If you have an older iPhone, chances are you've encountered the problem of not being able to download new apps. Luckily, there are a few ways you can download older versions of apps. Read on to explore your options!
1. Let the App Store download the compatible version
This is the easiest way to download an older version of an app, but you may not have heard of it, since Apple's App Store doesn't make it clear whether an older version is available. For example, you'll often see a message on an app's page that says it Requires [iOS version] or later , leading you to believe that your phone isn't compatible. But that's not always true.
You can ignore that message and go ahead and press the download button. When you do, the App Store will pop up a message asking if you want to download an older version of the app. Follow these exact steps to get this pop-up:
If this doesn't work, you'll see the following message: This app requires [iOS version] or later . For example, the Apple Sports app requires iOS 17.2 or later.
In such cases, you can try some other solutions to download the older version of the app.
2. Download the app from the purchased list
Another way to download older versions of apps is to find them in your Purchased or Apps history (on newer iPhones). This works well if you recently factory reset your iPhone and discover that some of the apps you installed previously now require a newer version of iOS to work.
Additionally, some people have found that the App Store won’t automatically give them the option to download a previous compatible version. This happens even though they already have a working version installed on their phone. If you’re one of those people, try downloading the app from your list of purchased apps.
Note : The Purchased or Apps list (on newer iPhones) isn't just the apps you've paid for; it's a complete history of the apps you've downloaded using your iCloud account.
To download previously purchased apps:
3. Using new equipment
I tried re-downloading apps from my Purchased (or Apps) list and found that this worked without any problems. But what if you haven’t purchased or downloaded an app before? Another workaround is to use a new iPhone running a new version of iOS to download the app you want.
It's important to sign in to your iCloud account on your newer device to ensure the app is saved to your app purchase history. After downloading the app, go back to your old iPhone and try downloading it from your Purchased (or Apps) list or by searching for it.
Here is a step by step guide if you need a more detailed explanation:
Alternatively, you can tap your profile icon in the App Store, select Purchased (or Apps on newer iPhones), and scroll through the list to find the app you just installed on your new iPhone. Then, tap the cloud icon with a down arrow next to the app to start downloading.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the App Store does not provide an option to download the older version. However, after downloading the iOS 17.4 iPhone, the author was able to install the older version on his iPhone X.
Limitations in the above methods of downloading older versions of the application
Unfortunately, these methods won’t work for every app on the App Store. Some newer apps won’t be backward compatible—especially those for newer iOS devices. There won’t be an older version of the app available for download, and there’s nothing you can do about it, unfortunately.
The older your iPhone is, the less likely you are to find a compatible version of the app you're after. But since it's easy to see if there's an older version of an app, these methods are worth a try. If you suspect another issue is preventing you from downloading the app, don't worry, there are a number of ways to fix an iPhone that won't download apps .
With the way Apple designs the App Store, it can be easy to think that your favorite apps are no longer compatible with your iPhone. But don't be fooled! Some apps offer older versions that will work on older iPhones, and they're incredibly easy to download.
Good luck!
Chrome on Android is a great browser out of the box, but you can make it even better. These tips and features will help you browse the web faster.
When you compare smartphones from nearly two decades ago and today, you can't help but notice that they've gotten worse in a variety of ways.
Just like the .exe file on the Windows operating system is used to install software, the same is true on the Android operating system. APK files on the Android operating system are used to install software on the system. So how to download and install APK files on Android devices, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
Are you bored with static wallpapers on your phone? Try this method of turning videos into beautiful wallpapers for Android.
The lock screen on your phone or tablet is a tool designed to prevent strangers from accessing your device. Because of this importance, setting up the lock screen in the safest and most reasonable way is something every user should do. The article below summarizes 4 things you should apply to the lock screen on Android and iOS to master the above feature and protect your device from unauthorized access.
Today's technological developments can allow you to directly extract text from images captured with a smartphone camera.
As soon as you update your iPhone to the official iOS 16 version, you will be able to set an iPhone wallpaper without covering your face when adjusting the wallpaper according to the depth effect.
While Apple's Photos app is useful for basic tasks like cropping photos, it doesn't offer many advanced editing features. And that's where a third-party photo editor comes in handy.
Developer options on Android devices are hidden by default, to avoid changes that affect the system. The following article will guide readers on how to enable developer mode on Android, illustrated on the Samsung Galaxy S9, and how to disable this option if you no longer use it.
Smartphones and tablets can easily fill up with storage, especially if you've been using them for a while. Here are some ways to free up space on your Android device.
Deleting apps you know you won't use is a great way to save storage space and minimize background processes on your phone.
It's easy to think of screenshots as temporary, but many of us never delete them. The danger is that some of them can become gold mines for hackers, identity thieves, or even just curious friends.
Many people think that their Samsung phone battery can no longer meet the daily needs. But after turning off these overlooked settings, the battery can easily last all day.
Current web browsers on computers or phones all have the option to delete browsing history, such as deleting browsing history on Chrome, deleting browsing history on Firefox,...
You can use iCloud Keychain or iCloud Keychain to save your passwords and easily access them on your iPhone. Here's how to recover deleted passwords on your iPhone.
