The computer does not recognize the iPhone as a physical medium. Why doesn't the computer see the iPhone?

In this article, we will look at what to do when your computer/laptop does not see the iPhone when connected via USB or WiFi. We will understand the operating systems Windows 10 and Mac OS.

This article is suitable for everyone iPhone models Xs/Xr/X/8/7/6/5 and Plus on iOS 12. Older versions may have different or missing menu options and hardware support listed in this article.

The main reasons why the PC does not see the iPhone

The most common sources of the problem are:

• Failures and hardware damage in the gadget.
• Software conflict on the computer.
• Old OS (on iPhone or computer).
• Installation outdated drivers or lack thereof.
• Failure of the connection socket on the iPhone and USB port.
• Mechanical damage USB cable.

Most of the problems described above are much easier to fix than they seem. Let's look at how to make your iPhone work when connected to a computer.

Reinstalling USB drivers

One of the proven ways to solve this problem there will be a reinstallation USB drivers for iPhone. You need to remove them using Device Manager and then install them again.

Follow the steps:

Often, if the iPhone is not visible on the computer, this method solves the problem.

Chipset driver update (USB)

All computers have a motherboard on which chipsets are installed. These chipsets are responsible for connecting various devices to the computer. In order for chipsets to function normally, they need drivers.

In some situations, drivers begin to work unstable. Quite often this happens due to system Windows errors.

It also happens that the computer cannot detect not only the iPhone, but also any other flash drives or phones. In this situation, it is necessary to update the drivers for the chipset.

DevID.info

In the first option, go to the resource https://devid.info/ru and click on the green “Download” button to download the “DevID agend” utility. The program executes quick installation and driver updates.

During installation, you should uncheck the boxes so as not to install unnecessary advertising software.

After launching the utility, select “Start Search”. The software will scan the equipment and then offer to update old drivers.

If it is for the chipset latest version drivers, it will be updated. If the problem is not solved, then move on to the next option.

Download and install the chipset

This method involves downloading and installing the driver yourself. Depending on the motherboard, it may be an AMD or Intel chipset. Let's look at an example Intel installations chipsets:

Auto-selection of Intel drivers

Here you can make Intel choose necessary drivers for the system. For this purpose it is used special utility for hardware scanning and installation necessary programs.

Follow the link https://www.intel.ru/content/www/ru/ru/support/detect.html?iid=dc_iduu, click “Download”. After that we install this utility, perform a search. When the software finds suitable drivers, it will be prompted to install them.

Checking the USB cable

If there are any severe bends or damage on the USB cable, this may be the problem. The information is simply not transmitted because the cable is damaged. The solution is to purchase a new 30-pin cable or Lightning connector, depending on the connector on the iPhone.

Click “Trust this computer”

When you connect your iPhone to your computer, a request appears on the screen where the user needs to be allowed access to data and settings. Here you just need to click “Trust”.

Connect to another USB connector

You can try replacing the USB connector. Especially when you insert the cable from the iPhone into those connectors that are located in the system unit on the front panel.

Connect the cable to the connector located on the back system unit. These connectors are soldered directly into system board, so they work as efficiently as possible.

Reinstalling iTunes

To fully manage your Apple gadget, iTunes must be installed on your Windows computer. If this software does not function well, it should be reinstalled or updated.

Official iTunes website: https://www.apple.com/ru/itunes/download/. You can download new version, and then install it on top of the old one. The software will be updated.

Restart Apple Mobile Device Service

You need to disconnect your iPhone from your computer and close iTunes before doing this. this step. Now you need to restart Apple services, as they may be crashing.

Instructions:

After updating iTunes and restarting the Apple service, the computer should see the iPhone. Open “Computer” and find the smartphone there. In the screenshot of the niche it is at the very top.

Connecting iPhone to another computer

When you connect your gadget to another computer, you can immediately figure out what the cause of the problem is. If another PC sees the iPhone, then the problem may be with your computer, which the smartphone cannot see.

If other laptops and computers do not see the iPhone, then the problem may be related to the phone itself or the USB cable. For reliability, you need to connect the device to two different computers that have different OSes.

