How to Sync Apps to More Than One iPhone (4 Steps)
By Avery Martin
Syncing an app between more than one iPhone provides a way to keep all of your iPhones up-to-date without having to purchase the same app several times. Provided you use the same computer to sync each iPhone, you can transfer any of your app purchases to your computer and then sync them to each iPhone. Syncing apps between your iPhones provides a layer of convenience, especially if you use one phone for business and another for personal use.
Step 1
Launch iTunes, click the "Store" menu, then select "Authorize" to authorize your computer with the iPhone that has the apps you want to transfer. When prompted for your Apple ID, use the Apple ID that correlates to the iPhone with the apps installed.
Step 2
Connect the authorized iPhone to the computer. When prompted, select "Transfer Purchases." If Transfer Purchases doesn't appear, right-click on your iPhone from the Device section and click "Transfer Purchases." Unplug the iPhone when the transfer completes.
Step 3
Complete the authorization process for the next iPhone if the Apple ID you've used for purchases is different than the one on your first iPhone, then connect the iPhone and select "Transfer Purchases." Unplug the iPhone when the transfer completes.
Step 4
Connect your first iPhone to the computer and click the "Apps" tab. Select "Sync Apps," then click "Apply." Complete the same process for your second iPhone.
References
Tips
- Once you've transferred the apps to your computer, you can sync them with any iOS device, not just iPhones.
- If you have apps on more than one iPhone, you have to complete the transfer process for each iPhone.
- To make syncing easier, use the same Apple ID for all of your accounts.
Warnings
- Make sure all of the iPhones belong only to a single user. Apple does not provide a license to share your apps with other users. Each individual must have his own account and purchase the app separately.
Writer Bio
Avery Martin holds a Bachelor of Music in opera performance and a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian studies. As a professional writer, she has written for Education.com, Samsung and IBM. Martin contributed English translations for a collection of Japanese poems by Misuzu Kaneko. She has worked as an educator in Japan, and she runs a private voice studio out of her home. She writes about education, music and travel.