Windows 10 no longer recognizes my iPhone

This is an offshoot of a separate thread I’d created a couple of days ago in an effort to resolve what I suspected might be an underlying issue to the present one.

Seemingly, now, with help from you fine folks, I was able to get Windows Updates behaving correctly once again.  So I’m ready to get back to my original problem, “Problem A”…

Just recently I’ve discovered that my iPhone – in fact, none of the three iPhones in this household – will be recognized by Windows 10 on my computer – or any of the other two computers in this household, either.  Plugging in the iPhone to the computer via USB used to cause a window to pop up, with the iPhone appearing with a letter like any other disk drive.  But no longer.

One of my first thoughts was to make sure my computer was running the latest Windows Update; and also that the iPhone was up to date, as well.

This seems to be the case, so I’m still scratching my head.

The requested info on what I’m running:

Microsoft Windows

Version 22H2 (OS Build 19045.4046)

And an iPhone XR with:

iOS 17.3.1

Can someone help me determine what’s wrong? 

Thanks in advance,

Steve

Hi, From your other Topic in the MTB Report it shows running Ant Driver Updater.   This maybe the/a source of problems.  ANT has had various issues.

In Start Menu --> Search type Phone and give those a try.  Delete previous entry if it is not working.

May be best to tell us what you have tried.   

EDIT : Due to all of this : https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=windows+10+iphone+not+recognized

Edited by Pkshadow, 29 February 2024 - 03:34 PM.

Hi, From your other Topic in the MTB Report it shows running Ant Driver Updater.   This maybe the/a source of problems.  ANT has had various issues.

 

In Start Menu --> Search type Phone and give those a try.  Delete previous entry if it is not working.

 

May be best to tell us what you have tried.   

 

EDIT : Due to all of this : https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=windows+10+iphone+not+recognized

I’m honestly not sure that all made sense to me, as a relative novice.

But one thing it did push me towards was the following YouTube video, which seems to describe what I’m experiencing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29P9K9AZrTI

In this video, the presenter discusses three separate steps to attempt to remedy this problem…

Truthfully, I skipped the first step he talked about, because I was a little leary about uninstalling programs, not feeling 100% confident I’d subsequently be able to get back.

And in his Step 3, the Apple Mobile Device Service was present and running “Automatically”, as I assume it should.

However… in the Step 2 that I just bypassed in my explanation, I notice that “Apple Mobile Device USB Driver” is indeed missing from my Device Manager under the heading of USB.

Again, I’m about the farthest thing from a computer expert as you’ll ever see… but that kindof throws up a red flag to me.

Curious whether you’d agree, and what might be the best way to fix it.

Hi, Sorry not clear enough in Start -->Search type Phone   Results will turn up in a list that are for Phone.    On (as am on Win10 @ the moment) there is 7 things to do with phone that you can do.

All these can be uninstalled if so wish (nothing to do with Phone) https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/remove_windows_108_and_8_1_built_in_apps_using_powershell.html , they are still on the computer and can be reinstalled.

Dislike videos.  What was it it wanted you to uninstall ??  Was it the Services part ?  The Apple and Ipad stuff can uninstall as he says you can download it.  Does not say the name on the part I listened to.

If worse comes to worse why not just buy a cable and connect it.  More secure, less pi---ng around.       LOL, I have no phones connected myself.  I do find things most of the time but hope below gives more info that is useful.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=apple+Iphone+for+Windows+10

Stating the obvius but:

Your i-phone and your pc both need to have bluetooth turned on to link to each other as far as i know.

Of course you can get round that with a cable but if you do this I think your phone must be unlocked else the PC will see your phone as a dumb device. Also your phone will not allow comms with your PC while locked.

If worse comes to worse why not just buy a cable and connect it.  More secure, less pi---ng around.     

Of course you can get round that with a cable

Sorry, I guess it's my fault for not spelling it out in this post (I might've done so in my last; not sure):

That's what I've been trying to do all along, connect my iPhone to my PC via USB cable.  And it won't work.  The phone's battery charges that way; but it is not recognized in Windows Explorer.

...And this is the case with all 3 phones in my household ...regardless of which of the 3 PCs in the house I try it with.

In non-technical terms, I concluded: "Something fishy's going on here,"

...And thus, when I just said found no Apple Mobile Device USB Driver among my USB entries in Device Manager, I took that as an "Aha!" moment (however brief).

Disclaimer: Nothing fruit-flavored here, so no direct experience

But, perhaps I missed it: have you tried a different cable?

Disclaimer: Nothing fruit-flavored here, so no direct experience

 

But, perhaps I missed it: have you tried a different cable?

Yes, I have.  No luck.

And I tried a different USB port.  No luck.

And I've verified that both of those USB ports are working (i.e. will recognize the flash drive I just used to test that theory).

[More head-scratching]



P.S. Does that missing "Apple Mobile Device USB Driver" suggest a problem to you?  Or would that only come into play if I was trying to connect via Wi-Fi, as it seems like my other helpers were assuming?

When I charge my phone (Samsing) I get a popup asking if I want to share information from it.  Scary so always click no on the phone.  Using a OtterBox Fast Charger cable

URL is for Apple :  https://www.otterbox.com/en-us/cables?prefn1=powerOEM&prefv1=Apple .

There should be something like that I would think..........  Maybe is a Permission thing to look into.

Is your phone unlocked? I know that if my Android phone is locked the computer wont detect it.

Yep, I did think of that.  Thanks.  [No sarcasm; that IS the sort of stupidly obvious thing that is known to trip me up.] 

When I charge my phone (Samsing) I get a popup asking if I want to share information from it.  Scary so always click no on the phone.  Using a OtterBox Fast Charger cable

URL is for Apple :  https://www.otterbox.com/en-us/cables?prefn1=powerOEM&prefv1=Apple .

 

There should be something like that I would think..........  Maybe is a Permission thing to look into.

Some kind of permission thing sounds plausible; I may hunt around within the phone for something like that.  But to have happened with ALL THREE phones?? 

Do you have any other devices connected to the computer via USB?

If so, try disconnecting everything, and then connect the iPhone.

Do you have any other devices connected to the computer via USB?

 

If so, try disconnecting everything, and then connect the iPhone.

Just looked into your suggestion.  No, that didn't affect anything (testing with 2 different phones; and in 2 different USB ports).