So, it looks like I can’t get the older version back, because I don’t have any PCs. My environment is Mac OS 15.4.1
Can you create a windows vm?
I believe that I may have one on my Mac Studio M! chip. VMWare Windows 11 Pro, I think, but haven’t used it since I created. Let me check to see if it is still usable. But, more importantly, is the over version with the ID that has been displayed recoverable from online somewhere, as my IOS devices have NEVER archived anything. meaning that the ipa most likely is no where on my site.
Unfortunately you can’t recover the old one from any online site - the only way to really get it is to use the documentation with Charles and iTunes (on Windows). However, once you get the IPA file (for the old version) downloaded, you can save it and use it over and over again.
The reason you can’t use it from someone else is that the IPA file is tied to your Apple ID.
Well, then I will try to get me VM running and follow some of the directions. But, if you can’t download it from online, how and where do. you get it from?
But, are you saying that using Charles and iTunes, it will only run on the VM Windows device. If so, then I will not be able to run it, as except for the VM, I run everything on OS and iOS.
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iTunes is the only way to download the old version…so basically what you’re doing with the Charles app is “hacking” (not really, but can’t think of a better term) iTunes while it’s in the middle of downloading the Plex app. Charles temporarily stops iTunes (in the middle of downloading)…then you can change the internal ID to tell iTunes to download the older version.
Once you have the file downloaded on the Windows VM, you should be able to connect your iPhone to iTunes on the Windows VM and install the older version that you just downloaded.
Alternatively, you should be able to save the IPA file (that’s just the file extension) and then use Airdrop from a Mac to push it to your iPhone - I don’t have a Mac so can’t confirm that.
In any case, the idea is to get the older version downloaded using iTunes (w/Charles) - once you have the file downloaded, you can push it to install on your devices.
And to clarify, the IPA file isn’t a “Windows” application - it’s basically the install file for the app (so it won’t even run on Windows lol).
just a correction but when using windows you dont use itunes to install it, you use app manager, follow step 5.1 in the guide to use app manager to transfer file. itunes will not install the file because that version is too old and wont work with newer devices
Okay, it will start with it and then see how it goes. I just wish they would fix the problems with iOS versions and make them work the way we used to have. But, I don’t see anyone from Plex actually reading or even taking any interest in satisfying us.
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I was actually able to install it on my iPhone 15 Pro Max using iTunes without issues. But I was running iTunes on a Windows PC, not a VM.
I also tested another way to easily install it. Once you get the IPA file downloaded, you can save it from iTunes to a folder on the Windows VM (mine is saved on the Desktop below):
Then you can send that file to one of your IOS devices (iPhone, iPad, etc.) - I saved it to my Google Drive account, then downloaded it to my iPhone. Once it was downloaded onto my iPhone, I was able to Airdrop it to my iPad and it auto-installed after Airdrop finished.
weird, i tried on my 3rd gen iphone se and itunes refused to accept it without updating itunes
and im on a win pc as well
I wanted to follow up. Because of some restrictions on my machine (I checked firewall settings and myriad of other potential hiccups, couldn’t solve it that way) I was unable to use the proxy redirect and request modification approach. I ended up following the approach of using a windows system, iTunes 12.6.5 (download here: iTunes (12.6.5.3) : Apple : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive), and some python IPA tools found here:
https://github.com/NyaMisty/ipatool-py#download-old-version
You’ll also need to modify some password requirements specified in the binary header, but our same friend NyaMisty also has a tool for that.
https://github.com/NyaMisty/actions-iTunes-header
The only tricky part is getting the python tools installed, and then making sure the paths to your iTunes.exe executable are correct.
This stack-exchange post gave the basic method (with no detail) on how to install an older version of an app: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/466815/how-to-download-old-versions-of-ipa-files
This is roughly the path I followed to get the backdated/old version of the plex app:
-
On a windows 10/11 machine (I have only tested for 11), install anaconda python:
Installing Anaconda Distribution - Anaconda -
In a windows command line, install required python packages:
pip install frida flask rich>=10.2.2 requests>=2.25.0 -
(optional, check if paths set) Add the correct python to the path; there is an option to do this automatically when python is installed, but in the case it gets forgeotten…:
- open settings/control panel
- system
- scroll down to find “advanced system settings”
- click “environment variables”
- for the ‘system varibles’, find ‘Path’, and append both the conda base directory that contains the python.exe executable (wherever you installed, and the
<base dir>\Scripts(which contains the pip.exe installation module); NOTE: angle brackets<>means you should substitue your actual directory paths - create a new variable called PYTHONPATH, and set it to equal
<base python dir>\Lib;<base python dir>\Lib\site-packages
-
Modify the header (binary modifications) using the actions-iTunes-header code above (if you have git-bash installed, check out with
git clone https://github.com/NyaMisty/actions-iTunes-header.gitor download and decompress the .zip package) by- close iTunes if it it is running
- open a command line window with admin priviledges and
- go to the
actions-iTunes-header\workflow_helper\iTunesInstall\directory (usecdto change directories) and - NOTE: you need to look at the code in patch_itunes.py, it has a hard-coded path to the iTunes.exe file, and the code when I checked it out had the default path as:
C:\Program Files\iTunes.exe, but I’m certain that for most installations the executable will have the path:C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.exe - run
python patch_itunes.py
-
If you were logged into iTunes with your apple id, log out and log back in
-
Start a local iTunes requests server
- start iTunes, go into settings, and change requirement for free apps to “Never require password”
- in a normal (non-admin) command line window
- go to the
actions-iTunes-header\workflow_helper\iTunesDownload\directory and - run
python get_header.py
This starts a local server (persistent process) to respond to your request for info and downloads of specific app versions in the next step. You can terminate/end the process with ‘Control+c’ when you’ve finished the last steps.
