Question: While browsing for directories with large content that I could possibly delete from my SSD on the MacBook Pro 14″, I came across the “Mobile Applications” folder under “Users/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media” which is with me 9 GB. Under macOS 12 Monterey there is no iTunes anymore, can it go?
Mac & i replies: Up to version 12.6, iTunes stored copies of apps from iOS devices on the Mac that were synchronized with this computer. You could then transfer these IPA files to another iPhone using iTunes, Finder or tools such as iMazing, even if the apps were no longer available in the App Store.
As of version 12.7, iTunes always loads fresh apps from the App Store when you reinstall them. However, the “Mobile Applications” archive was not deleted – even when iTunes no longer existed – and was dragged along with every move from Mac to Mac, for example using Carbon Copy Cloner or the migration assistant.
In our case, the apps stored up to 2015 included many 32-bit applications, but all the others could no longer be installed on an iPhone 13 Pro Max with iOS 15.4. Unless you have an old device running iOS 6 or earlier, you can delete the IPA files on your Mac.
