All signs point toward Apple removing 32-bit apps from the app store. We're getting warnings about them. There are no 32-bit iDevices. Heck, Apple has been cleaning house in the App Store in general. They done everything except officially announce it.
And there are some 32-bit gems: Liberation Maiden, PS Touch, original Paper by 53 (yes, I still have the old version). I really like these apps. Liberation Maiden is abandoned. PS Touch was pulled from the app store. Paper has been updated, but the update arguably destroyed the app I loved. Point being there are many reasons to want to preserve these apps.
So how can we preserve those 32-bit apps that we love and that are unlikely to be updated?
I did have an idea or two:
1. Have a dedicated 32-bit device.
The idea being to have a device that you never upgrade the version of iOS. This has a lot of problems, the biggest being security, but you can turn off access to Safari and other apps to help mitigate that risk.
2. Create a backup with 32-bit support and apps.
The idea is to revert back to a previous version of iOS every once in awhile. The backup would have all the games and other apps you use. The problem is I'm not sure if you can use an old iOS backup if a new version of iOS is installed. Now, this still would be useful if you bought an old iOS device with the right version, but that's tricky to do.
3. Just backup the apps.
The idea here is to just keep old versions of the apps archived. You can get a old iPad that has a 32-bit processor almost anytime down the road. Heck, this might be a great thing to do with an old iPad: make it into a retro-modern gaming machine. If you don't have one, it does mean you may need to buy one, which could get expensive over time.
4. Emulation
Let's face it, while this would be ideal, it isn't possible. I know of no way to emulate iOS. Let a lone emulate an older version that is hard to get a hold of.
So, what are your thoughts? Are you going to try to preserve your old apps, or are you going to just let them go?
And there are some 32-bit gems: Liberation Maiden, PS Touch, original Paper by 53 (yes, I still have the old version). I really like these apps. Liberation Maiden is abandoned. PS Touch was pulled from the app store. Paper has been updated, but the update arguably destroyed the app I loved. Point being there are many reasons to want to preserve these apps.
So how can we preserve those 32-bit apps that we love and that are unlikely to be updated?
I did have an idea or two:
1. Have a dedicated 32-bit device.
The idea being to have a device that you never upgrade the version of iOS. This has a lot of problems, the biggest being security, but you can turn off access to Safari and other apps to help mitigate that risk.
2. Create a backup with 32-bit support and apps.
The idea is to revert back to a previous version of iOS every once in awhile. The backup would have all the games and other apps you use. The problem is I'm not sure if you can use an old iOS backup if a new version of iOS is installed. Now, this still would be useful if you bought an old iOS device with the right version, but that's tricky to do.
3. Just backup the apps.
The idea here is to just keep old versions of the apps archived. You can get a old iPad that has a 32-bit processor almost anytime down the road. Heck, this might be a great thing to do with an old iPad: make it into a retro-modern gaming machine. If you don't have one, it does mean you may need to buy one, which could get expensive over time.
4. Emulation
Let's face it, while this would be ideal, it isn't possible. I know of no way to emulate iOS. Let a lone emulate an older version that is hard to get a hold of.
So, what are your thoughts? Are you going to try to preserve your old apps, or are you going to just let them go?