Automatic Downloads now live for iOS devices

WWDC has just kicked off for 2011, but you can get a little bit of the Apple iCloud newness right now in the form of automatic Application, Music and Book downloads.

Launch Settings on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, scroll down to Store and wait for the new options to load (you'll need to be connected to the internet to see them). Once you've checked them, the next time you purchase or download an app, a music track or a book, it'll automatically be pushed out to any device you've activated Automatic Downloads on. Brilliant.

Be warned though, if you activate Automatic Downloads for one Apple ID on a device and then attempt to activate another Apple ID on the same device (US and UK iTunes accounts for instance), you'll get a pop-up notification saying:

This Device Is Already Associated With an Apple ID.

If you turn on Automatic Downloads with your Apple ID, you cannot auto-download or download past purchases with a different Apple ID for 90 days.

A screenshot of said warning is past the break. You have been warned.

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WWDC has just kicked off for 2011, but you can get a little bit of the Apple iCloud newness right now in the form of automatic...

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dex

Threads in the Apple forums addressing this exact problem. Truly hope Apple will give us an option here.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/15357509#15357509

https://discussions.apple.com/message/15361922#15361922

June 07 2011 at 7:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jim in H-town

I'm ready for podcasts to automatically download directly to the devices. Any word on that capability? Or is the PC-free iOS not quite ready for prime time?

June 07 2011 at 5:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Wouter In t Velt

Interesting:
Here in the Netherlands, the setting options are available, but automatic downloads for music is missing.
Found out earlier that the Purchased option is also missing in my iTunes Store app.

June 07 2011 at 5:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

campbelltown

here is a video showing it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ka1y5FFhs

June 07 2011 at 4:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jakob MÃÂ¸lgaard

Sucks to be in Denmark too, music-wise..

June 07 2011 at 3:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ken

How long does it take for the automatic push to happen? And if you have the slider off on one device and purchase there, will it still push the content to devices with the slider on? IE, I bought music on my iPad but have the Music slider off, does it still transmit/show on the iPhone I have music on for?

June 07 2011 at 12:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Celycynd

I like the app download feature. It definitely helps remembering what I might have previously purchased and forgot about...

The music one? Not so much... It only sorts by "recently", "song title" and "artist name"... It really should have a by album listing, and recently should have a secondary sort based on that, since right now, since my wife had purchased about 10 albums at the same time, all the songs are intermixed from 10 different artists, which is pretty annoying.

June 07 2011 at 11:23 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Annaleah

Has anyone tried to see if any of the music purchased under another ID - but that is in your iTunes account will transfer in? My husband and I have two accounts on one computer, and regularly import tunes from one account to the other. Wondering if all will be lost.

June 07 2011 at 8:04 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Michiel Bijl

Y U NO work in the Netherlands?

Come on Apple, we want support for all things music here too. Think different for a change and support other countries as well.

June 07 2011 at 4:07 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Michiel Bijl's comment

Stephen

I think it's just Apple rolling out the beta gradually, rather than any decision not to support other countries. They want to make sure there are no problems.

June 07 2011 at 10:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply