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How do I download iPhone apps from the Apple iTunes store?

I just downloaded the latest version of iTunes, all excited about being able to finally get to the Apple Applications Store and grab some new stuff for my iPhone, but when I restart, it's not there?!

Dave's Answer:

You aren't the first person to encounter this problem: I did too. The problem is that you appear to have diverged from the default configuration and so you now need to go into your preferences and tweak it to let you see the app store in iTunes. It's there (well, access to it is there) you just aren't showing it.

When I first started poking around, I figured that it'd just be a new category in the iTunes Store, actually, y'know, like podcasts and audiobooks, but it's not (rather confusingly, if you ask me, since in so many other areas the app store is functionally identical to the music store).

Start up iTunes 7.7 or newer and you're probably seeing something like this:

Where's the app store? To find it, you need to go to your Preferences...

As you can see highlighted, you need to ensure that "Applications" is checked. Do so, click "OK" and now there's a new item on the left side of the iTunes window:

Click on it and you'll get a nice big gray box without anything in it:

The key to getting online and visiting the App Store is to click on "Get More Applications" on the lower right corner. Now we're getting somewhere!

I'll click on "Twitterific" since I've been eager to get a better Twitter client (what? You aren't following me on Twitter? For goodness sake! Follow my main account @DaveTaylor and, if you're a movie fan, also follow @FilmBuzz too!)

For any given application, there's quite a bit of information available, as shown here:

You'll want to click on the small "GET APP" button, at which point if you're not already logged in to the iTunes Store you'll need to log in. I also found that I had to agree to some new terms of service wording and go back to click on "GET APP" a second time to actually download the app. Once you do, you'll see:

Kind of fun if you're used to just seeing sync messages, I'd say!

Once you download it -- and maybe another app or two -- your Applications library will be a bit more visually interesting:

As you can see, while some of the apps are downloaded, others are still just "placeholder" icons as they are sucked out of the App Store. It took roughly one minute per app for me to get them downloaded and I expect that'll be shorter as time goes on since today is the first day of the store and everyone's probably going crazy downloading things.

Now that you have apps on your computer in iTunes, you can use "Get Info" to see more about them:

I'm glad to see how small the applications are, actually. Notice that Twitterific is only 1.2MB, which means I don't need to erase all my music to add a few new apps to my iPhone.

Now that you have the apps you want for your iPhone, the next step is to upgrade the iPhone software itself (see how to upgrade your iPhone firmware to verison 2.0) and restart. Then you'll see an "Applications" tab for your phone in iTunes and you can easily select which apps -- or all applications! -- to copy onto your cellphone.

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Categorized: Cell Phones and Mobile Phones (Article 8370)
Tagged: app store, apple iphone, apple itunes, application store, download iphone apps
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Comments

do you have to wait untill tommorow to put them on your i phone/ i touch?

Posted by: chris at July 10, 2008 1:27 PM

As far as I can tell, yes. When you can get the new software for your iPhone, then there's an additional tab that shows up in the iTunes app when you're looking at your phone, an "Applications" tab. We'll see how that shakes out tomorrow! :-)

Posted by: Dave Taylor at July 10, 2008 4:44 PM

Hi Dave, drag and drop them where, how? I have them in my Applications Folder on my Mac iTunes, drag and drop does not work and they don't install during a sync? What step have I missed? Thanks so much, Jim.

Posted by: Jim Scolman at July 12, 2008 9:20 PM

I cannot install Twitterific on my ipod touch because iTunes says its not available in the US. How are you all downloading Twitterific?

Posted by: Allison at September 11, 2008 4:29 PM

I've downloaded them and they are in my "applications" section on iTunes, but where do i drag them to actually get them on my iPod touch? Thanks so much,
Emily

Posted by: Emily at October 21, 2008 3:24 PM

I want to transfer purchased applications from itunes to my iphone but get a warning that all my applications existing on the iphone will be erased. Any suggestions how to keep my applications ?

Posted by: Chris Brander at November 28, 2008 7:53 PM

Hey Dave, I've just got the iphone and I've tried to downloading applications from the apps store on my phone and i put in my password and it begins to download it and then it stops and a message comes up saying 'there is a problem with a previous purchase. Go to your itunes store on your computer and click purchase history to resolve the problem.' And when i do so i can't seem to find my purchase history. Any ideas?

Posted by: louise at January 11, 2009 10:09 AM

Emily, unlike music, you can not drag and drop applications onto the iPod Touch device in the far left column... it's weird and stupid.

you have click on the device, go to the applications tab, check the Sync Applications button and then check on the selected applications button...

Posted by: Chris at February 25, 2009 11:23 AM

i cant find the aplications that i got yesterday from itunes and when i want to download them again it sais that i already got the existing copies.where can i find my applications?therw not on the applications icon.please help

Posted by: uriel mascorro at March 15, 2009 11:03 AM

ok. i did what you said, i have the applications thingy on the itunes window, i bought games, but yet they dont update to my iphone. i dont get why?? any help??

Posted by: casey at March 16, 2009 3:22 PM

Just got the phone as a gift and am trying to add apps but I forgot my password. It said it would e-mail but has not HELP

Posted by: sallie at May 3, 2009 9:49 AM

Dave: as always, You did a terrific job: Your instructions are very helpful and clear, please keep up the good job and thanks for Your help! I could not use my phone without Your work on this page! Thanks again.

My opinion is: the whole iTunes/iPhone misery is a horrible useless pile of crap: I can't believe Steve Jobs can sell this unreliable, over-engineered, difficult-to-use concept. Why on Earth, did they make this program so difficult to use? Or it is just me?!

Posted by: brian at May 9, 2009 10:56 PM

i downloaded the apps from itunes and foudn them in the application tab. my phone is updated it says version im using the the current version but i still dont see an application tab in my iphone. help anyone?

Posted by: zack at May 17, 2009 8:59 AM

same problem as zach...

Posted by: aubree at June 9, 2009 12:03 AM

hi dave!
where can i purchase Application
for my iPod touch v1.1.5
It wan a First gen.of iPod touch

Posted by: jhen at June 11, 2009 11:46 PM

i deleted the actual application window that shows on the actual Iphone. and now for some reason although i have purchased all the applications i want through ITunes on my computer and i see them in the application window in the ITunes library itself. i cant seem to upload them to my phone.

note: i did get the latest updates for my phone

whats the problem? plz help

Posted by: Anonymous at August 6, 2009 6:42 PM

hey dave how do i download music from itunes?

Posted by: anonymous at August 26, 2009 9:18 AM

i bought an ipod nano 4th generation and then i buy games from itunes store.
then i noticed that the games i downloaded appeared at the "apllication" section
pls help me, how do i insert those games to my ipod?

Posted by: honey at October 25, 2009 4:11 PM

Honey, you're doing the right thing, your games are in the right place. Now plug in your iPod and in iTunes make sure that you have selected that it should sync apps up. Then it'll automatically copy across the games you can play on the Nano.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at October 26, 2009 10:02 AM

Hi Dave, i hope you can try and help me solve my problem because i had repeatedly tried but failed
For some reason i am unable to put my apps which i bought from itunes onto my iphone because when i try to synchronise my laptop istore with the iphone it says that the computer is not authorised by the store, yet i had already authorised it.
I had tried to authorise and deathorise it several times but it doesnt not seem to help
Can you please help me to solve my problem?

Posted by: John at October 29, 2009 3:28 PM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!