How far does iTunes 12.6.4 go with iOS11...

[Dreambird]

When iOS 11 first came out there was such an uproar from those who still needed or wanted the ability to manage Apps within iTunes. So apple quietly released iTunes 12.6.3 to support iOS 11 with the intact iTunes, Apps and all.

I had in fact installed iTunes 12.7.1 I think it was w/o researching it first and ended up downgrading it back to iTunes 12.6.2 via the instructions I found online. I think I could have installed iTunes 12.6.3 at the time too but didn't really need to. So now I see there is actually a minor upgrade for that to iTunes 12.6.4.

So I'm wondering up to what version of iOS 11 with work with iTunes 12.6.4 work? 

Still no one online that I can find has a really good idea of how to manage Apps without support for it in iTunes. Some are going for an app called iMazing... OK... it has a $66US price tag attached and probably one will be asked for more once it passes version 2.

I will only update to iOS 11 if iTunes 12.6.3 or 12.6.4 supports it. Otherwise given the difficulty managing apps, especially ones that have been removed from the App store it becomes difficult to manage apps.

*edit**
I simply cannot find a good enough answer to satisfy me. Some people do fine with iOS 11.x and iTunes 12.6.x and are able to manage their apps well and others have problems.
The only thing I believe I can do now... is to use my iPad Air 2 and iOS 9.3.5 until it's no longer tenable but I will not buy another iPad either. I'd sooner live w/o the iPad. iOS 9.3.5 is very stable and reliable, such a pity. The newer iOS's don't seem to compare in that regard.

[Dreambird]

OK... so just wondering... how DO you folks running iOS 11.x manage your apps? Have you kept your data intact and how so? Does making a regular backup in iTunes work for that? I backup to my machine... and opted for an encrypted backup which is "supposed" to more complete with data and all.

As long as iPad is running well... and doesn't need a wipe it's OK... however if one decided to buy a new one... "IF"... will that encrypted back up restore the new iPad with all my apps and data. Can you still use file share in iTunes to put files from your computer to your iPad. I use Dropbox, however not all apps do. I use Image Capture too to get things I've done in my art apps to the computer. It will copy from the camera roll... the major app I use doesn't do Dropbox, Image Capture is better than mailing them one by one to myself.

Thanks for any info.

[Dreambird]

  No one wants to talk to me? 

I have researched this online and I "think" I know and understand what they say about making regular backups on your machine and make sure they are encrypted so they contain everything... (oh, guess you can back up to iCloud too, but I'm still not sure of that one.

I admit it does all make me a little crazy! Of course it could be the last month of boiling heat here with only a few days break here and there... I mean it's just not normal for Calgary to get even ONE days let alone 3 or 4 of unrelenting 90ºF to 97ºF heat. It cools off nice at night but I have trouble getting it to circulate my house if there is no breeze by night. Right now we are 4ºF hotter than Phoenix at 97º... it's supposed to hit 99ºF this afternoon... it might... the hottest part is still an hour or so away.
Anyway.... eeerrrr.... sorry! Brain is cooked! 

I'm just wondering if I can run iTunes 2.6.3 or 2.6.4 with a relatively new version of iOS 11 and online what I've seen is a bit wishy-washy... works fine for someone, not for someone else. I dunno... I may go back and try iTunes 12.7.1 again for awhile and see if it "grows on me"... like a wart!  I can do what I did before to revert if not I suppose. I do have to go through my apps and clean up... so many are not even available on iTunes anymore and I have a few that aren't working as it is.

[kimmer]

No one wants to talk to me? 

Probably shouldn't admit this, but I don't backup or worry about my iPad and iPhone. I don't have a boat load of apps that perhaps are no longer available, and I don't store anything else on them that I can't reinstall. Photos, contacts, 1Password, and calendar are all auto backed up to the cloud. Thus I have no answers for you, nor any experience in dealing with any of this. I could have posted that earlier, but felt that since it wasn't helpful it was best to keep quiet. However, since you're feeling  I'm speaking up to tell you I have no helpful comments. Sorry. Hope you are able to figure this out.

