How to Fix iPhone Not Connecting To Your Computer |

Fix that your iPhone won’t connect to your computer? Here is a troubleshooting guide to reconnect your device.

If your iPhone can’t connect to your computer, you’re not alone. Many people face this frustrating problem. This could be something as simple as a faulty cable, a driver issue, or a problematic iTunes instance.

When iTunes or your computer doesn’t recognize your iPhone, or if you get a “0xE” or “unknown” error, follow the steps below to fix the problem.

Check Lighting Cable

If your Lightning cable is damaged or frayed, it can cause connection problems and result in your iPhone not connecting to your Windows PC or Mac. First, test if your iPhone will charge when plugged into your computer (or another source like a wall outlet). If it doesn’t charge, it must be the fault of the cable.

In that case, try switching to a new Lightning cable. If you don’t want to buy a new cable from Apple, get an MFi-certified Lightning cable from AmazonBasics. Or, you can borrow a cable from your friend to test if yours is bad.

Try a Different USB Port

If not the cable, maybe the port. It is very possible that the USB port on your computer has stopped working.

To rule this out, try connecting your phone using a different port, with a cable you know works. If it’s connected, you have a bad USB port on your machine.

Update or Reinstall iTunes

Once you’ve ruled out cable and USB port issues, your problem may lie with the iTunes software. It’s possible that the iOS version on your device is not supported by the iTunes version you have installed.

Therefore, you should update iTunes to get rid of bugs and software incompatibility. In macOS Mojave, iTunes is included with macOS software updates. open System Preferences > Software Update to check for and install the latest updates. For earlier versions of macOS, go to App Store and open section Updates to check for new iTunes updates.

However, on macOS Catalina and later, your iPhone connects to your Mac via the Finder. The only way to update Finder is to update your Mac’s system software.

To update iTunes on your Windows PC, open the iTunes app and open Help > Check for Updates. If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store, you’ll need to go to the Downloads and updates Store to check for and install iTunes updates.

If you’re using Windows, you should also try reinstalling iTunes if the update doesn’t make any difference. open Settings > Apps > Apps & features and uninstall everything related to iTunes, iCloud, and Bonjour. You can then download a fresh copy of iTunes from Microsoft Store or site Apple website.

Update your Windows PC

The latest version of iTunes for Windows is compatible with Windows 7 and up. If you’re still using an older version, such as Windows XP, you won’t be able to use the current version of iTunes.

It’s also possible that your Windows build has a bug that is preventing your iPhone from connecting. Try installing all available updates for Windows (learn more in our article on managing Windows updates). You can do this by selecting Start > Settings > Windows Update.

While it’s unlikely to be a problem with modern systems, you should also review the iTunes for Windows system requirements at Apple website to make sure your computer can run iTunes properly.

Fix Driver Problems in Windows

If applying Windows updates didn’t solve your problem, drivers might be the root cause of your problem. For the uninitiated, drivers are responsible for how external devices communicate with your Windows PC. And if the drivers are corrupt or outdated, they might stop iTunes from recognizing your iPhone (which is why you should learn how to find and replace outdated Windows drivers).

There are two ways to fix this problem, depending on where you installed iTunes (Apple website or Microsoft Store). In any case, you will need to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver.

If You Download iTunes From Apple’s Website

Follow these steps:

Disconnect your iPhone from the computer.
Unlock your iPhone, go to the Home Screen, and reconnect your device. If iTunes is open, exit the app.
open the window File Explorer.
In the address bar at the top of File Explorer, enter the following location and press Enter:

%ProgramFiles%Common FilesAppleMobile Device SupportDrivers

Right click on the file usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf, and select Install.

Disconnect your iPhone and restart your PC. Then, reconnect and open iTunes.

If You Download iTunes from Microsoft Store

Windows 10 and 11 users have the option to install iTunes from the Microsoft Store, which we recommend because it makes updating simpler. If you’ve already installed the Microsoft Store version, follow the instructions below to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver:

Disconnect your iPhone, unlock it, then reconnect it to your PC. If iTunes is open, exit the app first.
Right click on button Start and select Device Manager.
Find and expand sections Portable Devices.
Find your iPhone, right click on the device, select Update drivers, and select Search automatically for updated driver software.
After the update is complete, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and make sure no other updates are pending.
Open iTunes and see if your computer recognizes your iPhone.

Troubleshooting Apple Mobile Device USB Driver

If your iPhone can’t connect to your computer even after following the steps above, you’ll need to troubleshoot Apple Mobile Device USB drivers further. To do this:

Right click on button Start and select Device Manager.
Find section Universal Serial Bus controllers and search Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.
If you don’t see the driver, try connecting your iPhone with another cable or using another PC to sync your iPhone.
Assuming you’re looking at the drivers, check to see if a third-party security app is blocking your device from connecting. Try turning off all antivirus tools and try connecting again. After doing this, it’s worth re-installing the files usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf again (as discussed above).

Reset Your iPhone and Windows PC or Mac

If none of the above works, the final step is to reset your iPhone and Windows PC or Mac.

To reset your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

This will delete all the data on your iPhone. Since you can’t back up using iTunes, you should create an iCloud backup before proceeding to avoid losing any data.

Similarly, you can reset your Windows PC by going to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset PC. For more details, check out our Windows factory reset guide. Again, make sure to make a backup before doing this as doing so will erase all the data on your machine. If you’re using a Mac, you can use macOS Recovery to reset macOS to factory defaults.

Contact Apple Support

If the problem persists, you should contact Apple Support. use Apple Support page to speak to a customer service representative and ask for help.

Use iTunes Alternatives

If iTunes or Finder continues to fail to recognize your iPhone, you may want to use a third-party iPhone manager to sync your iPhone.

In some cases, apps like iMazing offer better features, such as two-way sync, one-click backup from any device, and more. You can also selectively sync individual items like photos and music.

Download: iMazing (Free, premium version available)

Use Your iPhone and Mac Together

Hopefully the above solutions fixed your issue and you’re back on your iPhone with your Mac or PC. Otherwise, we recommend having a look at your iOS device by Apple Genius at the nearest Apple Store.