From iPhone to iPad Mini

December 17, 2013 5:14 AM

My SO will be getting an iPad mini for Christmas. They currently have an iPhone 4 with various Apps. Is there automatic or easy method of figuring what iPhone Apps have iPad mini equivalents and auto transferring them to the iPad mini, even if it requires paying for the new App?
posted by sock, the puppet to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

If they're using the same itunes account, you'll be able to install them directly from the "App Store" app. And you won't have to buy them again. There's a 'purchased' button on the bottom, and then a toggle to "Not on this iPad" at the top of that screen.

As to whether they're iphone or universal versions, I don't think there's a completely transparent way to tell that.
posted by DigDoug at 5:27 AM on December 17, 2013

in iOS7 (at least on my iPad Air) the Purchased tab in the App Store has a switch in the upper left that lets you switch between iPad and iPhone apps. Not sure how that would play out on the mini as I've never seen one. Does it just pack the standard iPad resolution into a smaller screen? If so, that should be fine.
posted by Naberius at 5:35 AM on December 17, 2013

The iPad mini works that same way. Any free or purchased universal apps (with a + in the price icon) can be downloaded when you sign in with the same Apple ID in the new iPad. Any app that was a iPhone only app can be downloaded as well but it just blows up the app to fit the larger screen. As far as telling which apps on the phone are universal or of there are iPad versions of the app, I didn't find a way other than looking I the App Store.
posted by birdherder at 6:50 AM on December 17, 2013

There are a few games that have separate skus for iPhone and iPad that may not transfer, but if he uses iCloud and all that, it'll just install them automagically.
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:58 AM on December 17, 2013