[Xairbusdriver]

No one wants to talk to me?

I suspect it's just that no one here is doing or trying to do what you want to do. I don't use Photos at all (or iPhoto) nor iTunes for much of anything except for backing up what's on my iPhone or very old iPad...when I can remember to. I just did since you reminded me (both to iCloud and computer) Only images on the iPhone are downloaded to where ever I want with Image Capture. I don't trust any mobile device as a storage device and their capacity is limited, anyway. Sorry I can't help with this and other iTunes problem topics.

[Dreambird]

Ahhh Jim... I was really just teasing with the comment about "not talking to me" and the 

The best info I've found so far is on MacRumours Forums re: running at least iOS 11.3 with iTunes 12.6.4 to sync Apps and all. Another quick, dirty and quiet release from Apple updating from iTunes 12.6.3 reversing their blunder with v. 12.7.1 when enough people got very upset about it. There is a set of instructions that MUST be following re: installing iOS 11.3 etc. for it to work. It's a little convoluted but no risky Terminal commands etc. I still see it as too risky for me to want to try it right now.

When I read about how many people (apparently) still run OS X and iOS versions a fair bit older than mine... I won't panic yet. I have however downloaded the installers etc. I might need and they will be stashed 'til ready.

I do not use my iPad as a backup by any stretch of the imagination! 
I do like having selected music from my MBP synced to my iPad as the speakers on my MBP are old and sound horrible. I can however plug my iPad via USB into another set of speakers made for that where my music sounds fantastic. I also like to sync selected photos and artwork from the self created folder I have for them... sometimes I get grief because they are NOT in Apple's Photos app which I just ignore. Any editing I need to do on them is in PhotoShop CS6 and then the file is put in the file system "I" chose to put them in. I like them on the iPad because there are some great filter apps available to do awesome things with those I choose to and then I get them back on the MBP via Image Capture. I also have certain ones available for viewing by interested friends and family... on my iPad, especially handy when traveling to visit said folks. Being able to sync my Apps via iTunes is just necessary to me right now because I'm not at all certain of how else to do it and also being able to make a full backup of my iPad complete with App data intact to my MBP.
So, nothing is per se stored on my iPad... what I put on it veries. It has 64GB so it's plenty big for what I use it for. Then there are the other assortment of apps... games, newsstand, other apps of interest. Also I'll put notes on it for when I go to places like my Doctor to remember what I needed to talk to him about. For me, my iPad is really partially useful for a lot of things and partially because I like using it, especially when traveling. No need to drag along a laptop.

I guess I'm just feeling a little "kicked in the butt" by Apple and from what I'm reading online I'm not the only one. I've seen several comments about the likes of "voting with one's wallet." Uh-Yup... we'll see if many do so... 

*edit**
Oh... and don't talk to me about iCloud, for  which I have no use what-so-ever. I never trusted it to be secure or not to alter my original files... I turn the thing off period. I do use Dropbox for some thing. When it comes to my photos and artwork the originals must be preserved. Especially when it's the artwork. I can't just go and redo it... the 3D apps etc. I used for many of them don't even exist for Mac anymore... not even sure about Windows. Some of these go back to when I used a PC from 1997 to 2000 and were done in Windows art apps. They're just important to me. I trust Time Machine to back them up and I intend to get another probably portable external drive to do a clone via SuperDuper and try to keep it up to date weekly. I don't upload the very special files even to Dropbox... they're on my iPad and my MBP and backed up.

[Xairbusdriver]

Just wondering how your travails with iTunes is going. I just did a brief search and found there are multiple apps, both Desktop and Mobile, that purport to 'replace' the need for iTunes. Some are free, limited versions of paid apps (you usually get what you pay for with many 'free' apps, in my opinion). Try a search and read the site thoroughly. I usually also notice grammer and speling ererz, also.