The problem may occur due to glitches in iOS. With the help forced reboot iPhone can be fixed:

• On iPhone 6 and above, press the “Home” button or the lower volume key.
• Press and hold the “Power” button.
• These elements should be pressed for approximately 10 seconds.

After rebooting the gadget, you can try to connect it to the computer again.

Wi-Fi synchronization does not work

Checking that the iPhone is connected correctly via Wi-Fi

If in iTunes settings option not activated wireless transmission data, then no synchronization will work with the computer.

• We connect the gadget to the computer via USB.
• Open iTunes. If necessary, enter your Apple ID and account password.
• Click on the icon of your device in the iTunes window, select “Browse” in the sidebar.
• We check that on the right side of the window the “Synchronize with this device via Wi-Fi” section is checked. If there is no checkbox, then mark it.
• Click on the “Finish” (or “Apply”) button.
• Disconnect the USB cable, then check that the iPhone and computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

If everything is configured correctly, after following the above instructions, you can start synchronization between gadgets using the “Synchronize” option in iTunes. If data exchange has not started, then we move on to other solutions.

Doesn't sync with Windows

The error may appear due to a problem in the service that is responsible for the functioning of iTunes. You should try restarting this service.

• Close iTunes, disconnect the gadget if it is connected via USB.
• Now you need to press “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” to restart the “Task Manager”.
• Go to the “Services” section, in the list that appears we find the section Apple Mobile Device Service.
• Right-click on the found element and select “Restart”.
• Open iTunes again and synchronize the gadget.

Doesn't sync with Mac OS

The problem may be due to an error in the process that makes iTunes work. We restart it.

• Open “System Monitor” along the path “Finder”, then “Programs” and “Utilities”.
• In the “CPU” section we find a process called iTunes Helper or AppleMobileDeviceHelper.
• Select the found element with the left mouse button, then click on the cross in the upper left corner of the window and select “Finish”.
• Launch iTunes and sync iPhone.

If all else fails

• Reboot the router, reconnect the iPhone and computer to the network.
• We start wireless synchronization via iPhone. To do this, go to the “Settings” menu, select “General” and “Synchronization with iTunes via Wi-Fi.” Then click on the displayed computer name.
• Updating iTunes and iOS to current versions.
• We reboot the gadget and computer, then synchronize them again.
• Turn off data transfer mobile network, we leave only Wi-Fi turned on. We try synchronization again.

The computer does not see the iPhone via USB or WiFi (on Win10 or Mac OS)

Probably everyone who has ever dealt with Apple technology knows that it is possible to fully use the functionality of an i-smartphone only after mastering the iTunes program. It allows you to exchange between Apple devices and a PC, as well as a number of other useful manipulations, and therefore if the computer suddenly does not see the iPhone, this turns into a real problem.

Unfortunately, the statistics of user requests are not reassuring - the computer does not see the iPhone 5, does not recognize the iPhone 5S via USB, the laptop does not display my iPhone 6 - thousands of owners google similar requests every day in the hope of solving the problem themselves.

However, in most cases, it is true that you can solve it yourself without the help of professionals. In this article, we will analyze the reasons why the computer does not see the iPhone, and we will also tell you what to do if a problem arises. this situation. The recommendations below will help users of all models of i-smartphones - iPhone 6, 4S, and any others.

In fact, to the question - why doesn’t the iPhone connect to a personal computer - there are only 4 answers. Here they are:

• There is a problem with the USB ports
• The functionality of the connecting cable is impaired
• A software conflict has occurred
• Broken iPhone

However, each of these situations can arise for different reasons and the options for solving the problem in one case or another will be different. So next we will look in detail at each of the above reasons and tell you how to fix this or that problem with synchronizing your i-device and PC.

Problems with USB ports

The problem with USB ports is one of the most common reasons why the computer doesn't see your iPhone. Especially if your PC is, as they say, not the first freshness. USB ports are not the most reliable part of a computer, and therefore, often after 3-4 years of operation, when trying to connect this or that device to them, various problems appear - from a banal freeze to a complete refusal to recognize the device.

