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Share Apps Between iPhones - No Hacks

Saturday July 26, 2008 5:21 am PDT by longofest
Multi-iPhone households have likely already been thrust into the dilemma of whether or not to purchase their favorite iPhone applications multiple times for multiple iPhones in their possession (but synced to multiple iTunes libraries, as in a family situation). Now, one user has discovered a way around the predicament.

The solution uses the abilities currently present in iTunes to authorize and download the application to other iTunes libraries. Essentially the method is as follows:

1. Log-in to second iTunes library using the AppleID you used to purchase the Application.
2. Go to the desired application and click "Buy Application". The App Store should give the following prompt:

3. Download the app, then log out of your account, and you should be able to sync the application with the iPhone that is connected to that iTunes library!

Credit to Melvin Rivera for posting the method.

Alternative Method: As noted in our forums and elsewhere, another way to share applications is to drag and drop the application .ipa file from the "Mobile Applications" folder on the computer where the app was purchased onto the iTunes library that doesn't contain the application. If the iTunes library has been authorized to play your music content from iTunes, the application will transfer and will sync on the the other iPhone as above.
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MarkW19
Posted: 46 months ago
This doesn't work for me on different Fast User Switching accounts, it just doesn't recognise that I've downloaded the app before (logged in using my own iTunes account).
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Dmac77
Posted: 46 months ago
Isn't this illegal?

Don
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StophMac24
Posted: 46 months ago

Isn't this illegal?

Don


To me it isn't illegal, especially if you and your spouse both use the same iTunes account because it is under the same credit card. Essentially, you and all your friends could use the same iTunes account, just keep in mind that if you do that, any application downloaded is under the same credit card, so you would have to decide who take the bite every time an app is downloaded.....(lets hope you have friends that pay you back)

Of course, you as an iTunes user are allowed up too five authorizations, this would essentially mean that if you knew 4 other people who owned iPhones, you could in essence authorize there computers to play your content, and this would include your apps.

On a side not,

Another way of doing is exactly what i described above. If you go into your friends iTunes and click store>Authorize then enter your user name and password, you have authorized your bud to play all music you have downloaded and sync all apps to his/her iPhone. Your apps are located in your iTunes folder in the Mobile Applications folder. Essentially, you drag and drop your apps onto CD or disk, and drag and drop them onto your friends iTunes, and now your friend can sync his iPhone with your apps. No need to share accounts. This stays this way unless you de-authorize his computer.
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Dmac77
Posted: 46 months ago

To me it isn't illegal, especially if you and your spouse both use the same iTunes account because it is under the same credit card. Essentially, you and all your friends could use the same iTunes account, just keep in mind that if you do that, any application downloaded is under the same credit card, so you would have to decide who take the bite every time an app is downloaded.....(lets hope you have friends that pay you back)

Of course, you as an iTunes user are allowed up too five authorizations, this would essentially mean that if you knew 4 other people who owned iPhones, you could in essence authorize there computers to play your content, and this would include your apps.

On a side not,

Another way of doing is exactly what i described above. If you go into your friends iTunes and click store>Authorize then enter your user name and password, you have authorized your bud to play all music you have downloaded and sync all apps to his/her iPhone. Your apps are located in your iTunes folder in the Mobile Applications folder. Essentially, you drag and drop your apps onto CD or disk, and drag and drop them onto your friends iTunes, and now your friend can sync his iPhone with your apps. No need to share accounts. This stays this way unless you de-authorize his computer.


I can understand this being ok to do with your spouse/family, but I see a potential for abuse of this, (I.E. people selling authorization to there iTunes account, and then selling apps grey market style). We'll see if Apple allows this to happen, or will force people to contact them for a credit to re-download the app. Personally I believe that the latter will happen due to pressures from developers.

Don
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MarkW19
Posted: 46 months ago

Another way of doing is exactly what i described above. If you go into your friends iTunes and click store>Authorize then enter your user name and password, you have authorized your bud to play all music you have downloaded and sync all apps to his/her iPhone. Your apps are located in your iTunes folder in the Mobile Applications folder. Essentially, you drag and drop your apps onto CD or disk, and drag and drop them onto your friends iTunes, and now your friend can sync his iPhone with your apps. No need to share accounts. This stays this way unless you de-authorize his computer.


Thanks a lot for that, did the trick under fast user switching (didn't work using the "normal" method).

I tried to drag my app into the other person's Mobile Apps folder, but as you said, the only way is to drag and drop INTO iTunes.
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kajkaj1
Posted: 46 months ago
hm, If I want a program that only exist in USA (me live in Sweden) - can I borrow a USA-acount from a friend and do like this method?
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Dmac77
Posted: 46 months ago

hm, If I want a program that only exist in USA (me live in Sweden) - can I borrow a USA-acount from a friend and do like this method?


I'm pretty sure it would work, it's worth a shot.

Don
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m4rc
Posted: 46 months ago
'One clever user has discovered'? Nope, people have known about this for ages, its not rocket science! There were mumblings weeks ago that this was a reason many developers were not current interested in developing for the iPhone - they couldn't stop apps being shared. Before the app store was opened I thought it would not be that easy and was telling people it would never work, but tried it when I purchased an app on launch and it worked just fine.

Legal/illegal - fine line, but is it really very different to sharing music with others by authorising your account on their machines?

hm, If I want a program that only exist in USA (me live in Sweden) - can I borrow a USA-acount from a friend and do like this method?



Set up a US iTunes account, buy it with vouchers purchased from eBay, it works fine. You COULD borrow the account from your friend, that would work but thats pushing the boundaries of legality to be honest, but yes it would work, the iTunes software doesn't change between countries, you just log in using the account and ensure you are going to the correct countries store.
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yoman
Posted: 46 months ago
Unlikely to be abused. You would only share your itunes login info with someone you trusted. Because they could easily just purchase a boatload of crap and have it be charged to YOUR account which would not be fun.
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longofest
Posted: 46 months ago

Another way of doing is exactly what i described above. If you go into your friends iTunes and click store>Authorize then enter your user name and password, you have authorized your bud to play all music you have downloaded and sync all apps to his/her iPhone. Your apps are located in your iTunes folder in the Mobile Applications folder. Essentially, you drag and drop your apps onto CD or disk, and drag and drop them onto your friends iTunes, and now your friend can sync his iPhone with your apps. No need to share accounts. This stays this way unless you de-authorize his computer.


Good point. I see it's also mentioned in the comments of the blog post. I'll update the article once I get to a compy. iPhone w/o copy paste for links, etc is horrible for story writing
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