Apple retires iTunes on Windows with replacement media apps

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Apple has released a stable version of its iTunes replacement video, music, and device management apps for Windows users, available to download on the Windows Store.

The Cupertino firm has been pushing its separate media apps on Windows PCs for years, pushing users to move away from iTunes. 

The process began in 2019 for macOS users, while it began in 2022 for Windows users with the release of the preview version of the media app only for Windows 11. 

However, with the stable release, Windows 10 users can access the Apple media apps, too.

iTunes on Windows may not last long

According to TechSpot’s report, both Windows 10 and 11 users can now download Apple’s separate media apps from the Windows Store. 

While it’s clear that Apple wants to discontinue its 20-year-old software and transition users to the new apps, iTunes remains available on the platform, but for how long? That remains to be seen. 

Hence, you must choose between Apple’s old app and these three separate media apps. You can’t just install one of the media apps, as you will be prompted to install others. 

However, if you decide to switch, the old iTunes app will only handle podcasts and audiobooks – nothing else. 

Apple stopped pushing iTunes updates on the macOS last month. But it still sends regular updates to the Windows version, which is probably why you can still use the iTunes app on Windows PCs that don’t support the new media apps. 

Currently, Apple Music allows users to manage all their iTunes and non-iTunes songs, in addition to Apple’s music streaming service. 

Apple TV app handles all purchased movies and TV shows while streaming content from Apple TV+ in 4K HDR (like Netflix). 

Finally, the Apple Devices app syncs content between Windows computers and Apple devices like iPhones and iPads. 

In addition, Apple has also introduced a new interface for the iCloud Windows app. The functionality remains mostly the same, but the app now supports physical security keys.

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