Apple iPhones are used by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. The high-tech smartphone is not without its share of problems and annoyances. One of the most common problems is iTunes not recognizing iPhone when plugged in. The article is designed to be a guide on how to fix iPhone not showing in iTunes.
Part 1. About the iPhone Not Showing in iTunes
1 Why Won't Your iPhone Appear in iTunes?
When iTunes does not recognize your connected iPhone, you might notice an unknown error or a "0xE" error. In most cases, iPhone not showing in iTunes could be due to various reasons.
Software glitches.
iPhone lock status or "trust this computer" problem.
The outdated iTunes.
Bad connectivity.
Corrupted drivers, etc.
2 Start with These Quick Checks Before Fixing
If you are having an issue with your iPhone not showing up in iTunes when you plug it in. There are several quick things that you can check:
Check iPhone Lock Status. To check whether your iPhone is locked or not is a fairly necessary process, as iPhone will not show in iTunes if it is locked. Therefore, ensure that your iPhone is turned on, unlocked and stays on the Home screen.
Check the iTunes Version. For your iPhone to be recognized, you must have the correct version of iTunes installed on your Windows or Mac computer. This is particularly important if you have just bought a brand new iPhone and you haven't updated iTunes to the latest version. You can do this easily by opening iTunes on your Mac and clicking the iTunes tab and clicking Check for Updates. In Windows, open iTunes and click the Help tab and click Check for Updates. Moreover, make sure you have the latest software on your Windows and Mac computers.
Check USB Cables and Ports. Faulty USB connections can be a reason why your iPhone is not showing in iTunes. Check the connectors at both ends of the USB cable for any obvious damage or dirt. Try connecting the cable to another device and the USB port on your computer.
Unplug Unnecessary USB Accessories. Certain types of devices that can be connected to your computer can cause issues. The best way is to unplug all devices and USB accessories from your computer and then check to see if your iPhone appears in iTunes.
Part 2. How Do You Get Your iPhone to Show Up in iTunes?
1Connect iPhone to Another Computer
The first thing you should do if you still cannot get your iPhone to be recognized on your computer would be to connect it to another computer. This will eliminate the problem being the iTunes installed on your computer. To do this, unplug the USB cable from your computer and choose an open USB port on another computer.
2Restart Computer/iPhone
Also, you can restart your computer and iPhone to fix iPhone not showing in iTunes. This may work because rebooting empties your device's RAM and short-term data, which interferes with the connection.
For Windows, click the Start button and select Power. This will give you the option to restart or turn off your computer. Select Restart and it will begin the rebooting process. Depending on your computer this should only take a few minutes. After the computer is back on and you have signed in, then plug your iPhone back into the computer and see if it is recognized by the iTunes installed on your computer. If this does not fix the issue, then you should try restarting your iPhone.
3Reset Location and Privacy Settings
Mistakenly clicking "Don't Trust" ever can cause your iPhone not showing up in iTunes. To make the message appear again, you have to reset your location and privacy settings. This is easy to do by following just a few steps on your iPhone.
Find and tap on the Settings icon on your screen.
Open the General tab by clicking on it, then scroll down until you see the Reset option. Next, find and click the Reset Location & Privacy.
4Uninstall Security Software
Security software from other companies rather than Apple can also result in your iPhone not showing in iTunes. In this way, you are suggested to uninstall it temporarily.
Go into the Uninstall a program under Programs tab in the Control Panel of Windows.
Locate your third-party security program installed.
Right-click on the program name. It will give you an option to uninstall it from the computer. Click Uninstall.
5Update the iPhone USB Driver
To avoid any corruption in the Apple mobile device USB driver, you can try updating it to resolve the problem of iPhone not appearing in iTunes.
Go into the Windows Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, click inside the Search Box next to the Windows Start button and type Device Manager.
Click on the Device Manager app and the dialog box will pop up. Look for the Universal Serial Bus controllers.
Right-click on the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Click on Update Driver. After that, check to see if your iPhone can show up in iTunes.
6Update the iPhone Driver
Each device connected to a computer needs a driver and the driver for your Apple iPhone could be out of date and needs to be updated. Driver updates are generally released to help repair reported issues with devices after they have been released.
To check for any updates with your iPhone, you can open the Device Manager by pressing down the Windows + R keys simultaneously.
Type in devmgmt.msc in the run box and hit Enter.
Look for the Portable Devices and right-click on Apple iPhone.
Select and click on the Update Driver. Continue to follow the instructions and then close the Device Manager.
7Fix iPhone Not Showing in iTunes with WooTechy iPhixer
If none of the above methods work, then the iPhone not showing in iTunes problem can be attributed to iTunes and iOS bugs. In this case, you have to use professional iTunes/iOS repair software. WooTechy iPhixer is available for iPhone users looking for an easy way to repair a wide range of issues.
75,000,000+ Downloads
Key Features of iPhixer:
Resolves all iOS problems such as iPhone not showing up in iTunes, iTunes errors, and iPhone can't be restored without any data loss.
All iPhone models and iOS versions are supported including the latest iPhone 13 and the iOS 15.
With a high success rate, it is the best alternative to iTunes to restore iPhone to normal.
Provides more functions like enter/exit recovery mode with one click and reset iDevices.
Step-by-step Tutorial to Fix iPhone Not Showing in iTunes with iPhixer:
Get the tool on your computer and launch it. Select the Standard Mode from the 4 options shown on the screen.
Connect your iPhone to the computer and follow the on-screen instructions to put it into recovery/DFU mode.
Next, click Download button to get the suitable software for your iPhone.
After the firmware is downloaded and extracted, click Start button to fix the issue.
Conclusion
Apple created iTunes as a music management system for both Mac OSX and Windows OS computers. It later expanded its capabilities to manage all aspects of its new iOS-enabled devices. So, when there is an issue with your iPhone, iTunes is a good troubleshooting tool. However, this may not be possible if your iPhone not shows up in iTunes. Using the information in this article you should be able to resolve the issue.
