PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
Can I transfer an old iPhone app?
Q I have an iPhone 6 that I’ve kept as a spare. On it is an app that’s no longer available in the App Store. Well, it is, but later versions of this app redirect one to another app, which is not as good. Is there a way I can copy the app from my old iPhone to my new one? I have to ensure the App Store does not update this app on my iPhone 6, because if it does, there is no other way of getting it back (to my knowledge). Any help would be appreciated.
Howard Martin
A This is an interesting question, and one that reveals how the tight controls Apple applies to the App Store are not always in the interests of its users. In brief, you have very few options here. Short of ‘jailbreaking’ both your handsets to bypass Apple’s many security locks, which is neither easy nor desirable for most, there’s no way to take apps from an old iPhone on to a new one.
However, the App Store does have a mechanism for downloading old apps, including those that have otherwise become unavailable. Its usefulness depends on the app in question. Not every old app is available and there are limits on the oldest version that can be installed – depending on the phone.
We do not know the specific app you’re talking about but, from your description, we’re not convinced this method will help. That’s because it allows you to download only the last compatible (and available) version of an app for the particular version of iOS.
You say that later versions of this app redirect to a different app in the App Store, so we’re simply not sure what will happen on your new iPhone. Nonetheless, right now your new iPhone doesn’t have any version of this app, so you have nothing to lose by trying.
