How to Transfer iPod Games From One iTunes to Another

Apple's iTunes is a great organizer, but it keeps much of its actual workings hidden beneath the surface. IPod and iPhone games--which are also applications--are especially abstract since the user generally never needs to know where they are on his computer--they just go straight on the iPod or iPhone. It's fairly easy, however, to find them and move them to a new computer.

Things You'll Need

• Computers with iTunes
• iPod/iPhone applications or games
• iTunes Store account
• Storage device or other transfer method

Instructions

Gathering Apps

1. Connect the storage device you plan to use to transfer the games and launch iTunes on the original computer.

2. Click on the "Applications" section in the left sidebar.

3. Right-click (hold "Control" and click on a Mac) on the icon for a game you'd like to move and select "Show in Finder" or "Show in Windows Explorer" depending on your operating system.

4. Copy all the games (which have an IPS file extension) you want to move out of the now-visible "Mobile Applications" folder to the storage device.

5. Eject the storage device and move to the new computer once you are finished.

Migrating Games

1. Launch iTunes on the second computer and connect your storage device.

2. Click the "Store" menu and select "Sign In."

3. Fill in your iTunes account details and press "Sign In."

4. Open the storage device and drag the games onto the "Library" section of the iTunes sidebar. The games should begin to import into iTunes.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have a storage device, you can re-download applications and games for free by logging into your iTunes store account on the second computer and just clicking "Buy App" on the game's page in the App Store. Apple won't let you pay for something twice, so a dialog box will pop up telling you that you already bought that and then ask if you want to re-download the game. This method won't work for applications or games that have been removed from the store, however.

References

• Apple Support: iTunes for Mac - How to Copy Purchases Between Computers
• Apple Support: iTunes for Windows - How to Copy Purchases Between Computers