{"slug": "downloading-older-versions-of-ios-apps-using-ipatool", "title": "Downloading older versions of iOS apps using ipatool", "summary": "The article describes ipatool, an open-source command-line tool developed by Majd, which allows users to download older versions of iOS apps on macOS, Windows, and Linux. To use it, users must log in with their Apple ID, obtain the app's bundle ID and specific build number, then run a command to download the desired version. The tool prioritizes security through its open-source nature and trusted developer, though it requires terminal usage and Apple ID authentication.", "body_md": "👉 ipatool is an open-source tool developed by Majd, a highly trustworthy and talented developer in the iOS community. Recently, ipatool got a significant update that allows users to easily download older versions of iOS apps on macOS/Windows/Linux!.\n👉 Since ipatool doesn't have a graphical user interface (GUI), some of you might think it's tricky to use. But trust me, it's not! Here's a simple guide if you're still a bit scared of the terminal. (Tbh, everything in this *guide can be found on ipatool's repo)\n👉 Note: You need to log into your Apple ID via ipatool for the tool to work. Unless you prioritize security above all, you can trust logging into your Apple account with ipatool. As explained earlier, it’s an open-source tool developed by a well-known and reliable developer, minimizing security risks to the lowest level.\n- Method 1: You can get the Build Number of most apps on the App Store from ipafilezone or Appstore.bilin (backup).\n- Method 2: Ask a jailbroken user who has AppStore++ installed to get the\nBuild version number\nfor you. - If you still can't find the Build Number, see this.\n- Grab the ipatool binary from ipatool realeases. Use\n...windows-arm64.tar.gz\nfor ARM Windows,...windows-amd64.tar.gz\nfor x86 Windows. - Unzip.\n-\nOpen Command Prompt (search \"cmd\" in Start menu) or PowerShell.\n-\nDrag & drop the extracted ipatool binary into the Command Prompt or PowerShell window. Then, run:\n/path/to/ipatool.exe auth login --email YourAppleID@icloud.com\n-\nEnter your Apple Account password and 2FA code when prompted (your password won't be displayed, just type it normally).\n-\nEnter your PC password (passphrase) when prompted. If you do not set a password for your computer, press Enter to skip.\n- ipatool should respond with something like:\nINF email=YourAppleID@icloud.com name=\"Your Name\" success=true\n- Get the app's bundle ID (com.abc.xyz):\n/path/to/ipatool.exe search Yourapp\n- Combine with the prepared Build Number, we can now download the exact version we want. Note that if you don't specify the\n--external-version-id\nflag, ipatool will simply download the latest version available.\n💻 /path/to/ipatool.exe download -b [app's bundle ID] --external-version-id [Build Number]\n- That's it! The IPA is saved in your Home folder.\n- Example: Download YouTube (com.google.ios.youtube) version 20.16.7(874149063)\n💻 ipatool download -b com.google.ios.youtube --external-version-id 874149063\n-\nInstall Homebrew (if not installed):\n/bin/bash -c \"$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)\"\n-\nUse Homebrew to install ipatool:\nbrew install ipatool\n-\nNow you can call ipatool directly in the Terminal window.\n- Grab the ipatool binary from ipatool realeases. Use\n...macos-arm64.tar.gz\nfor Apple silicon Mac,...macos-amd64.tar.gz\nfor Intel Mac. - Unzip.\n- Drag & drop the binary into the Terminal.\n-\nIn Terminal, run:\nipatool auth login --email YourAppleID@icloud.com\n-\nEnter your password and 2FA code when prompted (your password won't be displayed, just type it normally).\n-\nIf ipatool responds with\nINF email=YourAppleID@icloud.com name=\"Your Name\" success=true\n, then you're good to go. -\nYou also will be prompted to enter your device’s password to allow ipatool to access the keychain (Select Always Allow).\n-\nGet the app's bundle ID (com.abc.xyz):\nipatool search Yourapp\n-\nCombine with the prepared Build Number, we can now download the exact version we want. Note that if you don't specify the\n--external-version-id\nflag, ipatool will simply download the latest version available.\n💻 ipatool download -b [app's bundle ID] --external-version-id [Build Number]\n-\nExample: Download YouTube (com.google.ios.youtube) version 20.16.7(874149063)\n💻 ipatool download -b com.google.ios.youtube --external-version-id 874149063\n(Don't think a Linux user has to read this guide)\n- Check out this step on my old guide.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/downloading-older-versions-of-ios-apps-using-ipatool", "canonical_source": "https://gist.github.com/qnblackcat/4f7b77f685ccda2ff4ef916a27d66107", "published_at": "2025-06-16 04:43:46+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-22 21:36:01.247584+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["open-source", "developer-tools", "products"], "entities": ["ipatool", "Majd", "Apple", "App Store", "AppStore++", "ipafilezone", "Appstore.bilin", "Windows"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/downloading-older-versions-of-ios-apps-using-ipatool", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/downloading-older-versions-of-ios-apps-using-ipatool.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/downloading-older-versions-of-ios-apps-using-ipatool.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/downloading-older-versions-of-ios-apps-using-ipatool.jsonld"}}