Solved: Mac Doesn’t Recognize my iPhone

Summary: Is your Mac not recognizing the iPhone? Learn the 9 ways to fix iPhone not showing up on Mac. You can apply these methods for all iPhone models not recognized by macOS Ventura, Monterey, Catalina, Big Sur, High Sierra and below versions.

You may want to backup iPhone data or transfer favorite photos, music, or videos to Mac. But sometimes your Mac computer doesn’t detect the iPhone when you try to connect it. There are so many complaints such as iPhone not showing up in Finder in Ventura, Monterey, Catalina or Macbook not recognizing iPhone 14. Some also reported an unknown error or a 0xE error when trying to connect iPhone to Mac computer. The situation is frustrating as it prevents you to sync iPhone to macOS and access iPhone data on Mac.

No worries. There are methods, which can fix the issue and let you again access your iPhone on Mac. But, first you should be aware why Mac fails to recognize your iPhone as this helps in troubleshooting the problem.

Why your iPhone not detected by Mac computer?

Mac does not detect your iPhone due to many reasons, such as

• iPhone is not ‘on’ when connected to Mac.
• iPhone is damaged.
• The USB cable or USB port is not working.
• Software updates are pending including iOS, iTunes, and macOS.
• Third-party software conflict wherein 2 programs arecompeting for the same memory, peripheral device etc., on your Mac.
• Firewall or Antivirus software is preventing Mac to recognize iPhone.
• Mac settings don’t allow to view iPhone in Finder.

1. Check your iPhone

Before you connect your iPhone to Mac, make sure the iOS device is unlocked and on the Home screen.

2. Fix USB connection

When Mac computer doesn’t recognize iPhone, first check your USB connection. The USB cable or the port can be faulty. Try to connect iPhone to Mac using another Apple USB 2.0 cable. If that doesn’t work try with the different port. Plus, disconnect other USB devices from Mac except your iPhone.

3. Restart your iPhone

Restarting the iOS device would resolve any issue between your iPhone programs and iTunes. To restart hold volume/side/ top button depending on your iPhone model. Slide the red power off slider on your iPhone. Wait for your iPhone to turn off. After a few seconds, again restart iPhone. Now Mac should recognize your iPhone.

4. Restart your Mac

Restarting Mac clears the cache and memory of your system giving it a fresh start. It also installs pending updates.

5. Update your macOS

When iPhone is not showing up on Mac Finder but you can see it under USB Device Tree, update the macOS to the latest version. Make sure there are no pending software installs.

To check the USB Device Tree on Mac follow the below steps:

• Click on Apple icon followed by About This Mac.
• Click the System Report button.
• Under Hardware, select USB.

_{Figure: USB Device Tree}

• On the right pane, you will see USB Device Tree. If you see your iPhone in the list, then update to the latest macOS.

6. Update iTunes

Older versions of iTunes can create conflict with normal Mac functions. Hence, Apple recommends installing the latest iTunes updates.

To install the latest iTunes, open iTunes. From the menu bar choose Help > Check for Updates and follow the prompts to install the latest version.

Now, check if your Mac recognizes the iPhone or not.

7. Disable antivirus on Mac

One of the reason cited for iPhone not detected by Mac is anti-virus or firewall protection on your system. So disable the antivirus or firewall and then try to connect your iPhone to Mac.

8. Enable iOS device in Mac Preferences

When iPhone is not showing on Mac Finder, check if your Mac Preferences allows to view iOS devices in Finder. To enable iOS device in Finder follow the below steps:

• Go to Finder > Preferences.
• Click on the Sidebar button in Finder Preferences box.
• Check in CDs, DVDs and iOS Devices.

_{Figure: Finder Preferences}

This should fix iPhone not showing up in Finder on Mac.

9. Connect iPhone to a different Mac machine

Try by connecting your iPhone to another Mac. If you receive a message asking to ‘Trust this computer’, click on ‘Trust’ to access your iPhone data on the new computer. Make sure to backup iPhone to avoid data loss situation.

