If your Windows PC doesn’t recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod

June 7, 2024
Apple

If your Windows PC doesn’t recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod

If you connect your device to your PC with a USB cable and your PC doesn’t recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, learn what to do.

Use the following steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver on Windows 10 or any other version of Windows.

If you use Windows 10

  1. Disconnect your device from your computer.

  2. Unlock your iOS or iPadOS device and go to the Home screen. Then reconnect your device. If iTunes opens, close it.

  3. Click and hold (or right-click) the Start button, then choose Device Manager.

  4. Locate and expand the Portable Devices section.

  5. Look for your connected device (such as Apple iPhone), then right-click on the device name and choose Update driver.

  6. Select “Search automatically for updated driver software.”

  7. After the software installs, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and verify that no other updates are available.

  8. Open iTunes.

If you use any other version of Windows

  1. Disconnect your device from your computer.

  2. Unlock your iOS or iPadOS device and go to the Home screen. Then reconnect your device. If iTunes opens, close it.

  3. Press the Windows and R key on your keyboard to open the Run command.

  4. In the Run window, enter: %ProgramFiles%Common FilesAppleMobile Device SupportDrivers

  5. Click OK.

  6. Right-click on usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file and choose Install.

  7. You might see other files that start with usbaapl64 or usbaapl. Make sure to install the file that ends in .inf. If you’re not sure which file to install, right-click a blank area in the File Explorer Window, click View, then click Details to find the correct file type. You want to install the Setup Information file.

  8. Disconnect your device from your computer, then restart your computer.

  9. Reconnect your device and open iTunes.

If your device still isn’t recognized

Check Device Manager to see if the Apple Mobile Device USB driver is installed. Follow these steps to open Device Manager:

  1. Press the Windows and R key on your keyboard to open the Run command.
  2. In the Run window, enter devmgmt.msc, then click OK. Device Manager should open.
  3. Locate and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.
  4. Look for the Apple Mobile Device USB driver.

If you don’t see the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver or you see Unknown

Device

  • Connect your device to your computer with a different USB cable.
  • Connect your device to a different computer. If you have the same issue on another computer, contact Apple Support.

If you see the Apple Mobile Device USB driver with an error symbol

If you see  ,  , or   next to the Apple Mobile Device USB driver, follow these steps:

  1. Restart the Apple Mobile Device Service.
  2. Check for and resolve issues with third-party security software, then restart your computer.
  3. Try to install the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file again.

If the issue persists, contact Apple Support.

Published Date: July 08, 2021

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