Fix: iPhone not Showing up in iTunes in Windows 10

The iTunes client for Windows 10 usually, if kept up to date, works without major issues. Sometimes it can get the CPU worked up a bit, especially on older configurations. But, connecting your iPhone to a PC and using iTunes should work every time. Especially since drivers are installed as soon as you plug in the device for the first time. Sadly, some users run into an issue as the iPhone is not showing up in iTunes on Windows 10. Don’t worry though, we have a few simple solutions for the problem at hand.

Table of contents:

1. Restart your iPhone and the PC
2. Update iTunes and Windows 10
3. Check the drivers
4. Switch the USB port and unplug all other peripherals

How do I get iTunes to recognize my iPhone on Windows?

1. Restart your iPhone and the PC

The first thing to do is to restart your iPhone and the PC. Chances are that the problem is a minor bug that you can easily fix by restarting both devices.

If that doesn’t help and the iPhone is still not showing up in iTunes on Windows 10, try the next step.

2. Update iTunes and Windows 10

The next important thing is to update iTunes and Windows 10 if updates are available. The more important one is definitely iTunes, as there are many instances when an outdated version doesn’t work well on Windows 10. If you are on an Insider Preview running Windows 11, there’s a good chance that iTunes won’t work.

Here’s how to update Windows 10:

1. Right-click on the Start button and open Settings.
2. Open Windows Update.
3. Click Check for updates and install available updates immediately.

And this is how to update iTunes:

1. Open the iTunes client.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID if prompted.
3. From the Tools bar, click on Help and then on Check for Updates.

3. Check the drivers

The next step is to check the iPhone drivers. Make sure that the iPhone appears in the Windows 10 Device Manager once you connect it to the PC via a USB cable.

Here’s how to check if there are iPhone drivers installed on your Windows 10 PC:

1. Connect your iPhone and tap Trust when prompted.
2. On your PC, right-click on the Start and open Device Manager.
3. Look for Apple iPhone under Portable Devices. If you don’t see it, select View from the Tools bar, and then check the Show Hidden Devices option.
4. If you don’t see the iPhone or Apple iPhone is transparent, right-click on Apple iPhone and choose Update driver.

And here’s how to reinstall the iPhone driver on Windows 10:

1. Open Device Manager while the iPhone is not connected, and expand Portable Devices.
2. Right-click on Apple iPhone and select Uninstall device.
3. Restart your PC and then connect your iPhone via a USB cable.
4. Wait for it to install the driver and check if the iPhone is still not showing up in iTunes on Windows 10.

4. Switch the USB port and unplug all other peripherals

Finally, make sure to inspect the USB cable you are using, try different USB ports, and, for the sake of troubleshooting, unplug all peripheral devices you have plugged in.

If that doesn’t help, try fixing the issue by reinstalling iTunes. That should fix the problem. And, on that note, we can conclude this article. Thank you for reading and make sure to share your questions or suggestions with us. You can do so in the comments section below.