3 ways to install old app versions on old iPhone

1. Let the App Store download the compatible version

This is the easiest way to download old versions of apps, but you may not have heard of it, because Apple's App Store doesn't clearly state whether old versions are available. For example, you often see a message on an app's page stating that the app Requires [iOS version] or later , leading you to believe that your phone is not compatible. But this is not always true.

You can ignore that notification and continue pressing the download button. When you do so, the App Store will display a message asking if you want to download the old version of the app. Follow these exact steps to get this pop-up:

1. Open the App Store on iPhone and search for the app you want to download.
2. Tap an app's name or icon to open its App Store page.
3. Start downloading the app by pressing the Get button or tapping the cloud icon with a downward arrow.
4. Wait for the App Store to show Download an older version of this app?
5. Click the Download button to install the older version.

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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.

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In such cases, you can try some other solutions to download the old version of the app.

2. Download the app from the purchased list

Another way to download old versions of apps is to find them in your Purchases or Apps history (on newer iPhones). This works well if you recently reset your iPhone to factory settings and discovered that some previously installed apps now require a newer version of iOS to work.

Additionally, some people have found that the App Store will not automatically give them the option to download the previous compatible version. This happens even though they just installed a working version on their phone. If you're one of those people, try downloading apps from your purchased apps list.

Note : The Purchased or Apps list (on newer iPhones) isn't just the apps you've paid for; it's the complete history of the apps you've downloaded using your iCloud account.

To download previously purchased apps:

1. Open the App Store app on your phone and navigate to your account page by selecting the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Select Purchased or Apps (on newer iPhones) to display a list of all purchased apps associated with that iCloud account.
3. Scroll through the list to find the application you want to install.
4. Tap the cloud icon with the down arrow next to the app name to start the download.

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3. Use new equipment

The author tried re-downloading apps from his Purchased (or Apps) list and found that this method did not have any problems. But what if you haven't purchased or downloaded an app before? Another workaround is to use a new iPhone running on a new version of iOS to download the apps you want.

It's important to sign in to your iCloud account on a newer device to ensure the app is saved in 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's a step-by-step guide if you need a more detailed how-to explanation:

1. Sign in to your iCloud account with an iPhone running a recent version of iOS.
2. Open the App Store and download the app you want.
3. Go back to your old iPhone and open the App Store.
4. Search for the app on the App Store and try downloading it again. When you get the message Download an older version of this app? , select Download .

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Alternatively, you can tap the 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 the down arrow next to the app to start the download.

 As can be seen in the screenshot above, the App Store does not provide an option to download the old version. However, after downloading an iPhone running iOS 17.4, the author was able to install the old version on his iPhone X.

Wishing you success!

Marvin Fry

Update 12 June 2024