How to: installing the old app so that it's exempt from updates

[gingerbeardman]

Thanks for the guide!

I link it from my recent blog post where I provide one new innovation: how to prevent the old app from updating.

I figured out this trick back in 2016, and I'm glad it still works.

1. extract the .ipa
2. locate the Payload folder
3. open your iPhone in Apple Configurator
4. drag the app from the Payload folder onto your iPhone
5. done!

ps: an alternative page to get the build number is https://ipaarchive.com/app/usa/333903271 (sort by date)

[qnblackcat]

Feel free to make a Pull request

[GoddeerisEdouard]

This method (of blocking updates) doesn’t seem to work for IOS 17 devices (in my case iPhone 12 Pro, IOS 17.1.1)… as they “aren’t recognized” on that version of iTunes. Would love to also be able to block app updates.

P.S. I still have to test this with the “Apple Configurator” on a Mac, I’ve tried on Windows currently

[gingerbeardman]

@GoddeerisEdouard in what way does it not work? I ask because you mention iTunes, which is not involved in any way in the installation method. So, I think it will install correctly when you use Apple Configurator.

[GoddeerisEdouard]

@gingerbeardman in your old blog where you first mentioned your way of blocking updates, you’re using iTunes. This method doesn’t seem to work for newer phones as they’re not recognized by iTunes on that old version. I haven’t tried the updated method (above ) mentioned in this Issue where you’re using macOS yet.

[gingerbeardman]

@GoddeerisEdouard right, that old iTunes-only way no longer works. I'll make a note on that old blog post.

The modern way is to use iTunes only to download the old version of the app, then use Apple Configurator to install it. As mentioned at the top of this thread and in this newer blog post:

https://blog.gingerbeardman.com/2023/08/17/going-back-to-the-old-pre-x-twitter-ios-app/

[qnblackcat]

@GoddeerisEdouard right, that old iTunes-only way no longer works. I'll make a note on that old blog post.

The modern way is to use iTunes only to download the old version of the app, then use Apple Configurator to install it. As mentioned at the top of this thread and in this newer blog post:

https://blog.gingerbeardman.com/2023/08/17/going-back-to-the-old-pre-x-twitter-ios-app/

This is awesome. Definitely will mention it in the guide

[GoddeerisEdouard]

Alright, so amazing news:
It did work on MacOS by following the guide above (just dragging the app folder from Payload in Apple configurator ). I had one small issue: my MacOS wasn't up-to-date, Apple Configurator 2.17 (latest found for me) required MacOS 14.0 to be installed... I was on MacOS 13.x

so this was my workaround:
I found Apple Configurator 2.16 and downloaded that one on my Mac and it worked flawlessly from there. (I couldn't drag the app in Apple Configurator at first, but I just clicked the "Add" button in Apple Configurator and just went through my Mac's directory that way.

Now the app doesn't appear in my App Store updates anymore, I'm happy :).

[gingerbeardman]

Good point regarding finding the correct old version of Apple Configurator for your macOS. Long ago I installed it through the Mac App Store which guarantees I'm on the most recent version (I'm still on Monterey, so it's an old one).

Dragging and dropping can only happen if device is connected and "opened" (double click I'd to go inside, sort of thing) in Apple Configurator.

[Wikinger8]

Is there a way to get Apple Configurator for Windows 10?

[gingerbeardman]

No, there is no such thing as the Apple Configurator for Windows.

[qnblackcat]

@gingerbeardman
It seems like the link to my guide in your blog is incorrect. Could you fix it?

[GoddeerisEdouard]

@gingerbeardman It seems like the link to my guide in your blog is incorrect. Could you fix it?

If you're talking about

...
Follow this great step-by-step tutorial. It might seem ...

The link is correct...?

[gingerbeardman]

Only because I fixed it a couple hours ago—thanks for the report it was a bug in my blogging system! @qnblackcat

[ZeppLu]

Installing the payload directly means the App Store app has no record of the app being installed so it does not check for updates to it. You can confirm this by going to the App Store page for the app, where it will show it is yet to be downloaded.

Just curious, what if I download from App Store after installing this way? Will my app be updated to latest version? Will my app data get lost?