How to understand that you are dealing with problem ports? First, try connecting your iPhone to another USB port - it often happens that one has already failed, but the second is still working properly. No visible progress when connecting to a different port? Okay, let's explore the problem further - connect the i-gadget to another PC. Is he not around? Then we go the other way - connect any other device to the PC via USB. Like the iPhone, it doesn’t show up? Then, well, the answer has been found - you have a problem with the ports. Sometimes, by the way, you can revive them by simply cleaning them - take alcohol and a cotton swab and responsibly remove all dirt and dust. Perhaps this step will make the ports work and synchronization will be successful. If this does not help, restart your PC. Also unsuccessful? Then, most likely, you will have to change ports.

The functionality of the connecting cable is impaired

If USB ports are not the most reliable part of a PC, then the connecting cable for charging and connecting to a computer is not the most reliable part of an iPhone. Users have been scolding the Apple giant for this problem for several years now, and not without reason. The “native” cable is not cheap, but it quickly becomes unusable, and the Chinese one does not always “know how” to interact with iTunes. That is, it will charge the smartphone, but it will not establish a connection between the PC and the iPhone.

So if the iPhone does not connect to the computer via USB, and you have already checked the ports and they are working, it’s time to start diagnosing the cable. Many people check the cable this way - connect the iPhone to charger and if the battery begins to charge, it is considered to be in good working order, but such a diagnosis is not entirely correct. You see, the structural feature iPhone cable is such that to connect a PC and an i-device, all contacts must be in good working order, but for charging, this is not the case.

The only way to check if the problem is in the cable is to connect the iPhone to the computer using another ORIGINAL a cable through which another “Apple” is perfectly recognized on your PC. And only after the success of this operation can we say unequivocally that the cable is to blame.

By the way, sometimes, in order for the connecting cable to work, as in the case of USB ports, cleaning the contacts helps. But in most cases it needs to be replaced.

Software conflict

Both the cable and ports are working properly, but your iPhone won’t connect to your computer? Let's consider the following problem - software conflict. Underneath this scary headline are very banal reasons why you can’t connect your iPhone to your PC.

Firstly, it may be that iTunes has not been updated for a long time, in which case you just need to go to the official Apple website and download the current version.

Secondly, there is a possibility that the computer does not see the device due to an incorrectly configured antivirus or firewall. The security program may have classified the iPhone as an unsafe device, or may have considered iTunes' attempt to contact the device to be suspicious. Apple servers to identify the i-gadget. To check the relevance of this communication problem, you need to temporarily disable your antivirus and/or firewall and see if the situation changes. iPhone started to show up? This means that the problem is precisely in the security programs and they need to be reconfigured so that they do not consider the activities of iTunes and iPhone suspicious.

Another software-related reason why a connected iPhone cannot be seen is a malfunctioning Apple Mobile Device Service. To resolve the problem with it, restart it. Click the "Start" menu, go to "Control Panel", then "Services". In this section you will find Apple service Mobile Device Service and double-click on it. A new window will open, in it click “Stop” and then “Run”. And also check the “Startup type” parameter, it should be automatic. After making the adjustments, we restart the PC and check if our problem has been solved.

The iPhone itself is broken

And finally, about the saddest thing - all the ports are working and the cable too, iTunes is the latest, security programs are disabled, the AMDS service is working properly, but synchronization between the iPhone and PC still fails? Then the problem is in the i-smartphone itself. Perhaps there is a software glitch and a simple reboot iPhone— complete it and try again to establish synchronization with the computer. Didn't help? Then it’s a matter of problems with the hardware, and in such a situation we recommend not to engage in self-diagnosis, best solution— take your iPhone to a service center, where they are guaranteed to find the problem and help you fix it, without harming the device itself.

Why doesn't the computer see my iPhone as a flash drive?

Newbies to the Apple world often search the Internet for an answer to the question: “Why doesn’t the computer see the iPhone 5 (any smartphone model can be there) as removable disk?. And if you have the same question, we hasten to make you happy - everything is fine with your device. The fact is that iOS, the platform on which all i-gadgets operate, is closed, which significantly increases the security of Apples, but often negatively affects their ease of use.

In particular, the computer really does not see the iPhone as a flash drive - in Windows Explorer it appears as a portable device or is generally identified in the "Other devices" category. If you double click on iPhone icon, a folder with photos taken on the device will open and all the user can do is transfer them to the PC, and even the reverse operation will not be available. If you want to record a photo on your i-smartphone, welcome to iTunes.

We emphasize! This state of affairs is relevant for all PC operating systems and for all iPhone models - neither Windows 7 nor Windows 10 sees the iPhone as a removable disk - this is a feature of iOS. If on some portal they give you recommendations that supposedly will help you see your iPhone as a flash drive, you shouldn’t trust them!

Let's summarize

There are a lot of reasons why the PC does not see the iPhone 4 or any other, but in most cases the user can independently diagnose the problem and solve it. We hope this article will be of great help to you in this matter! However, do not overestimate your strength - if the problem is in the hardware of the iPhone itself, you are unlikely to be able to independently identify the cause of the problem and fix it. Of course, you can say - why can’t I disassemble my device itself? You can do it, but what will it give you? Even if you see a damaged microcircuit, will you dare to remove it yourself and install a new one? Not sure? Then there is no need to go inside such a complex device as an iPhone, it’s better to trust the pros! However, we hope it doesn’t come to that!

Connecting your iPhone or iPad to your computer and seeing an error window that says “USB device not recognized”? Well, you are not the first to encounter a similar problem; unfortunately, it manifests itself quite often and for a variety of reasons. In this instruction we will describe all known ways to eliminate it.

Restart your computer

The first thing you need to do after you see the ominous “USB device not recognized” error message is to restart your computer. You should first disconnect your iPhone or iPad from the computer and connect it via USB after full inclusion. In many cases, a simple reboot will fix the problem, however, if in your case it still occurs, pay attention to other recommendations.

Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer

At this point, everything is also simple - launch iTunes, go to the “Help” menu and select “ Updates" If updates are available, wait until they are downloaded and installed, and then try connecting your iPhone or iPad again.

Disconnect other USB devices

If you have a lot of USB devices connected to your computer, you should try to disable the ones that are at the moment not needed. After that, try connecting your iPhone and iPad to your computer again - in most cases the problem will be resolved.

Reinstall iTunes

If this does not help, then the problem may be a glitch in iTunes. Such failures occur quite rarely, but you should still make sure that iTunes is working properly. Process uninstall iTunes It’s not difficult, however, components must be removed strictly in the following order:

1. iTunes
2. Apple Software Update
3. Apple Mobile Device Support
4. Bonjour
5. Apple Application Support (iTunes 9 or later)

After everything iTunes components removed from your computer, you need to restart it and install the latest iTunes version by downloading it from the official Apple website.

Check for driver conflicts

Step 1: Run " Task Manager»

• Windows 7: Start -> « Control Panel» -> « System and security» -> « System» -> « device Manager»
• Windows 8: Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, select " Search", enter " device Manager» and press Enter
• Windows 10: Click the search box on the taskbar, type " device Manager» and press Enter

Step 2. Find the driver item in the list of the "" section

Step 3. If near the driver Apple Mobile Device USB Driver a sign with a down arrow is displayed, right-click on the driver and in the context menu that opens, select " Engage" If a different sign is displayed next to the driver, proceed to the next step

Step 4. If near the driver Apple Mobile Device USB Driver an exclamation or question mark appears, right-click on the driver and select " Delete»

Step 5: Right-click on " Universal Serial Bus Controllers" and select " Update hardware configuration»

Step 6: Wait for the driver reinstallation to complete

Your OS recognizes the iPhone as digital camera and can copy images from it just like from a memory card.

This is how it is done on Mac:

• After establishing a connection using the cable and after 5 seconds, you should usually automatic start standard application"Image Capture" If this does not happen, you can open it manually (located in the program section);
• All images will be presented in the window of this utility that opens. At the same time, copying them is quite simple: you need to select the ones you need and move them to a specific folder.

