Apple has made it really easy to sync your iPad and your iPhone with your Mac over WiFi. This is great! However, it can be a bit overwhelming with deciding which apps you want to see on your iOS devices and understanding how to remove them and keep them off. This is especially (somewhat) confusing when using iCloud with automatic installation of Apps.

PART ONE: How to Stop Automatic Downloads and Manually Control what appears on your iOS Devices

1. On all of your iOS devices, you want to make sure that Automatic Downloads is shut off. You can do this by going to Settings, click on Store. Then make sure all three switches are shut off; Music, Books and Apps.

2. You want to make sure all apps that you do NOT want going to the student iPads are permanently deleted on your iTunes account. To do this you want to open iTunes. Then click on iTunes Store. Next, click on Purchased (over on the right side of the window). When this loads click on the Apps button in the center, top portion of the window. Once this loads, click on All (top right side of the list). You can then roll your mouse over any app on this list that you do not want and click the X on the top left of the app you are “rolled over.” Click the X. Confirm you want to delete it. Now it is gone off your iTunes account. Make sure to do this with both iPhone and iPad apps categories. You can change this at the top center of the table.

3. Next, you want to make sure that the unwanted apps are deleted from your local iTunes library. To do this you’ll want to open iTunes up. Then click on Apps on the left side navigation bar. You’ll see all the Apps installed on your local iTunes library. Find an unwanted app. Click one time on the app. Push your delete key. Confirm the delete command. Now it is gone.

4. Finally, want to make sure each and every one of your iOS devices sync with your Mac. THIS IS IMPORTANT. It is the only way to make sure the unwanted apps will be gone for good. When each iPad syncs with your Mac it will bring up a window confirming you want to delete the unwanted apps on your iPad. You’ll want to confirm this. It will remove the unwanted apps.

This should take care of the issue of unwanted apps.

PART TWO: What if apps I want to appear are NOT appearing on my iOS Devices?

1. Open iTunes.

2. Wait for all of your iOS devices to load under the devices section in the left side navigation bar.

3. Find the iOS device you want to work with.

4. Click one time on that device.

5. Your main window in iTunes will change and load the configuration for that particular device.

6. Across the top of the main part of iTunes you will see a menu. Click on Apps.

7. You can then see a list of all apps available to load on the iPad. It’s simple from here. If the app is checked, this means it will be on the device. If it is not checked, this means it will not be on the device. Make the appropriate changes, then click Apply down on the lower right side of iTunes window.

8. Wait for the device to sync. Remember to look for the circle arrows spinning around on the student’s iPad. When that goes away on their iPads, the sync is complete. The changes you made should be on the iPad.