January 2, 2019
posted by Sakura3210 at 6:19 AM on January 2, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
What apps are you jonesing for that don't have a 64 bit version or a modern equivalent? All I can think of is FlightTracker Pro, which was excellent but got bought by idiots, and a few novelty apps that were fun.
posted by w0mbat at 1:01 PM on November 14, 2018