On Windows it's a little different:

• We connect the gadget to the computer. Literally after 5 seconds you will see a pop-up startup window on the screen. If this does not happen, then you need to go to “My Computer” and open the iPhone as Portable device(for Windows 7) or as a camera if you have WinXP;
• Next, open the storage of the iPhone itself, after which we go to the DCIM folder. Its contents usually consist of two or three folders containing photos and video files;
• We find our photos and copy those that need to be transferred to the computer;
• Paste it into a folder previously created on the PC. Once you've finished importing your files, you can unplug the cord from your computer.

Note. At the moment of the first iPhone connections to the computer, a message will appear on the iPhone screen asking: “Trust this device?” Of course, if you want to transfer photos, you need to select the “trust” option.

If you still can't import photos to your computer or your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch as a camera, follow these steps.

Transferring Images via iCloud

Check if you can use iCloud Photo Library or My Photo Stream

If you turned on iCloud Photo Library on Mac computer And iPhone device, iPad or iPod touch, your photos may already be on your computer.

You can go to iCloud.com and open the Photos app to browse your entire library and select photos to import. If you haven't turned on iCloud Photo Library, try using the iCloud Photo Library feature to access photos on your computer. My photo stream.

If you're not using iCloud Photo Library or My Photo Stream, try the following:

• Check connections and update software.
• Try importing photos using a different Apple USB cable.
• If import still fails, update your software.
• Download latest version iTunes.
• Try importing photos again.

How to transfer photos from iPhone to computer via wifi?

In addition to connecting via wire, transferring photos can also be done via wireless connection. Before starting the transfer, you will need to synchronize via Wi-Fi.

From computer First you need to connect your device using a cable and open iTunes. On the left side of the window, in the “Devices” block, you need to select an iPhone or iPad for synchronization. In the “Overview” tab in the “Parameters” block, you will need to check the box next to “Sync. devices via Wi-Fi." Now the gadget will automatically synchronize when it is on the same network with a computer on which iTunes is installed.

From phone synchronization can be started through the device settings. To do this, in the “General” menu you will need to select “Sync with iTunes over Wi-Fi.” The presence of synchronization is indicated by an icon in the phone tray. The device now appears as connected. Consequently, all actions on it can be performed in the same way as when connecting using regular cable– twisted pair.

Try using a different computer

If the camera doesn't appear in Device Manager, check that your iOS device is working properly by connecting it to another computer. If on another computer iOS device is recognized as a camera, contact Microsoft or other Windows support on your computer for assistance.

Apple iOS 7 doesn't trust my computer. Problems transferring photos from iPhone

There is a cruel way if all attempts to enter the password have been exhausted and there is no computer that your iPhone “trusts”.

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable that comes with the standard kit.
2. Among all devices will appear Apple iPhone, personal computer recognizes it as a digital camera.
3. To access the Lockdown folder, launch in Mac OS Finder. In other operating systems, opening the trust window on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is also done by clearing the Lockdown folder on the computer.
4. After “trust” on the computer, iTunes sees the iPhone.
5. You must wait until the computer detects your digital camera. Then you need to go into the device, select photos, copy them to the clipboard and move them to a folder on your computer. With the help iTunes programs You can transfer not only photos to your computer, but also music, ringtones, videos and much more. First, you need to connect your iPhone to your computer with a USD cable. When the computer sound signal will notify you that a new device has been found, you should open iTunes.
6. If your iPhone is configured e-mail, then the photos can be sent via e-mail, and then transferred to a computer. You can transfer photos without connecting a USB cable to your computer; this is easy to do via shared folder cloud service Yandex.Disk.

Importing photos using cloud services

An excellent alternative to the second method, because by using auxiliary cloud services, you can throw it off quickly enough large number photos from iPhone to computer. To do this, you need a good Internet connection, as well as a registered account in one or more services: Yandex.Disk, DropBox, Cloud Mail.Ru. If you have a small number of images, even email will do.

