iPad, iPod and iPhone Won't Sync with iTunes, Why and How to Fix It?

Updated Jul 29,2016 | by Shannon

Syncing iPhone with iTunes is really straight forward but sometimes it just won’t work. You run into a block which does not let you sync your stuff through iTunes. It can be really frustrating at times, especially when you are in a hurry. But why does it happen?

There can be a bunch of reasons, such as, your iTunes may not be updated, your USB cable is broken or there is a setting problem. Here, we are going to talk about all the things you can do in order to get your iPhone sync with iTunes.

Basic Tips:

There are some basic things that you should do first before diving headfirst into the more complicated stuff. Here they are:

•       Update your iTunes to the latest version. Sometimes this is all you need to do in order to fix this issue but if it doesn’t work in your case, check out the tips below.

•       Restart your iPhone, iPad or iPod.

•       Restart your computer that you are using to sync your device.

•       Change your USB cable because iPhone cables have a record of malfunctioning a lot.

•       Turn off auto-match iTunes and iCloud Music Library settings.

•       Turn off "Show Apple Music" on your iPhone and your computer that you are using to sync your iPhone with iTunes.

If these solutions don’t work for you, then try out the more complicated ones.

Syncing Specific Data Type

If syncing works but a specific data type like movies or music is not syncing, check if the option of "Sync Music" or "Sync Movies" is turned on. If it is already checked, try syncing manually by dragging items into the iOS device and it may solve your issue.

Sometimes syncing failure is caused by a simple issue that your computer needs to be reauthorized. To do this, go into your device’s iTunes menu to de-authorize the computer. Once you’ve done that, click over to the menu in your computer’s iTunes and authorize your computer by giving your Apple account information. This may be the issue that is causing the syncing failure but if it doesn’t work for you, try the next method.

Switch between the Syncing Options (USB or Wi-Fi)

If you are using the USB option, using the Wi-Fi method may get your syncing to work and vice versa. Also, if you are using Wi-Fi to sync your files, try switching to Wi-Fi option.

Reset Your Device

If none of the methods mentioned above work for you, what you can do is reset your device to its factory settings. Make sure that you backup your data first before resetting your device.

But if you don’t want to reset your iPhone, try using an iOS file transfer tool instead like IOTransfer. It helps in transferring files across all Apple devices and is really easy to use as well.

Related Tips

iPhone is Disabled, Connect to iTunes and Fix This Issue

How To Authorize and De-authorize iTunes

How to use iTunes Like a Boss (Part I)

How to Use iTunes Like a Boss (Part II)

Related Readings for Reference