Apple Pulls Older Software From 'Purchased' Tab in Mac App Store

by

mavericks.pngApple recently removed older versions of OS X and other discontinued software from the Purchased tab of users who had previously purchased or downloaded them. With the change, it is no longer possible for users to download Aperture, iPhoto, OS X Lion, OS X Mountain Lion, and OS X Mavericks from the Mac App Store.

The decision to disallow users from downloading the older software is not going over well on reddit, where commenters are calling Apple's decision "user-hostile."

That's really unfortunate and hostile by Apple. What about people who use older operating systems due to compatibility problems with specific software?

I recently had to re-install Mavericks, but didn't keep the "Install OS X Mavericks" app. Now my only chance of getting it again is to download it from another location, and I don't know whether that image has been compromised.

It is not clear if Apple's decision to prevent users from downloading older software from the Mac App Store is a temporary bug or a permanent change. The software has, however, been unavailable for several days now.

It's possible Apple is aiming to prevent people from downloading software that is outdated and unsupported, but at least one of the now-inaccessible apps, Aperture, continues to work on OS X El Capitan.

Tags: Aperture, iPhoto, Mac App Store
Related Forums: OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite, OS X El Capitan

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Read Full Article • 58 comments
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
Read Full Article • 209 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
Read Full Article • 75 comments
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...
Read Full Article • 20 comments

Top Rated Comments

apple_iBoy Avatar
apple_iBoy
130 months ago
This breaks the implicit trust about purchased apps. When I started buying from the app store, it was to replace the experience of "having box with disc inside sitting on my shelf." In the original app store model, I always had access through the App Store to that box with the disc, even after bigger and better things came along.

Now it seems that perhaps Apple doesn't share that same understanding. That's a real shame, but I guess it's their prerogative.

But I would have thought they would have had to explicitly let everyone know. People paid money for this stuff (at least, Aperture). People have machines that aren't supported by the latest versions of OS X. Apple is being foolish to rip away access without giving fair warning about downloading and making a personal backup (which, in my mind, is a wrong-headed expectation anyway, but whatever).
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razeus Avatar
Razeus
130 months ago
Dick move Apple.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
samcraig
130 months ago
This is extremely unfortunate if permanent.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KALLT Avatar
KALLT
130 months ago
not to be harsh, but people need to move on and not use outdated software anymore, especially if there is no more support for them and further development (patches and updates), i understand if they may have an older mac that is sluggish from the new software, its just telling them that its time for an upgrade
What about people who can’t update beyond Lion or Mountain Lion? Not every Mac is supported anymore. Apple insisted on using the App Store for distribution, removing them now is a very dickish move. Let people use whatever they like, there’s plenty of expensive software out there that just breaks with Apple’s system updates.

Do you really plan on installing Lion & Mountain Lion on your computers? It's old. Let it go.
So what? Apple is generally thought to be poor with supporting older programs. I still use Snow Leopard to play a particular game due to Rosetta and I still use Mountain Lion because that’s the last version that an online-gaming client called GameRanger supports. That’s the only reason I use them and I have them installed on a secondary drive. It’s not causing any problems.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Daku93 Avatar
Daku93
130 months ago
So, they didn't learn from the Xcode debacle and want something similar to happen with those downloads? People who need these apps are now forced to download them from dubious websites with no guaranty that they are unmodified downloads...
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tywebb13 Avatar
tywebb13
130 months ago
Apple must actually WANT people to get their software via torrents!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments