iTunes 12.6.4 Released as Minor Update to Version With Built-In App Store

Apple has updated its special enterprise-focused version of iTunes that still has a built-in App Store for those who need it.

Download links for iTunes 12.6.4.3 have been quietly made available in an Apple support document related to deploying iPhone and iPad apps in a business environment with iTunes on Mac or Windows PCs.

The update was prepared on March 20 and released on Tuesday, according to German blog iFun.de. The version doesn't include new release notes, so it is likely a minor update with bug fixes and stability improvements.

Apple removed the App Store in iTunes 12.7 last September, but it released iTunes 12.6.3 shortly afterwards for business customers or anyone who might still need to use the desktop software to install iOS apps.

Those who have already downloaded iTunes 12.6.3 will likely not be prompted about the iTunes 12.6.4.3 update, so they'll have to update manually by downloading and installing the new version from Apple's support document.

iTunes 12.6.4.3 can be downloaded by anyone, including those who have already installed iTunes 12.7. If at any point users want to update to iTunes 12.7.4 or later, they can do so manually from the main iTunes download page.

Top Rated Comments

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manu chao

18 months ago

I’m sure there are those who need the App Store on iTunes but my guess is the majority likely do not.

iTunes allows you to have a sortable list view of all your (downloaded/purchased) apps. I can quickly check:

* Which apps haven't received updates since a while
* Which apps I have from a given vendor
* The size of apps and sort the list by it (in iOS you can only get a list sorted by sum of app+user-generated data)
* Apps by category (by sorting by it)
* The purchase date of apps
* The version number of apps
* Which AppleID was used to buy/get a specific app

Without the App Store in iTunes you can check most of these things only on a per app basis and not have a sorted list. The only sorted lists in iOS are for total app size (app+user-generated data) and last updated in reverse order.

Rating: 10 Votes

ScooterComputer

18 months ago

Huzzah! Now I can upgrade to 11.3.

No, you can't. As mentioned by others in the forum, it still prompts to upgrade to iTunes 12.7.3 in order to update to iOS 11.3.

This is abysmal, Apple.

Rating: 5 Votes

whyamihere

18 months ago

It was ridiculous to remove the App store from iTunes in the first place without at least giving manageability in a standalone program.

And there's no way I'm updating my working 12.6.3 to a new version that doesn't even contain release notes.

Rating: 5 Votes

casperes1996

18 months ago

What a joke. A 32bit version for windows but not the Mac.

Is that a joke?

Name me a single supported 32-bit Mac

Rating: 5 Votes

DotCom2

18 months ago

I might be weird, but I kinda liked having the App Store in iTunes.
What are the cons of getting the version that has the App Store back in it? I might want to get it if there are none.
I do have an iPhone X.

Rating: 4 Votes

ThunderSkunk

18 months ago

Thanks for the handy 12.6 download page. Time to downgrade another Apple product to get back to a working state. This is becoming a pattern.

Hopefully someday they'll get around to fixing the Audiobooks duplication problem 12.7 introduced back in December:

Until then, 12.6 it is.
...time to rebuild my entire iTunes library from the ground up, again...

Rating: 4 Votes

dannytco

18 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/04/itunes-12-6-4-released/')

Apple has updated its special enterprise-focused version of iTunes that still has a built-in App Store for those who need it.

Download links for iTunes 12.6.4.3 ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208079') have been quietly made available in an Apple support document related to deploying iPhone and iPad apps in a business environment with iTunes on Mac or Windows PCs.

The update was prepared on March 20 and released on Tuesday, according to German blog iFun.de ('https://www.ifun.de/itunes-12-6-4-stilles-update-fuer-die-ausgabe-mit-app-store-120691/'). The version doesn't include new release notes, so it is likely a minor update with bug fixes and stability improvements.

Apple removed the App Store in iTunes 12.7 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/12/apple-itunes-12-7-no-app-store/') last September, but it released iTunes 12.6.3 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/10/09/apple-itunes-with-app-store-included/') shortly afterwards for business customers or anyone who might still need to use the desktop software to install iOS apps.

Those who have already downloaded iTunes 12.6.3 will likely not be prompted about the iTunes 12.6.4.3 update, so they'll have to update manually by downloading and installing the new version from Apple's support document ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208079').

iTunes 12.6.4.3 can be downloaded by anyone, including those who have already installed iTunes 12.7. If at any point users want to update to iTunes 12.7.4 or later, they can do so manually from the main iTunes download page ('https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/').

Article Link: iTunes 12.6.4 Released as Minor Update to Version With Built-In App Store ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/04/itunes-12-6-4-released/')

[doublepost=1522862846][/doublepost]Still does not let you upgrade to iOS 11.3, says iTunes 12.7 is required. I have been using apple products for the last 25+ years but seriously considering leaving because of their stupid software moves that keep taking away options and useful features.

Rating: 4 Votes

SoGood

18 months ago

I actually liked it when Apple de-coupled the App Store from iTunes. Saves on updating everything twice. Remember how, when you wanted to do a full backup of your iPhone how you had to wait while all purchases were transferred to your computer first? Does anyone else miss that fun?

I’m sure there are those who need the App Store on iTunes but my guess is the majority likely do not.

Indeed. It's convenient for most but to those with multiple iOS devices within the household as well those with restricted data quota, this version of iTunes is invaluable. These days, iOS apps can be very large and get updated somewhat regularly. Very glad Apple is continuing to support this version of iTunes.
[doublepost=1522884563][/doublepost]

My biggest question is, I have a handful of paid apps, that through iTunes I transfer to my partner and daughter iOS devices (with different Apple IDs) without having to pay for them again. Can anyone tell me if I'd still be able to do this with iTunes 12.7?

Just sign onto your Apple Store/ID account on your family members' iOS device and then download. Sign off and back onto their account after the download.
[doublepost=1522884715][/doublepost]

Update to iOS 11.3 directly from within the iOS (Settings -> General -> Software Update). Far far more efficient than updating through iTunes.

Rating: 3 Votes

manu chao

18 months ago

I've upgraded all my iOS devices over the air for years. I see no real benefit (except for people in very data-limited situations with multiple iOS devices and even then I'm not sure if, eg, iPads and iPhones might still need separate downloads of iOS updates) in using iTunes for that.

Having an iOS App Store on my Mac has a number of advantages I listed above ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/itunes-12-6-4-released-as-minor-update-to-version-with-built-in-app-store.2113489/#post-25954587'), another one I failed to mention is being able to browse the App Store and buy apps from my desktop on a much bigger screen than an iPhone has.

Rating: 3 Votes