Tip: Have you lost or accidentally deleted Camera Roll, Contacts, Photos Stream, Voice Memos, or more while transferring iPhone data to Mac? No need to worry. Restore the deleted photos, videos, messages, contacts, etc., with the help of an efficient Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone for Mac.

FAQ

1. Can I connect iPhone with Mac wirelessly?

You can sync your Mac and iPhone over the same Wi-Fi network.

1. Connect your iPhone to Mac using a USB cable.
2. Open Finder on Mac and select your iPhone in the sidebar.
3. Click on the General tab.
4. Check in Show this iPhone when on Wi-Fi.
5. Click Apply.

2. How to fix my iPhone cannot connect to iTunes?

If iPhone is not showing up in iTunes, restart your devices and ensure macOS, iTunes, and iOS are updated. To know more methods, read How fix iPhone unable to connect to iTunes problem.

3. How to connect iPhone to the latest MacBook Pro 2021 that doesn’t have USB A port?

The new MacBook has USB Type-C port. You can use USB-C to Lightning cable to connect iPhone XR, SE, 11, and above to the new MacBook. If you have iPhone X or below use USB-A to Lightning cable.

4. Can I use the methods to fix iPhone 14 not recognized by macOS Ventura?

Yes, you can apply the above methods to fix any iPhone not detected by macOS Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, or below.

5. Will I lose any data when syncing iPhone and Mac?

No, you won’t lose data by syncing iPhone to Mac. Syncing helps to access your iPhone data on Mac anytime from anywhere. However, if you accidentally delete iPhone data, use an iPhone Data Recovery software to restore it.

Wrapping Up

Syncing iOS device to macOS has so many advantages but if Mac is not recognizing your iPhone, you cannot transfer, back up, or access iPhone data on Mac. This post has shared 9 methods to fix the syncing issue of Mac and iPhone. One of them should resolve Mac not detecting your iPhone.

Recover Lost Photos during Transfer from iPhone to PC or Mac

Summary: Lost your precious photos during the transfer from iPhone to computer? Learn 4 ways to recover photos lost during transfer. These methods are applicable to all variants of iPhone and iPad or in short all iOS devices.

Transferring photos from iPhone 15, 14/13/12/X/8/7 to PC or Mac system is a simple task that can often get skewed causing serious photo loss situations. If you have also lost your valuable photos during one such event of photos transfer, then here’s a guide to get back photos lost during the transfer.

Photo loss while transferring from iPhone to a computer is a common problem faced by many. You try to transfer your photos from your iPhone to your computer and select the location to save them.

But when you check the drive folder in the system, to your shock the photos are not there! And if this is a ‘cut and paste’ transfer from iPhone, it’s a big jolt for you.

But do not worry, thankfully, data recovery technology is always there to recover lost photos in any situation.

There can be several reasons for the loss of photos during transfer, such as below:

• Sudden power failure during the transfer of photos
• Disconnecting iPhone from the PC/Mac while transferring photos
• Lack of enough space in the drive to save the photos
• Corruption of the drive in which you saved the photos
• Virus in the system
• Anti-virus on your PC/Mac scans and detects viruses in the photo resulting in photo loss

How to Recover Photos Lost during Transfer from iPhone 15, 14/13/12/11/X/8/7 to PC/Mac?

Typically, if you have not deleted the required photos from your iPhone, try transferring them again from the device to the PC or Mac. If already deleted then, try the below methods to recover the photos lost during transfer from iPhone 15, 14/13/12/11/X/8/7 to PC or Mac.

Solution 1: Search for missing photos in the PC/Mac hard drive

It might be possible you transferred the iPhone photos to the PC but forgot the location where you saved them. Try once searching the complete hard drive for your photos.

