Downloading older versions of iOS apps using ipatool

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.

👉 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 . 👉 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 👉 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. - Method 1: You can get the Build Number of most apps on the App Store from ipafilezone or Appstore.bilin backup . - Method 2: Ask a jailbroken user who has AppStore++ installed to get the Build version number for you. - If you still can't find the Build Number, see this. - Grab the ipatool binary from ipatool realeases. Use ...windows-arm64.tar.gz for ARM Windows,...windows-amd64.tar.gz for x86 Windows. - Unzip. - Open Command Prompt search "cmd" in Start menu or PowerShell. - Drag & drop the extracted ipatool binary into the Command Prompt or PowerShell window. Then, run: /path/to/ipatool.exe auth login --email YourAppleID@icloud.com - Enter your Apple Account password and 2FA code when prompted your password won't be displayed, just type it normally . - Enter your PC password passphrase when prompted. If you do not set a password for your computer, press Enter to skip. - ipatool should respond with something like: INF email=YourAppleID@icloud.com name="Your Name" success=true - Get the app's bundle ID com.abc.xyz : /path/to/ipatool.exe search Yourapp - Combine with the prepared Build Number, we can now download the exact version we want. Note that if you don't specify the --external-version-id flag, ipatool will simply download the latest version available. 💻 /path/to/ipatool.exe download -b app's bundle ID --external-version-id Build Number - That's it The IPA is saved in your Home folder. - Example: Download YouTube com.google.ios.youtube version 20.16.7 874149063 💻 ipatool download -b com.google.ios.youtube --external-version-id 874149063 - Install Homebrew if not installed : /bin/bash -c "$ curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh " - Use Homebrew to install ipatool: brew install ipatool - Now you can call ipatool directly in the Terminal window. - Grab the ipatool binary from ipatool realeases. Use ...macos-arm64.tar.gz for Apple silicon Mac,...macos-amd64.tar.gz for Intel Mac. - Unzip. - Drag & drop the binary into the Terminal. - In Terminal, run: ipatool auth login --email YourAppleID@icloud.com - Enter your password and 2FA code when prompted your password won't be displayed, just type it normally . - If ipatool responds with INF email=YourAppleID@icloud.com name="Your Name" success=true , then you're good to go. - You also will be prompted to enter your device’s password to allow ipatool to access the keychain Select Always Allow . - Get the app's bundle ID com.abc.xyz : ipatool search Yourapp - Combine with the prepared Build Number, we can now download the exact version we want. Note that if you don't specify the --external-version-id flag, ipatool will simply download the latest version available. 💻 ipatool download -b app's bundle ID --external-version-id Build Number - Example: Download YouTube com.google.ios.youtube version 20.16.7 874149063 💻 ipatool download -b com.google.ios.youtube --external-version-id 874149063 Don't think a Linux user has to read this guide - Check out this step on my old guide.