-
Make sure you have checked out / downloaded the python IPA tools from:
GitHub - NyaMisty/ipatool-py: IPATool-py: download ipa easily -
Verify the server is working by trying to get all the applicable versions for our AppID of interest (Plex=383457673), in another non-admin command line window, go to the other downloaded code directory,
ipatool-py, (optionally updating the country code, here it is currently USA:-c US) and run:
python main.py lookup --appId 383457673 -c US historyver --itunes-server http://127.0.0.1:9000
once this is run once, it will create a cached local copy of the version information, so if you run it again, it will tell you the information has already been cache in a local file. Delete the file if you want to run the version history command and see all the output again. -
Download the specific version, in the same command line window as in step 8, and in the ipatool-py folder run the command to get our desired version, in this case, 871812101:
python main.py lookup --appId 383457673 -c US download --appVerId 871812101 --itunes-server http://127.0.0.1:9000 -
You can then AirDrop the .ipa app file to your iPhone from a Mac. When it’s done transferring, it just shows up in the usual panel of apps.
NOTE: I tried to create a windows executable that would aggregate all of the python dependencies such that steps 1-3 would be unnecessary, but alas, I was having trouble forcing the amalgamation tool (pyinstaller) to include the .dll files needed to run. The resulting executable would also be platform dependent, so this is probably better.
It would not work for me on iTunes but I just copied it over to my Mac and then Air-dropped it to my iPad and it then self installed. Had to delete the Plex from the iPad first but all went well using the Charles and iTunes once I read the instructions properly 
Thanks @Becki this has saved me a lot of stress. I’ve managed to do this now, after a quite a few hours of messing.
Just a few notes from me. Make sure when you follow the GitHub steps, you follow them precisely, including pressing execute TWICE.
I’m not sure whether it makes a difference, but yesterday in iTunes I was picking the iPad app and it wasn’t downloading, it was stuck with the message downloading. I tried today and used the iOS version and that worked.
As others have said, make sure Plex is uninstalled on your iPad and or iPhone prior to transfer back. But my airdrop kept failing, so I tried it after I copied it locally to my Mac (rather being on my NAS) and that worked.
There is no prompt or notification on the iPad to say that the Plex .ipa is installing on the device, once the airdrop has completed. So I wasted ages looking what I can do next. But I was looking for something on my iPad, and noticed that Plex had been installed at the end of my app icons. It must have been sat there all the time I was looking for ways to get it to install. Moral of that story? If the airdrop completes, check to see if it’s installed. It probably has been, but in the background.
One last thing to note for the process. Perseverance, it’s worth the effort in the end and I can quite happily enjoy Plex again. Oh boy, what an experience!
I started learning Korean after loosing subtitles on my favorite show, this thread saved me
This post I linked below is SPOT ON.
There’s another theme I keep noticing in this forum, especially from some of the posts @elan has made, essentially saying “everyone in the industry does it that way”… or in my words, “everyone sucks at this, and sucking is the industry standard, so we’re going to suck too.”
For example, he said this to something as important as handling all types of media in the main Plex app, defending their separation because “nobody does it like we have”.
Have you thought that these unique things are the reason you have amassed a following like you have? (facepalm)
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I found an easy way to do this with the iMazing app.
Thankfully I had a second iPad with an older iOS version that only supported the previous Plex app version. This should work if you have an iPhone with the old app version too. I used macOS
Make sure you delete the new app version on your device before proceeding and disable app updates!
- Downloaded Plex app to old iPad or use another iOS device with it
- Get a copy of iMazing (i used it in trial mode)
- Plug in iOS device and use iMazing to export the app (follow prompts to allow backup etc)
- Plug in iOS device you want the app on
- Go to apps and click Copy to Device and chose the exported app file
- Follow prompts to allow backup (you may have to turn on encryption settings in imazing and disable find my ipad on the device itself)
- Wait for the backup and app to install
- iPad restarts, follow promtps
- Plex is installed… yay
i believe the Apple ID’s need to match also for this to work between devices or the app won’t work
Thanks for this I “downgraded” successfully. I like to watch the recording while still in the midst of recording and the new app made this impossible as live tv was bricked.
Thanks you, I managed to downgrade to the older version following this guide. Super helpful.
Thank you for this! I use the app to download things to watch at the gym and this was so helpful!