1. Click on My PC or My Computer
2. Type the command kind:=picture into the search box and press Enter
3. The list of images will be displayed
4. Right-click on the required photos from the search results, and click Open File Location to view where they are saved

For MAC follow the below steps:

1. Open the Finder and go to your home directory
2. Go to the Pictures folder
3. Right-click on Photos Library.photoslibrary and select Show Package Contents
4. Open the folder Masters to find the images in the Photos app. The Masters folder comprises the photos by date in subfolders. You can open the folders of the relevant dates to find your pictures.

Solution 2: Recover lost transferred photos from iTunes Backup

If you have synced your iPhone to iTunes, you can recover lost photos from this Apple’s backup utility.

Drawback: You cannot selectively pick the lost photos during the file transfer, rather complete data of iTunes is saved on your PC/Mac.

| Note: In Mac, the iTunes backup is stored in Library > Application Support > MobileSync > Backup.
In Windows 7, 8, 10, & 11 the iTunes backup is stored in Users > username > AppData > Roaming > Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.

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Solution 3: Recover Lost Photos from iCloud

If you have iCloud backup of the iOS device, you can recover photos lost during transfer through the cloud facility.

Drawbacks: You cannot directly restore iCloud backup photos on your PC or Mac. It is saved only to an iOS device.
You have to reset your iPhone X/8/7 to factory settings to restore the iCloud backup on it.

How to recover data from iCloud Backup on a computer

1. Take the backup of your iPhone data on iTunes
2. Reset your iPhone to factory settings
3. Go to the Apps & Data screen of your iPhone by pressing the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds and following the onscreen instructions
4. Under Apps & Data, click on Restore from iCloud Backup
5. Sign in to iCloud by entering your Apple ID
6. Select Choose Backup and pick the relevant one from the list of backups
7. Tap After completion of the process, the iPhone restarts and recovers complete data including photos, apps, videos, etc.
8. Select the required photos from the recovered data and transfer them again to your PC or Mac from iPhone

Tip: For selective recovery of lost photos from iCloud/iTunes use Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone . It recovers missing Photos from Camera Roll and Photo Stream in iCloud/iTunes/iPhone. You can preview, select and save only the desired photos at your preferred location.

Solution 4: Use the Best Photo Recovery Software

When no backup, take the help of a third-party photo recovery tool. This is regarded as the easiest way to recover lost photos during the transfer from iPhone 15, 14/13/12/11/XR/XS/X/8/7 to PC/Mac. Use a risk-free application – Stellar Photo Recovery to recover your lost photos from your PC or Mac

The do-it-yourself software recovers all types of media files lost due to deletion, corruption, virus infection or accidental formatting, etc.

How to recover lost photos using Stellar Photo Recovery?

1. Launch Stellar Photo Recovery Software.
2. On the home screen of the software – ‘Select What to Recover’. Click Next.
3. Next, select the location from where you want to recover. Click Scan to start the scanning process
4. A dialog box of ‘Scanning Completed Successfully!’ displays the scan results – the number of files found and the size of the data. In the left pane of the main window, all the recovered data is listed. You can preview them in the right pane.
   Note: If you do not see the required photos in the list, opt for the Deep Scan option at the bottom.
5. Click Recover. You can also choose to recover only the selective files – select the photos that you need, right-click, and click Recover.
6. In the dialog box, specify the location to save the image files. Click Save. All the files get saved at the specified location Click Save. All the files get saved at the specified location.

Conclusion

Backup is the undisputable solution to any kind of photo loss situation. However, if you have not taken your photos backup in iTunes, iCloud, or other storage media, recovery through Stellar Photo Recovery software is the best way to get back photos lost during transfer from iPhone 15, 14/13/12/XS/XR/X/7/8 to PC or Mac.

Forgot iPhone Password? – Here are the Best Solutions

Summary: Can’t remember your iPhone password? This post brings the best solutions to fix forgotten password issue and restore your data from the locked iPhone.

