Fix iPhone Not Showing Up in Finder on Mac

after Apple has removed iTunes for Mac. Your iPhone will appear directly in the Finder app on your Mac. So you can sync media files and get more details about your iPhone from the Finder. You can also Create a backup of your iPhone On your Mac using Finder. But what if Finder suddenly stops showing your iPhone every time you connect it? This can be a difficult situation if you want to transfer photos or back up your Mac. If you're experiencing the same issue, check out our solutions for iPhone not showing up in Finder on Mac.

1. Keep your phone unlocked.

Sometimes, if your iPhone is locked while connected to your Mac, a successful connection may not occur. Make sure to unlock your iPhone first and connect it to your Mac. You should see your iPhone's Home screen, then connect your cable to your Mac. Once this is done, wait a few seconds to see if your iPhone appears in the Finder.

2. Change your phone's USB cable.

If you don't see your iPhone model name listed in Finder, the next step is to check the USB cable connecting your iPhone to your Mac. If your current cable is damaged, isn't Apple-certified, or isn't from a reputable brand, you should definitely purchase a new one. If you don't want to buy genuine Apple cables, we recommend getting a braided cable for your iPhone to extend its life.

3. Check your MAC's USB port.

While you're checking your cable, you should also check and clean your Mac's USB port. You can use a cotton swab or a small brush to remove dirt and debris from the port. Then try reconnecting your iPhone to your Mac using this port.

4. Launch Finder on your MAC.

After checking the cable and USB port, if your iPhone still doesn't appear, we recommend restarting Finder on your Mac. It's like quitting and restarting an app on your Mac every time it quits safely. Give Finder a fresh start by following these steps.

Step 1: Be sure to Connecting an iPhone To your Mac via cable.

Step 2: Click Apple icon In the upper left corner of Mac Home Screen.

Step 3: Locate ForceQuit of Options menu.

Step 4: Click Finder in Force Quit window.

Step 6: Click Reboot Again to confirm your action.

Step 7: Open Finder And see if iPhone Yours shows up or not.

5. Restart your iPhone and MAC.

If the previous step didn't help, let's go ahead and give your iPhone and Mac a fresh start. We recommend restarting your iPhone and Mac using these steps. It's recommended that you disconnect the cable from your devices before performing this step.

Restart iPhone

Step 1: Long press Power button and volume up/down button on your iPhone.

Step 2: Once you see Notification on your screen Swipe right to turn off your iPhone.

Step 3: Long press power button To restart your iPhone.

Restart your Mac

Step 1: Click Apple icon In the upper left corner of Mac Home Screen.

Step 2: Locate Reboot of Options menu.

After both devices restart, connect them via cable and see if your iPhone appears on your Mac.

6. Check the Sidebar Finder preferences.

We recommend checking your Finder sidebar preferences. All your devices and folders appear in the Finder sidebar. Follow these steps to show your iPhone in the Finder sidebar.

Step 1: Click on Command + Space bar To open Spotlight Search , And type Finder And press Return.

Step 2: Click Finder tab in the upper left corner.

Step 3: Locate Preferences of Options menu.

Step 4: in Finder Preferences window , Click barcode Sideways at the top.

Step 5: Verify Enable all existing items Within the site.

Step 6: Close the window andReconnect your iPhone Yours to see if it will appear in the Finder on your Mac.

If you can't see the Finder sidebar, see our article about: How to Fix a Missing Sidebar in Finder.

7. Reset iPhone's trusted computer list

When you connect your iPhone to your Mac for the first time, a small notification appears on your iPhone's Home screen asking you to trust this computer to allow the Mac to access your iPhone data. To fix this issue, you can try resetting the list of trusted computers on your iPhone. Follow these steps.

Step 1: unplug iPhone About your Mac.

Step 2: Open Settings on your iPhone.

Step 3: Scroll down a little and tap on general.

Step 4: Scroll down and select Transfer Or Reset iPhone.

Step 5: Click on Reset At the bottom.

Step 6: of Options menu that appears on your screen, click Reset location and privacy.

You may be asked to enter iPhone passcode Your.

Step 7: Click Reset settings to confirm your action.

Step 8: close Settings app Connect your iPhone to your Mac.

Step 9: Click on Confidence Under Trust this computer notification.

Step 10: Enter Your iPhone passcode Then check if your iPhone appears in Finder.

8. Delete MAC FINDER preference files

Just like other apps on your Mac, the Finder also creates a preferences file to store information like folder locations and file names. If your iPhone still doesn't appear in the Finder, the Finder preferences file is likely corrupted. You can fix this by following these steps.

Step 1: turn on Finder app. Click Go option in menu bar Upper left.

Step 2: Locate Go to Folder option of Drop-down menu.

Step 3: In the search box that appears on your screen, type ~ / Library.

Step 4: tap on First search result.

Step 5: in Library window , Click Preferences folder.

Step 6: after opening Vol , write com. apple. Finder. plist In the search box in the upper right corner and click on "Back".

Step 8: Select the search result and save a copy to your desktop.

Step 9: Drag the folder to Trash. then open recycle bin and click Empty.

Step 10: Restart Finder and connect your iPhone to see if it shows up there.

9. Check the USB device tree in the system report.

If you still can't see your iPhone in the Finder on your Mac, your Mac's USB port is likely damaged. You can check this in your Mac's System Report. Follow these steps.

Step 1: Click Apple icon In the upper left corner and select About This Mac.

Step 2: Click System report.

Step 3: Look for USB option In the left menu.

Step 4: Check if iPhone Information Your own like product ID Seller ID is listed..

10. Visit your nearest Apple Store.

If you can't see your iPhone information using the previous step, there's an internal issue with your Mac's USB port. We suggest you visit your nearest Apple Store or authorized service center for expert repair.

Access your iPhone data with a Mac

These steps will help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue. However, we also recommend backing up your iPhone data using cloud storage like iCloud or Google Drive.