Mac App Store Now Offering Re-Buy Warnings for Apps Purchased Elsewhere - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Mac App Store Now Offering Re-Buy Warnings for Apps Purchased Elsewhere

mac app store rebuy warning
Macworld reports that Apple has made a change to its Mac App Store providing warnings to users attempting to purchase apps that are already installed on their computers but purchased from outside the Mac App Store. The warning says:

[App name] is already installed and was not purchased from the Mac App Store

Do you want to buy [app name] again?

The report notes that while Apple has yet to provide a way for users to bring their existing non-Mac App Store apps into the Mac App Store ecosystem, the step does help prevent accidental double purchases of apps in cases where users fail to realize that they have an application already installed.

As noted by The Next Web, however, the existing app and the Mac App Store must be the exact same version in order for the warning to be triggered. Consequently, users will still need to be careful to pay attention to their existing installed apps when browsing the Mac App Store.

Popular Stories

8 CarPlay Features in iOS 27 Feature

Which iOS 27 CarPlay Features Actually Work in Your Car?

Thursday September 17, 2026 4:17 am PDT by
In iOS 27, available now, CarPlay gets its biggest update in years, but some features depend on what type of car you have rather than your iPhone model. Some of the biggest additions won't do anything in the vast majority of vehicles on the road today. Here's how the new features pan out. Works in Any CarPlay Vehicle Custom widgets: In iOS 27, CarPlay is no longer limited to Apple's handful ...
iphone 18 pro max prepare

iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping

Friday September 18, 2026 4:27 pm PDT by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an iPhone 18 Pro Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware. According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the...
Apple Watch New Charging Puck

Here's Why a New Apple Watch Charging Puck Was Just Released

Wednesday September 16, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
The new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 have hardware changes that allow for faster charging, but you will need to use the new version of the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger included in the box in order to achieve this boost. If you need extra ones for your own charging stands or travel or so forth, Apple released the new version of the charger on its online store last week, with...

Top Rated Comments

itickings Avatar
196 months ago
One small step in the right direction.

They really ought to provide a way to import licenses though. I'm getting sick of developers transitioning to "App Store only" leaving existing customers out in the cold.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
I wish it would let you download it for free. I bought Aperture 3 prior to the App store and I'd like to get it linked to my Apple ID for updates, etc.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
Being able to transfer the license from existing software to the Mac App Store would be especially useful for already bought games that still have a disc check now that Apple is moving away from optical storage.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
196 months ago
Well, the old model was "big price up front, cheap updates." The new way seems to be "reasonable price for every version, same price for everyone."

SO, given that, I suspect most developers (and Apple) will just hope that the problem goes away by itself over time.

I mean, yeah, I'd sure LIKE to link Aperture 3 with the app store, but by the time Aperture 4 comes out it won't matter. Everyone will have to buy it for the same price no matter what you had before. So the problem will essentially solve itself over time.

Yeah, it's a little anoying, but long-tern it doesn't matter. We'll all end up in the same place eventually (and for the same price).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
APlotdevice Avatar
196 months ago
The one thing that bothers me a little is that they made "buy" the default option.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
28monkeys Avatar
196 months ago
and the default button is on buy?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)