Apple Releases iTunes 12.7 With Major Changes, Including No Built-In App Store

In a day filled with surprises, Apple has shocked us once again with the release of iTunes 12.7, which entirely revamps the iTunes App. The new iTunes is designed to focus solely on music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks, which means there is no built-in App Store.

screen shot 2017 09 12 at 7
The App Store has been entirely eliminated in iTunes 12.7, as has the ringtones section of iTunes. Internet Radio is now part of Music, and iTunes U has been folded into Podcasts, as Apple announced in late August.

screen shot 2017 09 12 at 7
Apps can now only be downloaded on an iOS device using an iOS device, and the same goes for ringtones. In addition to the removal of the App Store, today's update adds support for syncing iOS 11 devices and includes support for new Apple Music features that allow you to follow friends and see what they're listening to.

The new iTunes focuses on music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks. It adds support for syncing iOS 11 devices and includes new features for--

Apple Music. Now discover music with friends. Members can create profiles and follow each other to see music they are listening to and any playlists they've shared.

Podcasts. iTunes U collections are now part of the Apple Podcasts family. Search and explore free educational content produced by leading schools, universities, museums, and cultural institutions all in one place.

If you previously used iTunes to sync apps or ringtones on your iOS device, use the new App Store or Sounds Settings on iOS to redownload them without your Mac.

The new iTunes 12.7 update can be downloaded from the Mac App Store through the Software Update mechanism. The update is available for all iTunes users at no cost.

Tag: iTunes
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
New MacBook Pros Launching Tomorrow With These 4 New Features 2

M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...

Top Rated Comments

killr_b Avatar
90 months ago
What if you made your own custom ringtones?
Score: 85 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randyhudson Avatar
90 months ago
I guess there's no more way to install a previous version of an App when a developer releases a newer version full of advertisements/bugs. I went back to the older versions of Shazam, IMDB, TWC, etc., before they sucked.
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Paradoxally Avatar
90 months ago
Great decision Apple. Who downloads iOS apps on their Mac anyway?

Anything that removes bloat from iTunes is good for me.
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
90 months ago
I hope iTunes backups still back up the Apps, so you don't have to freakin re-download them all when doing a restore.

And so much for being able to keep .IPA backups of older apps no longer sold or on the app store, that you've purchased.
Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Appleaker Avatar
90 months ago
People are saying this is a good thing, they don’t realise the lost functionality. If they want to improve iTunes performance and make it less cluttered, completely removing features like this isn’t the answer. I agree with it, but I also think there should be another application for syncing devices and managing apps.
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mmm1345 Avatar
90 months ago
Great decision Apple. Who downloads iOS apps on their Mac anyway?

Anything that removes bloat from iTunes is good for me.
I do, this is stupid. It's easier to download an app once to my mac and sync all my apps to multiple devices than to download the same app 3 or 4 times. Not to mention, I have a LOT more apps on my computer than the ones I use on my devices. I use certain apps for certain occasions. This just f's things up for no damn reason.
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)