The algorithm of actions is very simple:

• transfer photos from your iPhone to a file hosting service;
• then download the downloaded files from a file hosting service, but only through a computer.

As you can see, copying photos from iPhone to computer is absolutely easy. Once you've got your hands full, you can transfer your footage in less than 5 minutes.

Synchronization with a PC will help you unlock the potential of legendary Apple devices. Using a computer, an iPhone can be equipped with many useful applications, download music, games, books and other content. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that Apple devices are not detected via the USB port.

Why doesn't my iPhone see USB?

• The synchronization cable is faulty (broken, contains obvious mechanical damage to adapters or wires).

Diagnosis of the problem: connect the smartphone to the PC using a different USB cable.

Solution: replace the cable.

• contamination of contacts (ingress of foreign particles, moisture and further oxidation of metal parts).

Diagnosis of the problem: detailed inspection of iPhone connectors and USB devices.

Solution: clean the oxidized contacts with an eraser or brush, carefully remove blockages using cotton swabs or a needle.

• failure of the connection port.

Diagnosis of the problem: try connecting another device to the port.

Solution: connect your iPhone via a different USB channel, check the settings for connecting additional ports on your PC.

• The USB output in the smartphone is faulty (the microcircuit is burned out, the connector is torn out or loose).

Diagnosis of the problem: visual inspection, breakdown investigation by a specialist.

Solution: contact the service center to replace the part.

• charge controller defect.

Diagnosis of the problem: a message that the cable is not connected, although the plug is in the device connector.

Solution: replacing the controller.

• iPhone software errors.

Solution: flashing or restoring the operating system.

• software glitches iTunes applications on PC.

Solution: reinstall the program, roll back to the previous one, or update to the latest version.

• inappropriate current level (when connecting the smartphone to the computer via extension cords).

Solution: sync your phone directly without unnecessary connectors and wires.

It is necessary to carefully study the settings; perhaps they prohibit the exchange of information with the computer. The above aspects are universal methods solutions for incorrect identification of iPhone 4s, 5 or 5s, 6 via USB channel.

"USB device not recognized" error

If the OS on your computer displays the message “ USB device not recognized”, you need to change the connection port, reinstall the driver, reconfigure the settings in the registry, remove and reinstall the device in the “Device Manager”. Effective method– disconnecting the PC from the main power board, and not a regular shutdown, but disconnecting the power cable for several minutes. These manipulations allow you to get rid of residual current in the system, which sometimes leads to minor circuit errors, as a result of which some PC functions are disabled and a message appears about the inability to recognize the USB device.

To automatically get rid of USB identification problems, you can use the Windows troubleshooting application - Diagnose and fix Windows USB problems automatically. Suitable for Windows Vista, 7, XP.

Possible problems

1. Controller malfunction

Solution: remove and reinstall all controllers, thereby restoring the USB port.

• "Start" button -> "Run" menu item -> devmgmt.msc command -> "OK" button -> "Device Manager" -> "" item USB controllers» -> apply the “Delete” function in order to all controllers;
• restart your PC. Reinstallation of controllers will be carried out automatically operating system Windows, after which you can safely try to connect your iPhone to the system.

2. Damage iPhone drivers, Windows identifies the smartphone as an “Unknown Device”.

Solution: Update the driver. Right-click to select “Properties” in the device’s context menu -> “Driver” tab -> “Update” or download the appropriate program from the Apple website.

3. Incorrect settings USB controller.

Solution: "Device Manager" -> call context menu right-click -> “Properties” -> “Power management” -> uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” -> “Ok” -> restart the PC.

4. Failure of the USB controller integrated into the motherboard.

Solution: replace the part in service center or purchase an external USB controller. Connect this board to the motherboard via a PCI port, having previously disabled the existing USB controller in the PC BIOS.

When diagnosing why the iPhone is not detected by the computer via USB, it’s worth working through everything possible reasons, starting with the simplest ones and moving upward. Hardware failures of the equipment should be eliminated by specialists, and intervention in Computer BIOS can only be carried out by experienced users.