https://blog.gingerbeardman.com/2023/08/17/going-back-to-the-old-pre-x-twitter-ios-app/

[?]I  Get Info
by Matt Sephton

Going back to the old (pre-X) Twitter iOS app 

2023-08-17  *  2 mins read
#hack #ios #twitter

Here's how you can downgrade to an older version of Twitter (pre-X
changes) and install it in a way that means it will not be
automatically updated.

[twitter-ol] Twitter 9.66 (858339189) running on an iPhone Xs just
now

Downloading the old version

This is the trickiest part of the process as it requires installing
some old software and following a guide. But don't worry -- it's not
that difficult! You'll need access to an old version of iTunes (so
it's most easily done using Windows) and about 15 minutes to carry
out the steps.

Follow this great step-by-step tutorial. It might seem complicated
but it is quite easy. A high level summary of what is involved in the
guide is as follows:

 1. Install old iTunes & Charles Proxy
 2. Configure intercepting of the latest app download
 3. Change the version of the app to be downloaded (I chose build
    858339189 aka version 9.66)
 4. Download the old version

The result of this process is a completely legitimate .ipa file, tied
to your Apple ID in exactly the same way that apps normally are. As
such, the resulting file can be installed on your device and once
installed would be no different to an app you've downloaded directly
from the App Store. This also means that if you share your .ipa with
somebody else they would need to log in to your account using your
Apple ID to do so, which is undesirable. Best if they download their
own app! Send them this blog post.

Avoiding updates

If you install the .ipa file onto your phone using Finder, iTunes,
Apple Configurator it will install just fine. But, because of the
metadata that is included the .ipa, it will be checked for updates
and automatically updated soon after installation. We need to go
deeper.

There is a little-known method of installing apps on an iOS device
which will prevent it from being checked for updates. I discovered
this method back in 2016 when I used it to downgrade the eBay and
Gmail Inbox apps.

Installing the app

Before we begin, remove the app you want to downgrade from your
device by tapping and holding on it. Make sure to backup any data you
need from it! You'll need to login once the old app is reinstalled.

 1. Copy your backup of .ipa somewhere where you can work on it
 2. Open the .ipa with Archive Utility to decompress it
 3. Expand the resulting folder until you go into the Payload folder
 4. You'll see Twitter.app (on macOS the icon has a "no entry sign"
    because it's an iOS app)
 5. Connect your device
 6. Open Apple Configurator
 7. Double click on your device
 8. Choose Apps from the sidebar
 9. Drop the Twitter.app from the Payload folder onto the list of
    apps
10. Wait for the app to install on your device

You're done!

PNG

Questions

Why does downloading this way work? iTunes used to be able to
download apps this way, so we're just persuading it to download a
particular version. The app is attached to your Apple ID and totally
legitimate, no funny business.

Why does installing this way work? Installing the payload directly
means the App Store app has no record of the app being installed so
it does not check for updates to it. You can confirm this by going to
the App Store page for the app, where it will show it is yet to be
downloaded.

Will the old app stop working at some point? Eventually, yes. But
let's enjoy it for as long as we can!

Long live the bird!

--
Comments: @gingerbeardman
 
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