Where does iTunes Save iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad Apps on Windows & Mac [Featured]
Are you wondering about the location as where iTunes saves the Apps and data, downloaded and installed by you on your Apple devices like iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad? The apps setup (.ipa files) can act as a good backup or in case you just need them.
Note – All the iPhone applications are saved on your computer if they were downloaded and installed straight using iTunes. However, if the apps are installed directly on idevice using Wi-Fi or 3G, then you must first Sync the device with your system (using iTunes) to find the installation files on your computer.
To locate the Apps on Windows, launch iTunes. Now click the ‘Apps’ option under Library. Right-click on any app and click the ‘Show in Windows Explorer’ link.
The directory where iPhone apps are saved on Windows will now open, and all the apps will appear with an .ipa extension.
Alternatively, you can access setup files of installed apps by opening this directory in Windows explorer. C:\Users\User\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Mobile Applications
To locate the Apps on Mac, launch iTunes. Now click the ‘Apps’ option under Library. Right-click on any app and click the ‘Show in Finder’ link.
Alternatively, you can access setup files of installed apps by opening this directory on your Mac. usr/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications
Thanks Vinay for Mac related help.
TY so much. Now I can save these apps in my pc incase itune erases accidently once in a while, and it drives me nuts to look for about 400 apps to redownload! ty ty ty
Freaking amazing….!!! Thankmyou so much, i didn’t loose my payed apps…
Thanks for the tip.
Richi
Great article 😉 thanks i was wondering how can i backup my apps thanks
Thanks so much… I needed this information. I wanted to remove the OS in my PC and re-install it. But before doing it i wanted to back up all the apps that I downloaded for iPad. Now I can copy them to a back up directory before I re-install windows 🙂
Thanx for the information.I am using the latest version of itunes and after Right clicking on apps it gives only one option that is “open in new window”.But simply write “Mobile application” in search box and you will get the address.The applications are saved at “C:\Users\xxxxxxxx\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Mobile Applications”
Got it ThankX all
Ok, so they are there
Now how do I open them ?? I have been struggling with this for days … How do they open ??
If I right click, and open . It just takes me back to the iTunes
You double click on the app (in finder or windows explorer) (it’s also the same thing as -right click- -open-), and it opens in itunes (it now recognizes it)
Now you just sync your ipod with itunes, and viola, you have your apps
Is there any way to store these on another drive and have Itunes use the new location as my C: drive is filling up and I want to use the D: drive on my Windows PC?
This didn’t work in the version of iTunes I am using (v10.5.2.11 in Windows). However, I discovered from help that you can identify the location of the files by going to Edit ¬ Preferences ¬ Advanced. The default location is My Documents/My Music/iTunes/iTunes Media.
Gill, I was having the same problem as you, but have now moved the storage location to an external hard drive. As the help file notes, this will only change the location of future files, but I have copied the existing files to the new location in my external hard drive and will delete the old ones from my C-drive.
Thanks guys for the information. however i have some other applications downloaded using Installous; some of them were synced and saved but others were not even appearing. could you advise please !
if i have payed applications and i copy them to another computer, will they work? i need the same account or i can use another itunes account?