Syncing iPad/iPhone with iTunes

Use the Apple Devices app downloaded from the Microsoft Store on your Windows PC. The functionality of iTunes for backups/syncing has been replaced with Apple Devices long ago for Windows 10 and 11.

Here is some useful information related to using Apple Devices for syncing content.

• Install the Apple Devices app on Windows - Apple Support
• Intro to syncing your Windows device and Apple devices - Apple Support
• Sync your Windows device and iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support

For an explanation on this transition, this user guide may help.

• If you used iTunes before, now use the Apple Music app to listen to your music library, the Apple TV app to watch your shows and movies, and the Apple Devices app to sync all your media to your other devices.

iTunes User Guide for PC - Apple Support

iTunes is still used for Audiobooks and free podcasts, while the other services use those specific apps, like Apple Music or Apple TV.

How iTunes is changing on PC - Apple Support

Beabob, did you install Apple Music (or Apple TV or Apple Devices) before this started happening. Installing any of those will prevent an iPhone/iPad from syncing with iTunes.

Are you on iTunes 12.13.11.1, the newest version? That would be needed to sync with iOS 27.

When you plug the phone in, do you even get the telltale sound that it was plugged in or nothing at all? Can you see it in File Explorer when plugged in?

What exactly happens when you try to sync?

I can sync fine my iOS 27 iPhone 15 Pro Max with my Windows PC over iTunes.

Just as a note, iTunes has not been replaced with the Devices App yet.

It is still fully available on Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs and can be used to sync devices running iOS 27 just fine.

In fact most of us here would recomment sticking with iTunes instead of moving over to Devices and the other 3 apps since those still have several limitations.

click here ➜ Use iTunes to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with your computer - Apple Support

Are you actually opening itunes or the new Music App.

On iTunes do you see the device icon at the top next to the Media dropdown?

I think I put my finger on what happened here. When you update a device to the next OS iteration, when you go to sync it to iTunes you need to approve the connection to the computer on the device. A pop up on the device tells you about this. Until you do that, iTunes will act like nothing was even hooked up because the device prevents it from transmitting data until you approve it device-side.

This may be what happened to you BeaBob. Unfortunately now we're in the weeds trying to fix "top-ranking" suggestions that weren't a solution to your issue.

Once you get all the Apple Music/TV/Devices stuff off your computer, and your music collection is safely back in iTunes, try the sync but pay attention to the phone when doing so. iTunes from the MS Store or Apple itself shouldn't make a difference here, and you may need the MS Store version since you can't update iTunes anymore within the app itself and you need the most current one to sync with iOS 27.

BeaBob wrote:

Tried to sync phone in iTunes and a pop-up suggested changing to Apple Music, that’s when everything went belly up!

Apple Music does not sync devices. But if oyu installed it it will restrict iTunes.

Remove apple Music, and the Devices App and Apple TV app if you have them installed, restart the Pc and try iTunes again.

If you installed Apple Music only, then you need to also install the Apple Devices App to actually sync with your devices.

Did you end up deleting the Apple Music app on your computer?

I assumed you downloaded it from the store, which would require use of the Apple Devices app to sync the songs when using Apple Music.

BeaBob wrote:

I opened iTunes as normal but it does not recognize my iPad or iPhone, no icons appear. Everything is still on my devices and I want to backup/sync on my PC

How are you connecting the devices to the Windows PC?

If using a USB cable is it rated for data or only for power?

Does the icon shown in my previous reply appear there or not?

When you attempt to sync, what happens? Did you have 27.0 on it and did it work, or did you jump straight to 27.0.1?

iTunes is still perfectly capable of syncing with an iPhone, and in fact iTunes was recently updated so it would be compatible with iOS 27. There are steps to try and diagnose the issue.

Hi Jim, I've followed all your suggestions, but neither of my devices are showing up on the toolbar top left. i can select 'music', but that's it.

Everything was fine until I changed to 27.0.1 and the recent iOS is not available when looking update on the devices?

jimbob5941 wrote:

@Phil0124 :

Just curious:

Are you sync-ing via a W11 or W10 computer?

You are using the EXE version of iTunes and not the MS store version correct?

THANKS!

Jim

Hi,

I'm not the one having an issue.

But yes, I use Windows 11 and yes I use iTunes from the Apple website not the Microsoft store version.

when opening iTunes and plugging in my iPad/iPhone, there is no icon of my devices to sync as before

I opened iTunes as normal but it does not recognize my iPad or iPhone, no icons appear. Everything is still on my devices and I want to backup/sync on my PC

@Phil0124 :

Just curious:

Are you sync-ing via a W11 or W10 computer?

You are using the EXE version of iTunes and not the MS store version correct?

THANKS!

Jim

Thank you!

Just curious as I'm currently using the Store version ... with bad results :-/

Jim

Tried to sync phone in iTunes and a pop-up suggested changing to Apple Music, that’s when everything went belly up!

Have tried both versions (Apple and MS)!

My full collection is in iTunes.😢😢

Thank you for your suggestion, i will try this immediately and let you know how i get on.

A huge thank you to you, your suggestion worked! A big thank you everyone who offered advice and support to resolve the issue.

THANK YOU!