For most people, connecting their iPhones to their computers still helps them move large files or back up their data to it. While it’s a generally independent device, there are times the iPhone won’t connect to your Mac or PC.
We’ll show you what to do if your computer doesn’t recognize it even if you use a USB cable.
What to Do If Your iPhone Won’t Connect To Your Mac Or PC
Preliminary checks
Here are some things to check before trying other solutions:
- Check if the iPhone is powered on, or whether the battery charge is enough to switch it on. Also check if it is unlocked
- Check the USB cable as using a faulty cable means your iPhone won’t connect well to the computer. The cable you use should be the one supplied with your iPhone or an official Apple cable bought separately
- Check USB ports by plugging into different ports and trying different USB cables to see what works
- Restart the iPhone or the computer as this may clear up some issues. Start with the iPhone and then the computer and see if it helps
Make your Computer a Trusted device
If your iPhone won’t connect to your computer via USB cable, it could be that the computer isn’t a trusted device. If you get a Trust this Computer notification, tap Trust and check if the iPhone connects once again. Otherwise it will deter you from moving files to and from either of the devices.
However, if you tapped Don’t Trust previously, this may also prevent the connection between the devices. You’ll therefore have to reset the Location and Privacy settings on your iPhone:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Tap General>Reset
- Now tap Reset Location & Privacy
This will help you make your computer a trusted device when connecting your iPhone through a USB cable.
Update iTunes, OS and Driver Software
iPhone owners use iTunes to connect to their Macs or PCs, so check if you’re using the latest version of iTunes as it could also make the iPhone not connect to your computer.
Similarly, updating your operating software and drivers is another way of making sure your iPhone connects again to your computer. Driver software handles how both devices connect, and this, in most cases, means you’ve already downloaded iTunes from Microsoft Store.
As a last resort, you can restore your iPhone to factor settings if you’ve tried everything and the iPhone still won’t connect. To do this, go to Settings>General>Reset>Reset All Content and Settings.
Try this last option only if there’s a recent backup you can restore to after the reset. Otherwise check with Apple Store for more support.
Elsie is a tech writer with 8+ years professional experience. For Tech News Watch, she brings rich experience contributing to topics such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS among others. In her spare time, she loves checking out the latest tech trends, gadgets, and news, listening to music and cars.