Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Okay all you Apple experts out there in RRFLand, how the heck can I back up all my apps from my iTouch so when I get my new one I can clone it all to the new Gen4 iTouch? iTunes does not backup the free apps, which all my apps are, so what am I to do? Specifically, I have one app that was free but now costs $9.99 so I don't want to have to buy it. I have googled this for hours and keep reading about music, videos, notes, movies, and purchased apps, but never a mention of free apps. Help?

I think you simply sign into the app store and you can update all your apps that you already purchased. Maybe go to the apple store and ask them.

If all else fails, jailbreak it and download only the apps you have already bought.

John, unfortunately, you may be out of luck in backing the free apps. About a year ago my primary computer crashed and I had backed it up. All of my purchased apps were still available on my new computer, but I lost all the free ones. I guess it's the chance you take with free apps which later charge for the download.

Stan, thanks. You'd think the Apple Store would keep track of what you have and provide it when you need to reload. I'm moving to a new Gen 4 and want to clone what I have then give the Gen 3 to my wife, wiping it and putting on music she likes. Looks like that ain't possible.

Tom, I haven't bought any apps. Too cheap. What is jailbreak? I've read in my searches about it but don't really understand what it is.

Jailbreaking is basically removing the restrictions that Apple places on your device. It in itself perfectly legal, but it also allows you to install free pirated versions of pay software, which is why apple is against the practice. It also allows you to modify the appearance of your iphone and icons, use different themes, and install free and paid software that is not sponsored by apple. For instance, I use an app called MyWi which turns my 3g connection into a wifi hotspot that I can use at home or on the go with my laptop. It was so fast that I cancelled my home internet. Jailbreaking voids your warranty, but you can always restore your phone and there is no way to know that it was ever jailbroken, so it's a very minor risk.

An unjailbroken iPhone is like a PC that only runs software sold and developed by microsoft, or bread without butter, toast without jam, etc.

I'd say more like a loaf of bread that you're not even allowed to cut in order to make toast...

First off, thanks for the explanation of jailbreaking. Interesting.

When the new iTouch came, and I connected it, and named it the same as the first one, it would not associate anything from the library of the old with the new. I kept trying different combos (got lost trying to remember what I did) and at one point a pop-up asked if I wanted to register and when I clicked yes it downloaded off the old one all the free apps too. First time that ever happened. All I had to do then was sync the new iTouch and it cloned what I had. Sure wish I remember how it happened. Anyway, now I have what I wanted, including the TC Electronics PolyTune app on the new.

Thanks again to all for the info.

Before doing things like jailbreaking - the apps are usually also stored somewhere on your computer/notebook/laptop otherwise iTunes would not be able to transfer them!

johnallg wrote:First off, thanks for the explanation of jailbreaking. Interesting.

When the new iTouch came, and I connected it, and named it the same as the first one, it would not associate anything from the library of the old with the new. I kept trying different combos (got lost trying to remember what I did) and at one point a pop-up asked if I wanted to register and when I clicked yes it downloaded off the old one all the free apps too. First time that ever happened. All I had to do then was sync the new iTouch and it cloned what I had. Sure wish I remember how it happened. Anyway, now I have what I wanted, including the TC Electronics PolyTune app on the new.

Thanks again to all for the info.

Glad to hear it worked out for you, John!

Wildberry wrote:Before doing things like jailbreaking - the apps are usually also stored somewhere on your computer/notebook/laptop otherwise iTunes would not be able to transfer them!

Mine were never pulled off my iPod. Then, in the gyrations I went through, they finally were pulled off and yes, I know where they are now on my PC.