Setting up a password on your iPhone is a great way to keep unauthorized access at bay but what if you forget the password? On a positive note, you can still access or restore your iPhone Data and this blog highlights some best solutions for forgotten iPhone password.

Password enabled iPhone ensures that no one can access it without your permission and is a great way to stop prying eyes from accessing your personal data. But what if you itself forget the password? Isn’t that a problematic situation? Obviously, as you cannot unlock your iPhone and access the data. Further, if you enter the wrong password six times, then a message is displayed stating that the iPhone has been disabled.

Figure 1. If you enter the wrong password six times in a row, then a message will be displayed stating that your iPhone has been disabled.

If you’re lucky then you might be able to unlock your iPhone and access the data stored on it else there is a probability that you may end up losing your data in the process of unlocking it.

Forgot iPhone passcode? What to do next?

Alright, I know it’s next to impossible that you will ever forget your passcode but we cannot overlook the fact that, yes there is a chance that you may forget it. The majority of us will say that we use fingerprint identity sensor (Touch ID) and hardly use a numeric passcode. Well, suppose your Touch ID stops working properly and to fix it you need to go to Settings < Touch ID & Passcode < Enter the Passcode.

Wait! What! You need to enter the passcode to get the Touch ID working again and you thought that you’d never need to remember the passcode. If you have a backup of your data, then all you have to do is simply reset your iPhone and restore your data from the backup. Unfortunately, you’ll only restore data that has been backed up and any new data added after that won’t be there. That said, let’s delve into some of the best solutions for forgotten iPhone password.
If you’ve forgotten the password, these options will help you out:

• Erase your iOS device with iTunes to remove the password
• Erase the passcode with iCloud
• Use Recovery mode if you’re unable to connect to either iCloud or iTunes
• Leverage an iPhone data recovery to recover deleted/lost data

Erase your iPhone with iTunes, restore files from it and remove the passcode

If you’ve synced your iPhone with iTunes, you can restore your files from it. Further, this will erase all the data and the passcode. To restore your data and remove the passcode, follow these steps:

i. Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes
ii. If you’re asked for the passcode, try another computer with which you’ve synced your iPhone, else proceed with either iCloud or Recovery mode
iii. Sync your iPhone with iTunes and make a backup of it
iv. On your iPhone set up the screen, choose Restore from iTunes backup
v. In iTunes select your iPhone and select the relevant backup

This process will restore all your data on iPhone. Now, configure a new passcode and never forget it.

Figure 2 illustrates to erase the data & passcode and to restore your iPhone

Erase the passcode with iCloud

Follow these steps to erase the passcode of your iPhone with iCloud:

i. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your valid Apple credentials to view the iCloud dashboard.
ii. At the top of the dashboard, select ‘All Devices’ and select your iPhone from the given list
iii. Click on ‘Erase’ to erase the passcode
iv. On the setup screen on your iPhone, choose the restore from a backup option to restore files from the iCloud backup

Important: You can erase your iPhone with Find My iPhone as long as it is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.

Use Recovery mode to erase the passcode

If you’ve never synced your iPhone with iTunes or iCloud, then you need to erase the passcode in the Recovery mode. Follow these steps to erase the passcode:
i. Connect your iPhone to your system and force restart it. Different versions of iPhone have different settings; therefore, follow these settings depending on your iPhone

1. iPhone 8/8 Plus: Press and release the Volume up button and then quickly press and release the Volume down button. Press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears
2. iPhone 7/7 Plus: Press and keep holding both the Side and Volume down buttons until you see the recovery mode screen
3. iPhone 6S and earlier: Press and keep holding the Home and the Side buttons until the recovery mode screen appears

ii. Finally, after restarting the iPhone, select Restore from the given options

Figure 3 illustrates to restore iPhone via recovery mode

iii. Wait for the process to finish and then restore your files to your iPhone and set up a new passcode

