A fairly common situation is that you update an application or game and instead of improved performance and new features, you get a completely non-working tool. Developers of all stripes make similar mistakes, and you can only roll back from a new version to an old one using the Charles Proxy tool.

The Charles Proxy program can also be useful in cases where some functions have been removed in new versions of applications or games. There are a whole host of examples of such remote functions; take, for example, the official VKontakte or YouTube applications, the latest version of which causes only negative emotions in users.

We would like to note right away that despite the apparent complexity, any user can install the old version of any application. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions. In it we installed one of the first versions of the popular social network Instagram application on the iPad.

Step 1: Download, Install and Run Charles Tool for Windows or Mac (Download)

Step 2: Launch iTunes and start downloading the app whose older version you want to install on your iPhone or iPad

Step 3. In the Charles window, select the iTunes server from which the application is downloaded with the word "buy". Right-click on the server name and select Enable SSL Proxying

Step 4: Return to the iTunes window and stop downloading the application

Note: if the application has already been downloaded, then it must be deleted in the “My Programs” section

Step 5: Find the app you want in iTunes again and start downloading it again

Step 6. Go to the Charles window and find another line with the word “ buy" - this is exactly the object we are looking for. Go back to iTunes and stop downloading the app

Step 7. Expand the found thread with the word “ buy" in Charles and find the line buyProduct

Step 8: Select a stitch buyProduct and go to the tab Response, where specify the display type XML Text

Step 9. On the screen, after the line softwareVersionExternalIdentifiers, you will see lines like:

2948163
3091092
3107891
3171975
3194579
3240261

where the seven-digit number represents the application version numbers, arranged in ascending order. In our example, we rolled back Instagram to a truly ancient version 1.8.7, the build number of which was first in the list. In practice, it is most often necessary to roll back to the previous version, so it is recommended to select the build number (the one enclosed in the tag ) as close to the final version as possible.

Step 10. Right click on the item buyProduct and select Edit

Step 11. Select a section XML Text and find the line in the field:

appExtVrsId
XXXX

where XXXX is the latest version of the application. Instead of XXXX, you need to paste the value copied in step 9, then click Execute. In our example, we changed the number 81542337 to 2948163, thereby rolling back the latest version of Instagram to the earliest one.

Step 12. Again, right-click on the item buyProduct and select Breakpoints

Step 14: Go to iTunes, find your application and refresh the page (Ctrl + R on Windows). After that, start downloading the tool

Step 15. A moment after you click the download button, you will be transferred to Charles, where you need to switch to the screen Edit Request -> XML Text. In field XXXX instead of " XXX» paste the build number you copied in step 9, then click the button Execute.

Step 16. Then click again Execute

Step 17: Go to iTunes and make sure the app has started downloading. Wait for the download to finish

Step 18: In iTunes, select the " My programs", find your application and right-click on it, select " Intelligence" Here you can make sure that the old version of the application is being downloaded

Step 19. Remove the new version of the required application from your iPhone or iPad, connect the device to iTunes and install the old version

Step 20. After synchronization is complete, your smartphone or tablet will have an old version of the required application

Application updates do not always bring something new and useful; some errors are often eliminated, but others immediately appear. It’s worse when, after an update, advertisements appear or useful functions disappear, as happened with Xiaomi’s Mi Fit application when the developer removed the “smart alarm clock” function.

At the beginning of last year, information appeared on many resources on how to roll back the version of the application on iOS, but after the next update of the Charles and iTunes programs, it was no longer possible to download the old version of the application according to the instructions. In this material we will tell you what has changed and how to do it with newer versions of programs.

Before you begin, please note:

• the instructions only work on version Charles 4, tested on Charles 4.0.2 (the program is paid, but has an unlimited trial period, the trial version stops working every half hour);
• The maximum version of iTunes is 12.3.3, on subsequent versions this method no longer works: either there is no button (12.4-12.4.3), or an error appears
  "iTunes cannot verify the authenticity of the server. Invalid server certificate" (12.5-12.6.3).

Unfortunately, this method will not work on the latest version of macOS High Sierra. When you launch previous versions of iTunes, you will receive an error, since the minimum version for this operating system is 12.7 (without the App Store).

As described above, the instructions will only work on Tunes 12.3.3 and below. If you have one of the latest versions installed, you need to remove it (read about it here). You can download any version of iTunes for macOS and Windows from this site.

