How to download older versions of apps iphone

If the particular app you want to download does not offer an older version, see this utility to find an alternative app: Find iOS Apps Compatible with Older Devices. Requirements for Downloading an Older Version of an App. To be able to download an older "legacy" version of an app, a few conditions must be met more detailed explanations below :.

It is up to the app developer. If you are attempting to download the app for the first time, the App Store will not offer the download of an older version. You must already own the app for the older version to be offered see this workaround for iOS devices if you don't. The app will then be associated with your account and you should then be offered an older version if you attempt to download the app again on the iOS device. Do not try to install the copy downloaded in iTunes, as it is the newer, incompatible version.

That step is only necessary to attain ownership of the app. You will need to access the App Store on your iOS device to be offered a compatible version.

Again, if the above was done correctly and does not work, then that particular app does not offer older versions. The app must also have supported your iOS version at one time in the past. For example, if the very first version of an app required iOS 6.

The ability to download older apps is available on iOS 4. If you have a newer device that is not yet running iOS 4. It is also worth noting that only the latest version compatible with your iOS version can be downloaded. For example, if a developer releases Version 1. However, you cannot do so if the latest version of the app is compatible with your device. How to Download. If you find an app and are offered an older version, the dialog should look similar to the one above.

Just tap on Download, and you will be taken to the home screen where the app will begin downloading. Downgrading Apps. Again, if the latest version of an app is compatible with your device, that is the only version that will be offered. However, if you owned an older version of the app and would prefer to use that instead of the latest one assuming that the older version is also compatible , it is possible if you use iTunes on a Mac or PC.

First, make sure that you have an older version of the app in iTunes. Find the app in question. If the app has an "Update" banner, that is usually a good indicator that it is an older version of the app. This is an older version of the Pages app, as indicated by the "Update" banner.

If you do not have the version you are looking for in your iTunes library, it may have been replaced by a newer version. When iTunes updates apps, the. If you have not emptied the trash recently, it may still be there.

If you can locate the. NOTE: Do not download. Confirm that the app you want has been added to the library. Then, you can delete the newer version of the app from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. For instructions, see: Deleting, Rearranging and Grouping Apps. To install the older version from iTunes onto your iOS device, you can:. Conduct a sync Drag the app from the Apps section of your Library to your device in iTunes' sidebar Click on your device in the sidebar in iTunes, select the Apps tab at the top of the screen, select "Install" for the app that you want, and click "Apply" in the lower right For the third method listed above:.

When you are done these steps, click the Apply button in the lower right of the iTunes window. A sync should be initiated, and, when complete, the app s in question should be installed on your device. Article ID: AA Not all apps will offer an old version. If WhatsApp decides not to offer it, you won't be able to download it, sorry.

Thank you very much for your valuable information. Is there any app for home button for iOS 4. You won't be able to get WhatsApp on an iPhone 3G since it's not compatible; hacking solutions are not worth the trouble. If by a home button app, you mean something like AssistiveTouch, I don't know of any. Is there any way to do this from your iPhone? I'm looking to get an older version of NBA 2k13 the v1.

If you don't have access to iTunes on a computer, the only other way to be offered an older version of an app is if you had a 2nd iOS device which is compatible with the latest version of the app. Okay thank you. It's just that I hate the version of the game that I have now and would like the older version back. I cant believe this actually works, it's simple and works exactly how it says and the work around does work, thanks a lot for this help!!!

I was becoming so discouraged with my iPad gen 1 hand-me-down. Click App Library, where you can see all the apps you have downloaded. If you want to install an old version of the app after updating. Choose the one in App Library and click the Install button.

The old version of the app will start to download to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Here, we recommend a special Apps backup software for you called AppTrans that helps you back up apps or app data on iOS devices with just a few clicks, and then you can install the old version apps on your iPhone easily after you update the system. Please free download AppTrans and follow the steps below to make a backup of your apps and app data:.

Select the apps that you want to backup and you can choose to backup both app and app Data only backup app by tapping on the button at the lower right corner.

It may take some time to complete the backup process based on the amount of device data. Please keep patient. Please frequently backup your apk files especially when you rely on the previous version of a certain app.

The app update is unavoidable, but with the help of AnyTrans and the apps manager AppTrans , you could now backup your favorite apps the same as backup your data. If you have any other great ideas about installing an old version of the app, please share them with us in the comment column.

Product-related questions? Joy Taylor Last Updated: Sep. For instance, Facebook had the support of iOS 7. Step 4. You need to tap on Download the prompt to confirm. Then, let the download process be completed. What if the new version of the app is compatible with your device but, you still want to use the older version? As a user, I really appreciate this feature. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. This is about installing a previous version of an app, not dealing with newer versions on an old iOS.

So, unfortunately, you will not be able to install older app versions. Your email address will not be published. Apple hasn't totally left old iPad owners behind. In addition to still signing the last iOS releases for those devices, you can still download software for them — assuming you know where to look. Maybe you're hanging on to an older iOS device or maybe you just got a great secondhand bargain.

Either way, you can't update the device to the latest iOS and so you also can't download the latest versions of your apps. Since the App Store only ever shows you the latest versions, it looks as if you're stuck unable to get your old apps back. Yet you can do it, and you can do it easily — if you know where to look. Open the App Store on this older device of yours and then tap on the Purchased button. As great as older iOS devices are, they are older and they are usually slower so this won't be quick.

Especially not as you need to wait until the complete list of your previously purchased apps is displayed. Once the list is complete — and all the icons have displayed too — search for the app you want. Just tap on that iCloud download icon and you're done — or very nearly. The trick here is to wait. And maybe wait for a considerable time, too. Don't tap away, don't leave the App Store, just wait. After some amount of time, the App Store will display a notification saying that no, you can't have this app because it doesn't work with the version of iOS that your device has.

However, it will also offer to let you download a previous version. This is a really smart feature from Apple because it offers you this compatible version but it also makes sure that you're getting the newest that you can. If an app has been updated five times a year, you'd struggle to know which was the very latest you could use but Apple knows and Apple tells you.

Apps get updated for a reason. You're not going to have the same experience with an older version of an app on an older device than you will with a newer setup. Speaking of newer setups, though, it looks as if you can only use this download trick with apps that you have previously bought.

If this older device is your sole iOS one then that's true, but if you have a newer one as well, you can do something more. On the newer iOS device, find and buy an app you want — that you know has a previous version which will work on your older machine.