How To Get Iwork For Free On Older Macs

Mac and iOS users with old hardware can now get some of Apple's fundamental software for free. According to a report from MacRumors, the iWork and iLife suite of apps, including iMovie, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, and GarageBand for Mac and iOS, are now listed as free in the App Store.

Nov 24, 2013 Apple recently introduced a new version of the iWork suite of office productivity apps and announced that all new Mac and iOS devices will get it for free. Well, if you're not purchasing a new Mac.

On an older Mac? There's a workaround to download all three iWorks apps for free. Redmond Pie offers the trick: Basically, you download and install the iWork '09 trial on your Mac, launch and quit. And iWork is compatible with Microsoft Office, so sharing your work is even easier. With Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for iCloud, you and your team can access and edit all your documents in a Mac.

  1. With the release of OS X Mavericks, Apple have released a much-awaited update to the iWork and the iLife suite, which will be given away for free with the purchase of every new Mac bought on or after October 1, 2013 (and updated to OS X Mavericks) and every iOS 7 device activated on or after September 1, 2013. You are, of course, eligible for a.
  2. Oct 23, 2013 Getting iWork for Free on Older Macs. To get iWork on older Macs that previously don’t have iWork installed, follow the simple steps below. However, before you begin.

Previously, users with old hardware had to pay for each app. Individual programs cost between $5 and $20 each, which would add up if a user with an old Mac or iOS device wanted to download and use both suites. In 2013, Apple made iWork and iLife apps free for new Mac and iOS customers, but that meant you had to purchase a new Apple device before you could download any of those apps at no cost. Until now, users with hardware released before 2013 still had to pay for iWork and iLife if they hadn't made a new Apple purchase recently.

Now there's no more confusion surrounding the availability of Apple's basic apps. Anyone with old Apple devices can download the latest versions of iWork and iLife apps for free with no strings attached. It might be too little, too late for some; Apple's App Store is so vast that users with old hardware probably found iWork- and iLife-equivalents to use. While we don't know if future updates of iWork and iLife apps will be compatible with all old devices, it's worthwhile to download the latest versions now.

Apple made waves during Tuesday’s media event when the company announced that its iLife and iWork suite would be free for customers who buy a new Mac or iOS device. But the apps are also free for users who already have the apps installed, and one app is free, period. Here’s our guide to demystifying Apple’s new pricing structure on its iLife and iWork apps.

How “free with purchase” works

When Apple first announced that its iOS apps would be free with the purchase of a new iPhone, I theorized that Apple might include a notification alert after you first activated your new device, with a link to download your free apps. Instead, there’s no link or alert to be found. If you want your free iWork and iLife apps—on OS X Mavericks or on iOS—you have to first visit the Mac App Store to do so. When you do, however, the “Buy” button for those apps will be replaced with “Download” or “Update” (or the iCloud icon on the iOS App Store). I’ll note that iWork and iLife apps only come free for the kind of device you’ve purchased—you won’t get the OS X versions of iLife and iWork for free because you recently purchased a new iPhone or iPad.

Though I can’t yet confirm it (I asked Apple for more details but have yet to receive a response), I suspect that Apple associates the iWork and iLife suite with your Apple ID when you first activate a new device. That way, when you visit the app’s page, it shows up as already “purchased” on your account, and you can download away.

The iLife and iWork app suites

Apple’s new iLife suite consists of three apps—iMovie, iPhoto, and GarageBand—available for both OS X and iOS. On the Mac side, you’re looking at iPhoto 9.5, iMovie 10.0, and GarageBand 10.0. iPhoto and iMovie each appear on the store for $15, while GarageBand is a free download with a $5 in-app purchase. All three apps require OS X Mavericks or later; if you attempt to download them while running an earlier version of OS X, you won’t be able to proceed.

Apple’s iOS versions of these apps are all version 2.0 and require iOS 7 or later; iMovie and iPhoto show up as $5 on the App Store by default, with GarageBand again available as a free download—you can add more touch-based instruments for a single $5 in-app purchase.

Like iLife, the iWork suite also consists of three apps—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—which are available for both OS X and iOS. The new Mac versions are Pages 5.0, Numbers 3.0, and Keynote 6.0, and they too require OS X Mavericks; the iOS versions are all 2.0 and require iOS 7 or later. On the Mac, the three apps retail for $20 each; on the iPhone or iPad, they’re $10 each.

So who gets these for free and who has to pay up? Read on.

How To Get Iwork For Free On Older Macs

If you own iLife ’11 or iWork ’09 apps (or v1 iOS apps) and you got them from the Mac App Store or iOS App Store: You should be able to download the latest versions for free by going to the app page on the Mac or iOS App Store.

If you own iLife ’11 or iWork ’09 apps for the Mac but did not purchase them from the Mac App Store: You should be able to download the latest versions for free by going to the Mac App Store and tapping Update, though you may need to first visit the Purchases screen, where you might see a box called “You Have [number] Apps to Accept.” This ties apps you have on your computer to both your Apple ID and a hardware identifier on your computer, and it should allow you to download free updates to these programs from any computer associated with your Apple ID.

Some users (including yours truly) are reporting issues where the Mac App Store doesn’t recognize their copies; when they click on an iLife or iWork app’s price, they receive the following alert: “[App] is already installed and was not purchased from the Mac App Store. Do you want to buy [app]?” Macworld spoke with an Apple spokesperson who noted that there’s currently an issue with some legacy customers, and the company is working on a fix. That fix appears to have been implemented; on Thursday, several users told Macworld that they were getting the Accept Apps prompt.

If you don’t own iLife ’11 or iWork ’09 apps (or v1 iOS apps), or own older Mac versions: On the iLife side, you’ll have to buy iMovie and iPhoto at full price ($15 or $5, depending on platform). GarageBand is free for everyone to download, though the app does offer in-app purchases. Apple’s iWork apps are each $20 for the Mac, $10 on the iPhone or iPad.

How To Get Iwork For Free On Older Macs Computer

If you are buying a new Mac or iOS device: After you set up your device, you should be able to download the latest versions for free by going to their entry in the Mac or iOS App Store. According to Apple’s website, anyone who purchased a new Mac after October 1 or iOS device after the September media event is eligible.

How To Get Iwork On Mac

Updated at 8:48 p.m. with a statement from Apple about upgrading non-Mac App Store versions of iLife and iWork.Updated at 3:28 p.m. Thursday to note that problem has been resolved.