Step 1Download Charles 4 for your operating system (macOS or Windows) and install it. If the method does not work on a newer version, then download Charles 4.0.2 from here

Step 2 Launch the Charles program. On macOS computers, when you first launch the program, click

Step 4 Go to the Charles program and in the Structure panel (on the left) find the line containing “buy.itunes.apple.com”.

How to install older versions of applications on iPhone and iPad without a computer

Right-click on it and select Enable SSL Proxying

Step 5 Go back to iTunes, stop downloading the application and remove it from the download list (click on the downloads icon in the upper right corner, select the application you are downloading and press the key 2 times). If the download has already completed, then go to the “My Programs” section and delete the downloaded application

Step 6 Search iTunes again and download the app again. If iTunes warns you that it can't verify the server's identity, click. The application will start downloading, stop it and uninstall it

Step 7 Go to Charles and find a new line containing “buy.itunes.apple.com”. Expand it and select "buyProduct"

Step 8 In the right panel of the program, select the Contents tab (instead of Contents, in some OS there may be Response) and specify the display type “XML Text”. Among the lines of code, find:

In line The current version of the application is indicated, and below it are the identifiers of all previous versions:

Select the version you want to install and copy its number

Step 9 Return to the left panel of Structure and on the “buyProduct” line, right-click and select Breakpoints

Step 10 In iTunes, find and download the application again

Step 11 Once you click, a new window will appear in the Charles program. Go to it, select the Edit Request and “XML Text” tabs

Step 12 Find the line and instead of XXXX (a set of numbers), insert the application version number that you copied earlier and press the button once, and then again

Step 13 iTunes should start downloading the selected version. Once the download is complete, the downloaded application will appear in the “My Programs” section. View the program version, right-click the context menu and select Details or click (macOS) / (Windows). If you are not satisfied with the version, copy another version ID and repeat Steps 10 - 13

Step 14 Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer and install the app on your device

Attention! Starting with iTunes version 12.7, the program no longer has the App Store, so to install, use the latest working version - 12.6.3.

After completing all operations, do not forget to return everything to default in Charles, go to the program again, select the “buyProduct” line, right-click on it and click Disable SSL Proxying, and also uncheck Breakpoints or simply uninstall the program.

The instructions are not easy and require effort, but it is worth it if you want to return the old version of the application.

Tell your friends about this life hack, share the link with them on social networks and subscribe to our public pages on Facebook, Google+, Twitter or Vkontakte

Today, the developers released a new version 3.0 of the VKontakte application for iPhone. User reaction to the new design and user interface was mixed. Many immediately wanted to return the old version of VK to the iPhone and, in confusion, began to look for a way to do this. In this article we will tell you in detail how to roll back VK 3.0 version on iPhone to the old one. We urge everyone who wants to cancel the VKontakte update to do the following.

How to remove the restriction when listening to music on VK —

How to return the old version of VK to iPhone

Unfortunately, the App Store does not provide the ability to download the old version of VKontakte on the iPhone. At the moment, there are two methods: one is temporary, the second is for advanced users.

Download the old version of VK and install

This method of rolling back the VK application works, tested on iPhone 5 and 6S. In order to download the old version of the application, we will need the Chinese program PP Assistant (aka Chinese iTunes). Works with iPhone, iPad and iPod.

Instructions:

How to roll back a VK update on an iPhone and install the old version?

At the moment, a “life hack” is working - you can install the old version 2.15.3 from the Purchases section in the App Store. First, uninstall the VK 3.0 application, then open the App Store application, go to the Updates section, at the top there will be a Purchases section - in it, find the VK App application from the list, install it. At the time of writing, this method helps to return the old version of VKontakte to the iPhone. Most likely, with the release of the next VK update, this method will stop working.

How to roll back VK 3.0 version on iPhone

If the first method does not suit you, use advanced user skills. This method works - we checked it. And it won't take much of your time.

