Apple Now Charging to Re-Download Apps on the iPhone?

May 31, 2009 · Print This Article

Looks like Apple’s begun charging full price whether you try to download an app you’ve already bought by the iPhone. that did not used to be the case — previously you’d be given a dialog stating you’d already bought it and you could go ahead and re-download it for free. Now the dialog says you can still re-download it for free on your computer (via iTunes), but whether you want to download it again directly to your iPhone, you’ve got to buy it again.

What’s going on here? Not bandwidth control, since free apps and updates to paid apps are still free. Not device restriction, considering you can still re-download for free via iTunes (though it’s not as convenient, of course).

We’re guessing that with the on-device explanation management coming to iPhone 3.0 — where you can log in and out of multiple iTunes accounts right on your iPhone — Apple is putting that in place to prevent the sharing of purchases within accounts. (Otherwise you could just log into 100 other iPhones with your explanation and give them all your paid apps right by the air).

We can understand the concern, but we’ll miss the functionality. Personally, I bought a FedEx tracking app that I delete when I’m not expecting anything and re-download when I am. Now I can’t do that any day I want any more — only any duration I’m at my computer.

What do you think, is multiple on-device accounts worth the loss of free on-device paid app re-downloads?

[Thanks Jordan for the tip, iPhoneDocked for added confirmation]

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Apple Now Charging to Re-Download Apps on the iPhone?