After Apple axed iTunes for Mac, the iPhone directly appears in the Finder app on the Mac. So you can sync media files and get more details about your iPhone from Finder. You can even create a backup of your iPhone on your Mac using Finder.
But what if Finder stops showing your iPhone when you connect it all of a sudden? If you want to move photos or make a backup on your Mac, that can be hard to do. Check out our solutions if your iPhone isn’t showing up in Finder on your Mac.
1. KEEP YOUR IPHONE UNLOCKED
If your iPhone is locked when you try to connect it to your Mac, you may not be able to connect it. First, make sure your iPhone is unlocked and then connect it to your Mac.
You should see your iPhone’s Home Screen, after which you can connect it to your Mac by plugging in the cable. After you do that, wait a few seconds and check Finder to see if your iPhone is there.
2. CHANGE THE USB CABLE OF YOUR IPHONE
If you can’t find the model name of your iPhone in the Finder, check the USB cable you use to connect your iPhone to your Mac. You should get a new cable if the one you have is broken, not Apple-certified, or not from a well-known brand.
If you don’t want to buy new Apple cables, you should get a braided cable for your iPhone instead, which will last longer.
3. CHECK YOUR MAC’S USB PORT
While you check your cable, you should also check and clean the USB port on your Mac. You can clean out the port with a cotton bud or a small brush made for dental floss. Then try using that port to connect your iPhone to your Mac.
4. RELAUNCH FINDER ON YOUR MAC
If your iPhone still doesn’t show up after you’ve checked the cable and USB port, you should restart Finder on your Mac. This is just like how you Force Quit and Restart an app on your Mac when it stops working properly. Let’s start over with the Finder by taking these steps.
Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is connected to your Mac with the cable.
Step 2: On your Mac’s Home Screen, click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.
Step 3: From the list of options, choose Force Quit.
Step 4: In the Force Quit window, click on Finder.
Step 5: Press the Relaunch button.
Step 6: Click Relaunch again to confirm that you want to do this.
Step 7: Open Finder and see if your iPhone is there.
5.RESTART YOUR MAC AND IPHONE
If the last step didn’t help, let’s move on and start over with your iPhone and Mac. Following these steps will help you restart your iPhone and Mac. Before you do this, it’s a good idea to disconnect the cable from your devices.
Restart iPhone
Step 1: Hold down your iPhone’s Power button and Volume Up/Down button for a long time.
Step 2: Swipe right on your screen when you see the notification to turn off your iPhone.
Step 3: To restart your iPhone, hold down the Power button for a long time.
Restart Mac
Step 1: On your Mac’s Home Screen, click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.
Step 2: From the list of options, choose “Restart.”
After both devices have restarted, connect them with a cable and check to see if your iPhone shows up on your Mac.
6.CHECK THE PREFERENCES FOR THE FINDER SIDEBAR
We suggest that you check your Finder’s sidebar settings. In the sidebar of your Finder, you can see all the devices and folders you have. Follow these steps to get your iPhone to show up in the sidebar of Finder.
Step 1: Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search, then type Finder and press Return.
Step 2: In the top left corner, click the Finder tab.
Step 3: From the list of options, choose Preferences.
Step 4: Click the Sidebar icon at the top of the Finder Preferences window.
Step 5: Check to see if everything under Location is turned on.
Step 6: Close the window and connect your iPhone again to see if it shows up in Finder on Mac.
If you can’t see the sidebar on your Finder, check out our post on how to fix the Finder sidebar missing.
7.Clear the iPhone’s list of trusted computers
When you connect your iPhone to your Mac for the first time, your iPhone’s Home Screen shows a small notification. You are asked if you want to Trust This Computer so that the Mac can access the data on your iPhone. You can fix this problem by resetting your iPhone’s Trusted Computers list. Do these things.
Step 1: Disconnect your iPhone from your Mac.
Step 2: Go to your iPhone’s settings.
Step 3: Move a bit down and tap on General.
Step 4: Go all the way to the bottom of the screen and click Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Step 5: Tap the bottom Reset button.
Step 6: Tap on Reset Location and Privacy from the list of options that shows up on your screen.
You might be asked to enter the passcode for your iPhone.
Step 7: Tap Reset Settings to confirm that you want to do this.
Step 8: Close the Settings app and connect your iPhone to your Mac.
Step 9: Tap Trust in the message that says “Trust This Computer.”
Step 10: Type in the code for your iPhone. Then look to see if your iPhone is in the Finder.
8.DELETE FINDER PREFERENCE FILES FROM YOUR MAC
Like other programmes on your Mac, the Finder saves information like folder locations and file names in a Preference File. If your iPhone still doesn’t show up in Finder, it might be because the Finder’s Preference File is broken. By doing these things, you can fix it.
Step 1: Open the Finder application. Click the “Go” option in the top-left menu bar.
Step 2: From the drop-down menu, choose “Go to Folder.”
Step 3: Type /Library into the search box that pops up on your screen.
Step 4: Click on the first result of your search.
Step 5: Click on the Preferences folder in the Library window.
Step 6: Type apple.com. After you’ve opened the folder Finder, type in what you’re looking for in the search box at the top right and press Return.
Step 7: Pick one of the search results and save it to the Desktop.
Step 8: Move the folder to the trash can by dragging it. Then open the Recycle Bin and click on the Empty button.
Step 9: Open Finder again, then connect your iPhone to see if it shows up there.
9.Look at the USB device tree in the system report.
If you still can’t see your iPhone in Finder on your Mac, it’s likely that the USB port on your Mac is broken. The same thing can be seen in the System Report on your Mac. Do these things.
Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner and choose About This Mac.
Step 2: Click on System Report
Step 3: Look in the left menu for the USB option.
Step 4: Look to see if information about your iPhone, such as its Product ID and Vendor ID, is listed.
10.GO TO THE APPLE STORE NEAR YOU
If you did the last step and still couldn’t see your iPhone’s information, it means that your Mac’s USB port isn’t working right. We recommend that you take it to the Apple Store or Authorized Service Center closest to you so that it can be fixed by experts.
ACCESS YOUR IPHONE DATA WITH MAC
These steps will help you figure out what’s wrong and fix it. But we also think it’s a good idea to back up your iPhone data using a service like iCloud or Google Drive.