Get more help

If due to any reason you lose your data stored on iPhone during the whole process, then you can utilize an iPhone data recovery software and recover all your lost data. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is a robust iPhone data recovery software which efficiently brings back all your lost data. Moreover, the software facilitates three recovery option namely:

 

• Recover from iPhone
• Recover from iTunes Backup
• Recover from iCloud backup

Figure 3 illustrates the home screen of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone software

At Last

After restoring your iPhone , make sure that you never ever forget the passcode. The key is to create a strong passcode which is easy to remember. Further, if your iPhone gets stuck in recovery mode or due to any reason you’re unable to unlock your device, contact Apple support or visit the nearest service centre.

How to Recover Lost Data from iPhone After iOS Update?

Summary: If your iPhone data, such as photos, videos, contacts, messages, notes, etc., have disappeared after an iOS update, read this post. It guides you on how to recover data lost after an iPhone update to iOS 16/ 15/ 14/ 13. Also, download the best iPhone data recovery software — Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone — that can recover any data lost due to an iOS update or iOS crash.

‘When I upgraded my iPhone from iOS 15.6 to iOS 16.4, I lost my data (photos, videos, and apps) How can I restore data in my iPhone? Please help.’

As an iPhone user, you eagerly wait for iOS updates that fix various bugs and bring in new features and enhancements. But the charm of making your iPhone smarter and more secure vanishes when suddenly after the update, your contacts, messages, photos or videos, etc., disappear from your iPhone.

There have been several complaints about data loss from iPhone after upgrading to iOS 16, 15, 14, or 13. It is strange as Apple is known to enhance its iPhone data security with every new iOS version.

So why your iPhone data is lost after iOS update?

Technical anomalies after software upgrades are quite common. Even sophisticated Apple devices can lose data after updating to the latest iOS version or show other problems. Although you can restore your data using iTunes or iCloud backup , this may not work every time.

Addressing the problem, we have created a guide for you to recover data lost after an iOS update.

How to recover data lost after iPhone update

You are probably safe if you have created a backup in iTunes or iCloud before updating your iPhone. In this case, you can restore the lost data from the backup files. Otherwise, seek help of an iPhone data recovery software to recover lost data after iOS update.

Below are the methods to recover data lost after iPhone update:

1. Restore lost iPhone data using iTunes
2. Recover lost data after iOS update using iCloud
3. Recover data lost after iPhone update using software

Method 1: Restore lost iPhone data after iOS update using iTunes

Recover lost data from your computer using the iTunes backup you created before the iOS update.

Steps to recover iPhone data from iTunes backup:

• Connect iPhone to your PC/Mac with a USB cable. If a message asks for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the prompts.
• Launch iTunes.
• Select your iPhone under the device list.
• Click on Summary.

Figure: Restore from Backup in iTunes

• Click Restore Backup.
• In the Restore from Backup dialog box, select the relevant backup date just before the iOS update.
• Click Restore. Wait until the restore process finishes. Keep your iPhone connected after it restarts. All your lost iPhone data will be restored on the iPhone.

In case iTunes could not connect to iPhone and shows value is missing error, learn how to fix and connect to iTunes .

Method 2: Recover lost iPhone data after iOS update using iCloud

All iOS device users have iCloud backup advantage. If, after the iOS 16/15/14/13/12 update, your iPhone contacts, Camera Roll, notes, messages, etc., are missing, recover them using the iCloud backup.

However, this method resets your device, and all existing data gets deleted. This means any photos, videos, messages, contacts, etc., which were added or received after the iOS update are removed.

Steps to restore photos from iCloud on iPhone:

• Click to follow Settings >General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase all Contents and Settings.

• In the dialog box, choose Erase Now.
• In the Apps & Data screen, tap Restore from iCloud Backup.

• Enter Apple ID to sign in to your iCloud account.
• Select the recent backup before the iOS update and click Restore. All your missing data will be back on iPhone.

