Last year, Apple removed the App Store from iTunes. Soon after, however, Apple quietly released a special edition of iTunes that retains access to the App Store for "certain business partners" who "might still need to use iTunes to install apps."

macos mojave itunes apple configurator
Apple provides a download page on its website for the special edition of iTunes, which originally had a version number of 12.6.3. Two updates have since been released, including version 12.6.4 and the current version 12.6.5.

As brought to our attention by a MacRumors reader, and confirmed by our own testing, however, iTunes 12.6.5 fails to install on Mac systems updated to the public release of macOS Mojave this week. It also appears that the previous 12.6.3 and 12.6.4 versions do not function properly on macOS Mojave.

It's unclear if Apple does not plan on supporting the special edition of iTunes on macOS Mojave, or simply hasn't updated it yet. In the meantime, Apple Configurator can be used to mass-deploy apps on iOS devices from a Mac.

Tag: iTunes
Related Forums: macOS Mojave, Mac Apps

Top Rated Comments

Schranke Avatar
Schranke
57 months ago
How about apple make a special version of iTunes which only contains music?
Nothing else, note even the connect thingy or other “social media” features, just music.

One can dream
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
69Mustang
57 months ago
Why is this surprising? Mojave moved things so it doesn't have to be within iTunes. Should one expect it to be available in two places?
Yes, yes they should. It's why the special edition exists.
...that retains access to the App Store for "certain business partners" who "might still need to use iTunes to install apps.
Mojave doesn't obviate the needs of those business partners.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B4U Avatar
B4U
57 months ago
What does this even mean? iTunes works fine, version 12.9..... downloads with Mojave. I have no idea what all this 12.6 jibber jabber is, seems like out of date version. Maybe someone could just state clearly?
Please read the article one more time.
It clearly says this iTunes version was special released after 12.7 came out with AppStore still available.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
efecanarar Avatar
efecanarar
37 months ago
It's been a week since "most qualified people" at Apple looked into the problem. Any news?
Sorry for making you wait. I got the good news today. The problem is in the server, Apple software team is aware of this and they are working on it. They said that the problem will be fixed soon.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannys1 Avatar
dannys1
57 months ago
How about apple make a special version of iTunes which only contains music?
Nothing else, note even the connect thingy or other “social media” features, just music.

One can dream
That's all it really contains now - it has tabs for movies, audiobooks and podcasts but you have to change the interface to get to them. Mine sits on the music tab the majority of the time and all it contains is music, doesn't even mention "social media" features as you say anywhere.

I'm not sure how anyone could complain about the way iTunes is laid out now.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Janichsan Avatar
Janichsan
57 months ago
Why is this surprising? Mojave moved things so it doesn't have to be within iTunes. Should one expect it to be available in two places?
The iOS App Store and iOS app management under macOS is not available in two places. It always only was in iTunes and since the initial removal of these features in iTunes 12.7 (which lead to a significant backlash) has never been available anywhere else on the Mac. In fact, with the current iTunes 12.9, these features are available at no places at all.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.3 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 4 New Features

Friday February 3, 2023 1:13 pm PST by
Apple released iOS 16.3 in late January following nearly six weeks of beta testing. The software update is available for the iPhone 8 and newer, and while it is a relatively minor update, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes. Below, we've recapped new features in iOS 16.3, including support for physical security keys as a two-factor authentication option for...
Read Full Article
magsafe duo perspective feature

Apple Releases New MagSafe Duo Firmware

Tuesday February 7, 2023 12:41 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for the MagSafe Duo charger that is designed to work with the Apple Watch and MagSafe-compatible iPhone models. The new firmware is version 10M3063, but in the settings app, you'll see a 256.1067.0 version number, up from 186.0.0.0. The MagSafe Duo was first released in 2020 alongside the iPhone 12 models, and it has not had a firmware update before....
Read Full Article • 92 comments
oneplus 11 3

Camera Comparison: Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max vs. OnePlus 11 5G

Tuesday February 7, 2023 10:11 am PST by
Chinese smartphone company OnePlus today announced the official debut of the OnePlus 11 5G, which is the company's latest flagship smartphone. The device was already announced in China, but today marks the global launch so we thought we'd compare the OnePlus 11 5G to the iPhone 14 Pro Max to see how the camera measures up. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple's...
Read Full Article • 70 comments
HomePod 2 White and Midnight Feature Purple Orange

Apple Releases tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 Software Updates

Monday February 6, 2023 10:13 am PST by
Apple today released new tvOS 16.3.1 and HomePod 16.3.1 software updates, with the software coming two weeks after the tvOS 16.3 and HomePod 16.3 updates were released. According to Apple's release notes for HomePod software 16.3.1, the update includes general performance and stability improvements. Notes for tvOS 16.3.1 are unavailable as of yet, but are probably similar to the HomePod...
Read Full Article • 147 comments
iPhone 15 Pro Blue Feature

iPhone 15 Pro 'Buttonless Design' Rumors: Everything We Know

Monday February 6, 2023 7:44 am PST by
The iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a "buttonless design" thanks to additional Taptic Engines, according to multiple corroborated reports, so what do we know about the change so far? Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report that the volume and power buttons on this year's two high-end iPhone models will adopt a solid-state design, similar to the iPhone 7's home button, replacing a...
Read Full Article • 119 comments
iPhone 14 Pro Purple Side Perspective Feature Purple

Gurman: Apple Considering New High-End iPhone Alongside Pro and Pro Max

Sunday February 5, 2023 6:07 am PST by
Apple has discussed selling a new top-of-the-line iPhone alongside the Pro and Pro Max models in 2024 at the earliest, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the device would be part of the iPhone 16 lineup or later. In a September 2022 edition of his weekly "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said there was "potential" for an iPhone 15 Ultra to replace the iPhone 15 Pro...
Read Full Article • 488 comments
iphone ultra concept daehnert

'iPhone Ultra' Concept Envisions Apple's Rumored Future Top-Tier Smartphone

Tuesday February 7, 2023 5:38 am PST by
Apple has reportedly considered releasing a new top-of-the-line iPhone alongside future Pro and Pro Max models, tentatively referred to as "iPhone Ultra," and one designer has taken it upon himself to envision what such a device could potentially look like. German industrial designer Jonas Daehnert came up with this impressive-looking concept (pictured) by marrying design elements of the...
Read Full Article • 164 comments
Apple iPad 10th gen Magic Keyboard Folio Apple Pencil Feature Blue

Apple Could Break an iPad Tradition This Year

Wednesday February 8, 2023 3:13 am PST by
Apple usually releases a new entry-level iPad every year, but the current lineup and rumors for 2023 may indicate that this will be the first year when the company breaks this convention. When Apple introduced the 10th-generation iPad last year, it added the device to the lineup above the ninth-generation model from 2021. As a result, Apple currently sells both the ninth- and 10th-generation ...
Read Full Article