1. 1. First, you need to download and then install the Charles program. Next Run it and click on the Grant Priveleges tab if you are using OS X, then enter the administrator password.
   2. Download the application, the old version of which you want to install, using iTunes on your computer, and then go to the Structure tab in the Charles application. You will see the "buy" server.
   3. Right-click on “buy” and select Enable SSL Proxying.
   4. Now stop downloading in iTunes.
   5. Find the application again by opening the description page. We start the download, then cancel it again.
   6. Next, open the “buy” server pop-up menu and select buyProduct.
   7. Click on Response, right-click on buyProduct and select Export. Select the Desktop as the export location, select the XML format and click Save.
   8. Open the XML file using a text editor and find this text: softwareVersionExternalIdentifiers Below this text you will see something like this:
      1862841
      1998707
      2486624
      2515121
      2549327
      2592648
      2644032
      2767414
      These are the versions of the application from older to newer. Now you need to copy the version number you want to download, then close the text editor.
   9. Now we return to Charles and right-click on buyProduct, select Edit.
   10. Select Text and find the following line: appExtVrsId
       Below it you will notice a number in the tag, replace it with the number you copied and click Execute.
   11. Scroll down to Response, then you will notice bundleShortVersionString. Below it you will see the version of the application you selected.
   12. Right-click on buyProduct in the list under the “buy” server and select Breakpoints.
   13. Find the application again in iTunes so that the program refreshes the page, and now click on the download button again.
   14. Return to Charles and you will see a pop-up window. Click Edit Request, then XML Text and below the line appExtVrsId paste the number copied in the eighth paragraph. Click Execute again.
   15. Now you will need to carefully press Execute.
   16. Check iTunes. The download should start and complete.
   17. Open the My Apps tab in iTunes and you should see the app you downloaded. By right-clicking on it, you can request additional information and make sure that you downloaded the old version.
   18. Connect your mobile device to iTunes and install the application on your device.
   19. Close and remove Charles. Ready!

Well, you updated your favorite application to the latest current version, but the developers made a mistake and the program began to work worse, or completely cut down its functionality (for example, removing the Audio Recordings section from the VKontakte application). There is no need to be upset, there is a way to downgrade App Store applications.

In contact with

How to install old version of App Store apps on iPhone and iPad without jailbreak

1 . Download the utility for Windows, OS X or Linux from the developer’s official website. The program is paid, but the first 30 days are provided without the need to make a payment.

2 . Close your browser window.

3 . Install and run.

4 . Grant privileges to the program by clicking the " Grant Priveleges", and then " Install».

5 . Open iTunes, find the application you are interested in and click on the download button.

6 . In the " Structure"in the left side menu of the Charles program, find the line " p…-buy.itunes.apple.com" and select it.

7 . Right-click on this line and select the menu item " Enable SSL Proxying».

8 . Return to iTunes, stop downloading the application and delete it by pressing the key " Delete».

9 . In the iTunes search, once again enter the name of the application you are interested in, and by going to its page, you will thereby update the content.

10 . Press the button again Download».

11 . In the " Structure"in the left side menu of the Charles program, find the new line " p…-buy.itunes.apple.com" and expand its contents.

12 . Right-click on the file " buyProduct" and select " Export».

13 . Save the file in the "XML Summary file (.xml)" format.

14 . Right-click on the saved file in .xml format and select from the context menu Open in the program → TextEdit(any text editor will do for this procedure).

15 . Scroll down the code until you find the line softwareVersionExternalIdentifiers , under which the text will be located in the following format:

10968675

11487650

12169665

12445840

13030036

13134049

14328919

15374835

These are all possible versions of applications, starting from the oldest to the latest.

16 . Copy the version number.

17 . Go back to Charles and right-click on buyProduct and click " Edit».

18 . At the bottom, select view " Text" and at the top of the text find the following line:

appExtVrsId

19 . Underneath between the keys XXXX replace the value with the one you copied from TextEdit.

20 . Click the button below Execute».

21 . Charles will create a new file in the branch " buyProduct" (at the very bottom of the "wa" folder).

22 . Go to the " Response", and select " XML Text».

23 . Find the line in the code with the name of the application and its version.

ATTENTION! If the application version does not suit you, then repeat steps 16-23 using brute force, substituting other values ​​in the key XXXX.

24 . Right-click on " buyProduct" and activate " Breakpoints».

25 . Switch to iTunes, refresh the application page and download it again.

26 . A new Charles window with Breakpoints will appear.

27 . Go to the tab " Edit Request" and click on " XML Text».

28 . In line XXXX paste your version of the application that you copied in step 16.

29 . Click the button below Execute».

30 . A new Charles window will open with Breakpoints in which click the “ button again Execute».

31 . Wait until the application download process finishes in iTunes.

32 . Go to the tab " My programs» and find the downloaded offer.

33 . Right-click on it and click " Intelligence».

34 . As you can see, in our case we downloaded SoundCloud version 3.9.1 while the current version is 3.15.0.

34 . Connect your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your Mac or PC.

