Apple very own iOS device manage tool, iTunes play a vital role when it comes to iOS file browsing, transfer and management. The fact that it’s developed and maintained by Apple itself makes more people patronizing iTunes up to the present. But despite the regular updates and software maintenance, iTunes still succumb to random issues due to several factors. Tackled in this context is a post-update issue with iTunes that won’t sync with an iphone x that runs on the latest iOS platform. Read on to find out what to do if your iPhone X iOS 13 is not recognized in iTunes.
Before moving on, feel free to browse through our troubleshooting pages to find potential solutions to other problems with your other Apple devices. If your iOS handset is in the list of our supported devices, then you can visit its exclusive troubleshooting page and find the problem that you need help dealing with. You can refer to or use our provided solutions and workarounds if needed. In the case where you’d prefer to get direct assistance from us, simply fill up our iOS issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.
Troubleshooting a problem on your iPhone X iOS 13 that’s not recognized in iTunes
Before you start ruling out software-related factors, check and make sure that the USB cable you are using isn’t damaged. Also ensure that the USB port where the cable is plugged in is functional. Remove any other USB devices from your computer except for the keyboard and mouse (if using wired accessories).
First solution: End iTunes and other running programs on your computer.
Computer programs, particularly those that are left running in the background for a long period of time are more prone to becoming rogue and may affect other system functions. When this happens, they’re unable to execute certain tasks or may not be able to work at all. And the iTunes software is no exception. This is when force closing or end ending programs is needed.
- To close all running programs on a Windows 10 computer, open the Alt + Tab screen then use the Arrow keys or tab key to select the program that you’d like to close, which in this case is iTunes. Then hit the Delete key to confirm action. Don’t let go of the Alt key to continue using the Alt + Tab screen and close all other programs that are left running in the background.
- On your Mac computer, you can force an app/program to quit by pressing the Option, Command, and Esc (Escape) keys simultaneously. Then select the app in the Force Quit window and click the option to Force Quit.
After all running programs on your computer, retry launching iTunes and see if it’s already able to recognize and sync with your iPhone X.
ALSO READ: How to fix an iPhone iOS 13 that won’t connect to App Store
Second solution: Reboot your iPhone and computer.
Turning both your iPhone and computer off for a few seconds and then back on again can also help get rid of random system errors that might halted them from syncing. Before restarting, disconnect your iPhone from the computer. Then on your iPhone X, perform a soft reset to clear and refresh memory cache using these steps:
- Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button for a few seconds until the Slide to Power Off appears.
- Release both buttons when the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to the right and allow several seconds for your phone to power off.
- After 30 seconds or so, press and hold the Side button again until the Apple logo appears.
On your computer, use the standard procedures to restart the system as you normally do.
Third solution: Disable restrictions on your iPhone.
Your iPhone has a privacy feature called restrictions. When this feature is enabled, there is a great chance that certain apps including iTunes could be barred from accessing your iPhone system. To make sure that this isn’t halting iTunes from recognizing and syncing with your iOS device, disable or turn off content & privacy restrictions with these steps:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Then tap on Screen Time.
- Select Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Tap Content Restrictions.
- Enter your passcode, if prompted.
- Tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Select a setting and set to Allow.
After making necessary changes to your iPhone restrictions, give your computer and iPhone another restart to refresh both operating systems. Then connect your iPhone to the computer again and retry syncing with iTunes. If iTunes still won’t recognize your iPhone X, then you may have to carry out some settings reset to eliminate invalid settings and faulty system overrides. Just refer to the next solution then.
Fourth solution: Reset all settings to fix your iPhone X iOS 13 that’s not recognized in iTunes.
As mentioned earlier, invalid settings including faulty update overrides can also cause some conflicts and may interfere with or halt the syncing process between your iPhone and iTunes. To clear this out, resetting all settings on your iPhone X can help. Doing so will erase all customized settings and then restores the original values and options without deleting any saved information on the internal storage. Just follow these steps if you wish to proceed:
- From your Home screen, tap Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
- Select Reset All Settings from the given options.
- Enter your device passcode if prompted to continue.
- Then tap Reset All Settings again to confirm that you want to reset all settings on your device.
Allow your device to finish resetting and then restarts on its own when done. As soon as it’s finished booting up, you can start enabling necessary features so you can use them again on your iPhone. Then retry connecting your iPhone to the computer and see if iTunes is already able to recognize it.
