Fix: iPhone won’t connect to iTunes in iOS 12

If you’re an iPhone user and stray away from iTunes client, you’re making your life harder. This utility is there for ages and it’s as multifunctional as it is simple to use. However, some users reported that, after the iOS 12 update hit the deck, they’re unable to connect to iTunes on their PC or Mac, respectively.

We have some solutions for this ache, so feel free to check them out and tell us whether they helped you or not.

Solution 1 – Update iTunes

First things first. Make sure that your device is unlocked and that you allowed the PC/Mac to access it. We suggest using the OEM-provided cable. Also, you can hold the power button and volume down key to reboot your device. After that, we need you to update iTunes. There are reports that state that, after the update, the iPhone/iPad with iOS 12 was able to connect.

After you get the latest iteration of iTunes, restart your PC, reconnect the device and try again. If the iPhone/iPad still won’t connect to iTunes, move onwards to next step. You can update your iTunes client in App Store on Mac or via the Apple Software Update client on Windows.

Solution 2 – Reset Location & Privacy permissions

The thing with the iTunes client, security-wise, is that if you’ve denied the access on that particular PC once, that will make it permanent. Hence, you won’t be able to access the handset from that PC.

However, there’s a way to resolve this and it includes resetting the Location & Privacy settings to default values. This, of course, will erase your configuration for those respective settings, but you can tweak them out later on.

Here’s how to reset Location & Privacy settings to default values:

1. Tap Settings.
2. Choose General.
3. Select Reset.
4. Tap Reset Location & Privacy.
5. Insert your passcode to confirm the selection.

Solution 3 – Restart the AMD service on your PC

The AMD (Apple Mobile Device) service needs to work in the background when the device is connected. Now, there are some instances when the aforementioned service doesn’t start. And that’s what might be the problem. Albeit, this is a general troubleshooting step and the issue emerged after the update, it’s still worth checking it out.

Also, we suggest disabling the third-party antivirus temporarily as it might block the connection.

Here’s how to do it on Windows PC:

1. Plug in your handset in your PC.
2. Press Windows key + R to open the Run command-line.
3. Type services.msc and press Enter.
4. Locate the Apple Mobile Device Service, right-click on it and disable it.
5. Right-click again and Enable the AMD service.

Solution 4 – Update USB drivers

Drivers might be the reason for this malfunction, as well. What you need to do is to confirm the device is properly recognized by your PC or Mac. Faulty drivers on Mac are rarely an issue, but that’s not the case for Windows. On Windows, the device driver should be installed automatically, as soon as you plug in the device. But, that’s not always the case.

That’s why we suggest checking drivers in the Device Manager and updating them if updates are available. Here’s how to do it:

1. Plug in your handset into a PC port.
2. Open Run again and type devmgmt.msc. Press Enter.
3. Navigate to Universal Serial Bus Controllers and expand this section.
4. You should see “Apple Mobile Device USB driver” in the list.
5. If there’s a mark next to it, right-click on the device and uninstall the driver.
6. Unplug your handset and plug it in again.
7. Wait until the driver installs and try connecting to iTunes again.

Solution 5 – Factory reset the phone

Finally, if everything worked fine until the iOS 12 was administered, you might want to reset your device to factory settings. Afterward, you can restore your backed data and settings from iCloud. Of course, usually, you can do the same with iTunes, if not for this error we’re trying to address.

Here’s how to reset the device to factory values and try connecting to iTunes again:

1. Tap Settings.
2. Open General.
3. Select Reset.
4. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Enter your Apple ID when prompted.
6. Skip restoring files from iCloud and try connecting to iTunes.
7. Restore your data from iCloud.

After that, you should be able to connect without issues. If the issue is persistent, try updating your device and send a ticket to Apple support so they can sort it out in one of the future updates.

Thanks for reading and do us a favor and share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.