35 . Synchronize the application or simply drag it onto the icon with your device.

How to install old version of App Store apps on jailbroken iPhone and iPad without a computer

1. Install the iFile file manager in Cydia, thanks to which you can access all directories of the drive.

2. Launch iFile and go to /private/var/mobile/Containers/Bundle/Application/. Here you will see a list of all installed applications on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, but, unfortunately, with strange names. So you will have to search for the application at random, opening each folder and looking at the name “ХХХ.app”, where XXX is the name of the application.

By the way, so as not to go through this long path every time (/private/var/mobile/Containers/Bundle/Application/), add the folder to your bookmarks. To do this:

A) on the bottom panel, tap on the icon with shortcuts/bookmarks;

b) go to the tab " Bookmarks»;

V) click on the plus sign in the lower right corner of the display;

G) change the bookmark name if necessary, for example “ All applications" and press " Create».

3. Find the required application whose version you want to roll back.

4. Open the file " iTunesMetadata.plist" and press " Text editor».

5. Scroll down the page until you see the format text:

10968675

11487650

12169665

12445840

13030036

13134049

14328919

15374835

The numbers refer to the program version. Copy any of the versions. They will also have to be sorted out at random in the future.

6. Install the free App Admin jailbreak tweak from the Cydia BigBoss repository.

7. Open the App Store and find the app you're interested in.

8. Regardless of whether it is installed or not, click the " Download / Open».

9. In the pop-up message, select " Downgrade».

10. Once in the section " Known Versions", you can select one of the old versions available in the list, and if the exact version is not available, then click the plus sign in the upper right corner and paste the code copied in the seventh paragraph there.

11. Wait for the installation to finish (the app download may be very slow. Don't worry, this is normal).

As you can see, we installed an old version of the VKontakte application, which also had an Audio Recordings section.

In the App Store, next to the application, there will, of course, be the inscription “Update”, after clicking on which you will get the latest version.

As you know, many software products installed on computer systems tend to update automatically, without the user’s knowledge. And this does not always have a positive effect. Unfortunately, one such application is the popular online video communication program Skype. Next, it is proposed to figure out how to return the old version of Skype after updating and why this may be necessary. For the average user, we can offer two main solutions (this is at least).

Why might I need to revert to a previous version of Skype?

Before we look at methods for reverting to previous modifications of a program, let's look at why many users try to do such things. The answer, in general, lies on the surface. The fact is that many do not like the updated application interface, which is considered too complex and confusing.

Others have complaints about the operation of the updated program itself (for example, errors in entering login and password, not counting other violations), which, by the way, can also cause critical failures in the operating system itself. In particular, this was noticed in relation to Windows 7.

How to return the old version of Skype after updating: system rollback

Let's start the questions of returning to previous modifications of the application with the simplest situation. Let's assume that the program update occurred automatically and the user knows exactly when it happened. How to return the old version of Skype?

It is quite obvious that if other programs are not affected, this can be done through a normal system recovery, choosing as a checkpoint the one that preceded the installation of updates for Skype. This method is both good and inconvenient, since the rollback point can be much earlier than the moment the program was updated. On the other hand, if such actions do not affect other installed applications, then why not?

Skype has been updated: how to return the old version by reinstalling it?

As is already clear, the above method may sometimes not be suitable. Let's see how to return the old version of Skype after updating by reinstalling the program. It goes without saying that the updated modification of the application will need to be removed. There is no way without this.

To uninstall, you can use the most common programs and components section, go through the standard removal procedure, and then clean up the “tails” in the form of residual files or system registry keys. Only after this will it be possible to reboot the system and run the installer of the previous modification of Skype. To avoid manual removal of leftovers, you can use uninstaller programs like iObit Uninstaller, which clean the system automatically after the main removal procedure is completed. But there are some nuances here too.

The nuances of using uninstaller programs

The use of such programs is justified in versions of Windows below the tenth. Windows 10 has a pre-installed Skype for business applet, the keys and files of which can be recognized by uninstallers as remnants of the uninstalled version of another modification. How can I return to the old version of Skype after updating in this case?

The answer is simple: either do not use the uninstaller, but manually clean the system, or use the uninstaller to get rid of both the updated modification of Skype and all components of Skype for business, not forgetting to also remove additional extensions (uninstallers allow you to do this in no time ). And only after completing all the steps described above, as in the simplest version, you can run the installer of the old version of the program, and upon completion, disable automatic updating in the application settings.