ALSO READ: How to fix iPhone X iOS 13 No service error, cannot send/receive text messages
Fifth solution: Update iTunes on your computer.
One of the possible reasons as to why iTunes does not recognize or sync with your iPhone X even if they’re already connected is because the iTunes program you’re using is outdated. Thus, updating iTunes to the latest version available is also imperative. If you’re using iTunes on a Mac computer, you can update the software through these steps:
- Open iTunes on your Mac computer.
- Within iTunes, click the iTunes menu then click the option to Check for Updates. A pop-up screen will be displayed.
- In that pop-up screen, click the option to Download iTunes.
- Then click the Update button next to the iTunes update.
Wait for the App Store program to start downloading and installing the new version of iTunes on your computer.
To update iTunes on a Windows computer, follow these steps instead:
- Run the Apple Software Update program. This program was automatically installed the moment you installed iTunes on your computer. This program is used to manage updates to iTunes.
- When the Apple Software Update program opens, it will check for available updates.
- Mark the box to select updates for Apple Software Update program then click Install.
- Wait for the update to be downloaded and installed completely on your device. When that happens, Apple Software Update will run again and provide you a new list of programs available to update. If iTunes appears in the list, mark the check box next to it then click Install.
Doing so will prompt the utility to update iTunes and any other Apple software you have selected.
Sixth solution: Disable firewall and other security software installed on your computer.
Firewalls on your computer can also block your iPhone from accessing the computer system. If this happens, your device would neither be recognized or able to sync with iTunes. To rule this out, follow these steps to temporarily disable firewall on your Windows computer:
- Open the Control Panel.
- Click to select the System and Security link.
- Click on Windows Defender Firewall or Windows Firewall.
- On the next screen, click the option to Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.
- Click the radio button before the option to Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended).
- Then click OK to save the changes.
To disable firewall on a Mac computer, follow these steps instead:
- Click on the Apple logo/menu on the top-left corner of the main screen to get started.
- Select System Preferences.
- Then click Security & Privacy.
- Select the Firewall tab to view the firewall settings.
- Click on the lock icon and enter the valid unlock credentials.
- Click the Firewall OFF radio button then Firewall Options.
You can also use the Advanced firewall options to customize your firewall settings without completely disabling it.
- To prevent any further changes on the firewall setting without your permission, simply click on the lock icon.
Don’t forget to re-enable firewall on your computer when you’re done using iTunes to ensure privacy and system security.
Last resort: Manage USB drivers on your computer.
If you are having trouble syncing your iPhone with iTunes on a Windows computer, verify and ensure that the required USB drivers are properly installed. One of the possible reasons why iTunes won’t be able to detect an iPhone is because its USB drivers are either missing or corrupted. To rule this out, check and manage the device manager on your computer. You can open it directly by launching the Run prompt on your Windows computer. Simply press both the Windows and R keys on the keyboard. Then type in the command devmgmt.msc then press the OK button. Doing so will open the device manager.
If you are using a Mac computer, then you can check this information by heading over to the System Information menu and expanding the Hardware list. To see whether or not the iPhone is listed, click on the USB option. If you don’t see your iPhone in the list, then you need to install the drivers. These are usually stored in the Drivers folder on your computer. Just go to Program Files-> Common Files-> Apple-> Mobile Device Support-> Drivers menu and find the file named usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf. Click to select the file and then install it.
Follow the rest of the onscreen commands to finish installing drivers then reboot your computer to refresh and apply the recent software changes.
ALSO READ: How to fix iPhone 8 apps that won’t update in iOS 13, pending app updates won’t install
Is your iPhone X iOS 13 still not recognized in iTunes
You may contact Apple’s Mac support for further assistance in configuring the drivers on your Mac computer for iTunes to work and sync with your iPhone X in iOS 13. If you’re using a Windows computer, you can contact Microsoft Support to walk you through a step-by-step process of configuring USB drivers on your computer according to the iOS 13 system requirements.
If all else failed, then you can try using alternative iOS management tools to carry out what you wanted iTunes to do with your iPhone files. Among the leading picks are Dr. Fone – Transfer iOS, iMazing, SynciOS Manager, iSkysoft TunesOVer, iStonsoft Transfer, and Wondershare Tunesgo, to name a few. You can utilize any of these tools while waiting for Apple and/or Microsoft to release the required permanent solution to the problem.
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