Yesterday I updated an app on my iPhone and found one of the changes annoying enough that it prompted me to figure out how to roll back an app update for the first time in my long history of iThings and apps (Facebook, I hope you feel proud). If you find yourself in a similar position, the procedures below should help.
Note: I use iTunes on Windows – Google suggests that Time Machine can help resolve the same problem on a Mac, but I’ve not tested.
If you updated your app on your iThing
- Delete the unwanted version of the app from your iThing.
Note: If there’s data associated with the app, you’ll lose anything you’ve added since your last sync with iTunes. - Sync with iTunes.
The last version of the app downloaded/sync-ed with iTunes is reinstalled on your iThing. Hooray!
If you updated your app in iTunes on Windows
- Delete the unwanted version of the app from your iThing.
Note: If there’s data associated with the app, you’ll lose anything you’ve added since your last sync with iTunes. - Delete the unwanted version of the app in iTunes in the Apps section of your Library.
- Go to your Recycle Bin in Windows.
iTunes moved the old app here when it downloaded the new version. - Locate the .ipa file for the app you want to roll back, right-click the file and select Restore.
- Go to <Drive Letter>:\Users\<User Name>\Music\iTunes\Mobile Applications, locate the restored .ipa file, and drag it into iTunes.
- Sync iTunes with your device, and voila, the older version of the app is back.