Figure: iPhone restore from iCloud in progress

In case: iCloud backup is greyed out, know here how to fix it .

Method 3: Recover lost data from iPhone after iOS update using software

An iPhone data recovery software is the easiest and quick solution to restore lost iPhone data after iOS update. It is recommended when you don’t have the iPhone backup, or you’re unable to restore data using iCloud or iTunes.

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone can find and restore contacts, videos, photos, audio, chat messages, Calendar, etc., deleted after updating to iOS 16/ 15/ 14/ 13. The software ensures that you recover even the hidden files in your iPhone or iPad after iOS update.

Moreover, you can restore old data without deleting any existing photos or videos that you added or clicked from your iPhone after the update.

The software can extract data from your iPhone, iTunes, and iCloud backup as well. There’s no need to reset or delete any data from your iPhone, when using the software.

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone is helpful, in case:

• You don’t have iPhone backup.
• iPhone data recovery using iCloud or iTunes backup failed.
• Some of your Contacts, iMessages, chats, photos, videos, Safari bookmarks, etc., are missing after recovery from backup.
• You want a quick and easy method to recover lost data after iOS update.
• You don’t want to reset your device to recover the missing data after the update.

The software is compatible with series of iPhone 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / XS / XR / X / 8 / 7 & below and supports the latest iOS 17, 16 15, 14, 13, 12 and below versions.

 

Steps to restore iPhone after iOS update using software

• Connect your iPhone/ iPad to computer.
• Download Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your PC or Mac.
• On the main screen of the software, select Recover from iPhone.

• Select the data you want to recover and click Next. The scanning process begins.

• Next, preview and select the required data. Click Save to restore data on iPhone.

You can also choose the module Recover from iCloud backup or Recover from iTunes backup, if required.

Conclusion

Sometimes after an iOS update, you may not be able to restore iPhone using iTunes or iCloud backups. In such a situation, use Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. The software ensures you recover all data lost due to an iOS update.

The professional iOS data recovery software thoroughly scans your iPhone restoring missing contacts, iMessages, photos, videos, Voice Memos, Notes, WhatsApp chats, and other data. You can also preview the found data before saving them on your iPhone or iPad.

You can download the free trial of the software and preview the recovered iPhone data.

 

FAQs

1. Why did my contacts disappear on the iPhone?

If your contacts disappeared on your iPhone after installing iOS 16, it can be because you didn’t update the iOS appropriately. To recover lost iPhone contacts after the update, you need to factory reset your iOS device and try installing the iOS update again.

2. Where is the iPhone 16 update file located?

When updating your iPhone through iTunes on your Mac, you can find the update file in iPhone software updates. You’ll need to navigate to ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates.

3. Which iPhones will get iOS 16 update?

iOS 16 updates are compatible with iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus iPhone SE (3rd generation) and iPhone SE (2nd generation).

4. How to recover lost videos after the iOS 16 update?

If installing the iOS 16 update causes data loss, restore the iTunes or iCloud backup. However, if you forget to take a backup, for iPhone video recovery use Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

5. Is iPhone deleted text recovery possible after factory reset iOS?

Yes, there is a chance to recover deleted text after factory resetting iOS using the backup stored in iTunes or iCloud.

6. Will iOS 16 update delete my photos?

No, your iPhone data, such as videos, and photos don’t get deleted during iOS 16 update. But if there is any interruption during updates like a power cut then there is a chance to lose data from iPhone. At that time, use backup for iPhone photo recovery and to restore deleted or lost photos.

7. How to recover deleted notes from your iPhone?

iPhone deleted notes retrieval can be done using – The recently Deleted Folder and iCloud backup if you have previously enabled iCloud for Notes.

8. How to recover imessages on iPhone?

For recovering imessages or any other lost or deleted files use iCloud. Just open iCloud.com > Advanced section > Restore files. Next, choose the files you want to restore.

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