Is There Anyway To Avoid Itunes, Or Do I Have To Buy Another Phone?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Cletus Van Damme

Previously known as Cheesney Hawks
I have a work Iphone 8. It's certainly not what I would ever choose in a million years. I wanted to add some more music to it tonight. I'm kind of used to how a phone should really be. You know, connect to a windows PC drag the files in, you know the regular way a decent piece of hardware should be.

So far tonight to do this, I've had to download Itunes, as my PC has been formatted. I couldn't remember my Apple ID to sign in, I tried changing my password numerous times, just to be told again and again it's not complex enough, blah blah blah...

Then this itunes just isn't playing ball, I've tried adding folders to my library but nothing is happening.

Is there an alternative to this awful controlling software? Or is it just designed to make me pay a subscription to the crap just for an easy life, despite having all my music on my PC. Or should I just buy an Android phone as this thing is wasting my time. Maybe I should buy a separate MP3 player.

It honestly amazes me how these things are so popular. Apart from a decent camera it offers nothing that a vastly cheaper Android phone has offered in the past. The way everything is locked down and controlled is just dire. I'm going to have to buy the latest Moto G7 Plus, I've been reading about it, will be worth it to keep my sanity..

I'm all for technology that makes your life easier, this just makes mine harder..
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Despite being a Mac owner for nearly 25 years, I have never had an iPhone & never will. Bit of a Moto fan myself (1st gen Moto G, and two Moto X Plays- first one's headphone jack broke). iTunes for Windows is absolutely terrible. Soz. It's considerably less awful on a Mac, though still bloated etc......
(BTW: Google stuff can be the same. Android File Transfer on Mac is a pile of steaming dung. Why they couldn't just leave Android phones mounting on PC/Mac as USB drives is beyond me).
You do not need to subscribe to Apple Music etc....it's got nothing to do with your problems. Apple ID: a one time thing to set a sufficiently complex password, honest....I forget mine on a frequent basis, it never stops me getting up and running again for long.
All that said....step back, take a deep breath, and start here. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/iphone
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
If you want to avoid iTunes you could try HiBy Music, a great app for storing your music.


View: https://youtu.be/pcYfK1vOENQ


Alternatively why don't you buy an old ipod classic? You can pick them up on ebay. I bought one recently for forty quid as "spares or repair" turned out it just need charging. It has a great sound and I like the interface. You can drag and drop files if you don't want to use iTunes. They use a miniature hard disc but can be converted to SD storage quite easily.
 
OP
OP
Cletus Van Damme

Cletus Van Damme

Previously known as Cheesney Hawks
Cheers for the replies guys. I need to have more patience. I'm getting fed up of the constant messages about my free Icloud being full, to Upgrade for $$ per month click here. I'll check out spotify thanks joffey Cheers Cycleops, I need Bluetooth, which I'm not sure that the old Ipod has. Cheers Stuaff I am pleased you cleared that up about Windows, the interface is terrible. I'm a bit old school, I just like to be able to plug a phone in and have access to everything.

All I wanted to do was put some more music on it to listen to at work on a bluetooth speaker, what should be a 5 minute job turned into a major pain, when it really shouldn't be. I just gave in and went to bed.
 
OP
OP
Cletus Van Damme

Cletus Van Damme

Previously known as Cheesney Hawks
You are not forced to use iTunes, just google iTunes alternatives and there’s plenty. Or just use Spotify and break free.

Yes I just wondered if they were as easy Windows explorer. It was late I couldn't be bothered and like an idiot I tried the Apple offering which is pretty dire. I've got Mediamonkey on my PC I should've tried that, its really good software.

I'm just a bit of a dinosaur that expects full access to a piece of hardware with an operating system. It's just the way that Apple is, like it or loathe it. I'll try different software tonight.
 

Jody

Stubborn git
I use I-Sync R which takes your I-Tunes library and converts it back into something legible that can be dragged/dropped/stored. But that is so I can use them on my Android phone.

Not sure if you have the same facility to put onto an i-phone.
 

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
I bought an ipod and over a couple of years spent several hundred pounds on music and talking books. It died and other than buying another apple device you've lost your music. Lesson learned.
 

Jody

Stubborn git
other than buying another apple device you've lost your music.

No you haven't. The files are still on your PC but Apple disguise all the folders and file names so you can't use them as is. There are plenty of programmes that can recover your library and re-index everything so its usable.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
No you haven't. The files are still on your PC but Apple disguise all the folders and file names so you can't use them as is. There are plenty of programmes that can recover your library and re-index everything so its usable.
Thats right, you need to make a few adjustments to iTunes folders and then you can recover them and save to a folder on your computer. There are a number of YouTube videos but what you do is check a "show hidden files" option.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Cletus Van Damme

Cletus Van Damme

Previously known as Cheesney Hawks
That would have been great to know, 3 computers ago.

You should not have to look for methods, other software to get round this nonsense. Terrible greedy company.

I've tried again with Itunes, have Mediamonkey on the PC that won't work. I'll try Spotify next. I really miss Android, Windows Explorer and Poweramp. Different league to Apple.... for way less cash.
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
I am somewhat bemused by your plight. I've been using iTunes since before it was even called iTunes (Apple bought a program called SoundJam MP- released 1998- and based iTunes on it). Some years with a 1st gen iPod nano (2GB!) before I lost it, and nearly a decade with Android phones of various flavours. Never had any problems moving files back and forth. I don't know what you're doing wrong, but you're doing something wrong for sure. Are you importing your music into iTunes before trying to transfer it (and before anyone asks, no, that does not, repeat not, lock/hide/otherwise SNAFU the files)?
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
I transferred music from cd on to a windows laptop and then to an iPod touch. Cannot get anything to go on to my iphone7plus unless downloaded from iTunes. Apple seem to be very obstructive for anything they do not make money on.
 
Top Bottom