TUTORIALS

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?

07/18/2017

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You plug your iPhone into your computer, ready to sync and...nothing. The little icon doesn’t show up in iTunes’ toolbar, and you’re irritable. There’s nothing more frustrating than when iTunes doesn’t detect your iPhone or iPad when you plug it in.


How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?

 

Here are some of the most reliable fixes we’ve found.

 

Start with the Obvious: Restart, Update, and Try Another USB Port

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


Before you try anything else, it’s worth going through the usual troubleshooting tips:

 

*Restart your iPhone by pressing both the Power and Home buttons and hold them down. (In the case of the iPhone 7, press and hole the Power button and the volume down button.)

*Restart your PC.

*Make sure both Windows and iTunes are up to date.

*Try another USB cable, or another USB port on your PC.

 

Respond to the “Trust This Computer” Prompt

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


When you plug an iPhone or iPad into your computer for the first time, a message will pop up on your device, asking whether it should trust the computer it’s been plugged into. If you aren’t paying close attention, it’s easy to miss–and without responding to that prompt, your device won’t show up in iTunes.

 

Even if it isn’t the first time you plugged your device in some settings may have been reset, and you’ll need to respond to the prompt again. So check your device and see if the message has popped up. Tap “Trust” to continue.

 

Reset Your Location & Privacy Settings 

Go to Settings > General and tapping “Reset Location & Privacy”.


How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


Next time you plug the device in, the “Trust This Computer” prompt should appear. (Note that this may also erase a few other settings–like which iOS apps are allowed to use your location–so you’ll have to deal with those prompts again too.)

 

Reinstall Apple’s Windows Drivers

Close iTunes and plug your iPhone or iPad into your computer via USB. Then, click the Start menu and search for “Device Manager”. Select the Device Manager option that pops up.

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


Search for your iPhone or iPad in the Device Manager–you should find it under “Portable Devices”. Right-click it and choose “Update Driver Software”.

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


On the next window, select “Browse My Computer for Driver Software”.

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


Then, click “Let Me Pick From a List of Device Drivers on My Computer”.


How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?

 

On the next screen, click the “Have Disk” button.

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


On the Install From Disk window, click the Browse button. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Common File\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers\usbaapl64.inf. Double-click the usbaapl64.inf file to select it, then click OK in the Install From Disk window.

 

NOTE: If you’re on an older 32-bit computer, the driver may be in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers instead.

 

How to Fix an iPhone or iPad That Doesn’t Show Up in iTunes?


Your PC should reinstall Apple’s mobile drivers. Close the Device Manager when you’re finished and start iTunes. You should find that your device is properly recognized.


Windows
Mac OS
iOS
Linux
3uTools
Win 64-bit For this device
V9.0 2025-11-11
Download
Win 32-bit For this device
V9.0 2025-11-11
Download
3uTools V3.18
2025-09-18
Please use the 3uTools PC client to install the iOS client:
1、 Install either the Windows or Mac version of 3uTools on your computer
2、 Open the PC client and connect your device to the computer via USB cable
3、 After the connection is successful, wait for the computer to automatically install the mobile app for the device, or locate “Install Mobile App” on the computer and manually click to install.
3uTools
deb file
v3.01 2025-11-20
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rpm file
v3.01 2025-11-20
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Windows
iOS
Android
3uAirPlayer
Win 64-bit For this device
V6.0.2 2025-11-19
Download
Win 32-bit For this device
V6.0.2 2025-11-19
Download
iOS Device Mirroring (No App Required)
1、 Install 3uAirplayer on the Windows PC
2、 Open Control Center and select Screen Mirroring
3、 From the list, choose your PC to start mirroring
4、 Or connect your iOS device to the PC via USB to begin mirroring
Scan to get "3uAirPlayer" App