iOS14 upgrade and iTunes 12.8.2.3 can no longer see iPhone to backup or sync

For iOS 14 you need iTunes 12.8.2.3 or better running on OS X 10.11.6 or better. See How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan - Apple Support if required.

Assuming a suitable version of iTunes is in place then in Finder use the menu item Go > Go to Folder..., copy the following text, paste it into the dialog box and press enter:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/Current/Resources

Unlock your device and connect it to USB. Double click on MobileDeviceUpdater in the folder that has opened. It should notify you of a software update. Install it and iTunes should hopefully recognize your device.

If these steps haven't worked you can also try reinstalling iTunes 12.8.2.3 while your device is connected and unlocked.

tt2

Two things that I ran into also, re: your same problem:

1) Try to hide some of your open windows and see if it is hidden on the screen. In my case, a MacBook mid-2010 with High Sierra, the iPhone/iTunes "connecting software update" (un-named) did not appear up in the "Window" menu or down on my "Dock" menu, or in a search, but was just somewhere visible in the screen background. It had an iPhone icon in the window, but the window did not have a "title" either, and I think it had a place to click on "to install" and I think it might have showed the progress. Sorry, but it's been a few weeks and I don't remember the details. Too bad I didn't think to take a screenshot of it.

2) If you can not find it, then go back to the Apple website, go to Support, click on iTunes, and ask it to download the iTunes 12.8 update again (even though you now have the 12.8.2.3), and for some odd reason, without Apple providing an explanation or any details about the iPhone problem, that software will launch the window I described in #1 above, and then you can install both. But then when you are done with that step, and want to upgrade the iTunes software to 12.8.2.3, in my case, that "iPhone/iTunes" window launched a 2nd time, and after waiting for everything to process/install again, it finally worked!

You don't need to downgrade iTunes.

For iOS 14 you need iTunes 12.8.2.3 or better running on OS X 10.11.6 or better. See How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan - Apple Support if required.

Assuming a suitable version of iTunes is in place then in Finder use the menu item Go > Go to Folder..., copy the following text, paste it into the dialog box and press enter:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/Current/Resources

Unlock your device and connect it to USB. Double click on MobileDeviceUpdater in the folder that has opened. It should notify you of a software update. Install it and iTunes should hopefully recognize your device.

If these steps haven't worked you can also try reinstalling iTunes12.8.2.3.dmg (El Capitan/Sierra) or iTunes12.8.3.1 (High Sierra) while your device is connected and unlocked.

tt2

Thank you After Hours!

All was working fine until updated my 10S iPhone from12.? to 14.4. Then phone not recognized by iTunes.

Two Apple Support reps were stumped by this issue - and had apparently never encountered it before. There was a concern that iTunes, as part of the operating system could not be reinstalled or attempting to do so might create other issues.

Your suggestion worked. One hiccup was that after/during the installation, it stalled. Restarting the Mac worked.

(OS High Sierra 10.13.6, iTunes 12.8.2.3, Mac mini mid 2011).

Now I wonder why whether via USB or wi-fi, the phone does not show up in Finder as part of my system.

Thanks again.

This was the most useful answer, however, it did not work in detail exactly as described, but eventually, it led me in the right direction. Might be a difference in hardware and/or software types too.

After going through that suggested process (more or less), then I was able to also upgrade to 12.8.3 and install the supplemental "iPhone6s iTunes connection upgrade" (my name for it, as it is not identified anywhere) and, apparently, I had to do it before and after (so twice). Then after doing a Restart, it finally connected. Hallelluyah!!!

I have not been able to do an iPhone6s back-up since October 2020. Before trying this final fix, I got bad advice from my local Apple Store who made it sound hopeless. I wasted a lot of time doing many other things to try to fix this, and none of them worked. I got motivated again, because my App Store just notified me about the need to install the iTunes 12.8.3 update. Coincidentally, I was about to call Apple Support shortly before that, to see if they could fix this problem, but when I searched the 12.8.3 update on Apple.com to find out more details about it, I lucked out and finally saw this suggestion, which I had not seen the last couple times I attempted to fix this. I am very grateful to you all.

Incidentally, I was unable to find out any details about the 12.8.3 iTunes update on Apple.com either, like system requirements or what it was changing. In addition, you can't download the iPhone "connection" software separately or find out anything more about that anywhere either, except for what people have mentioned in posts within here. Crazy!

For those who find it helpful, I have a MacBook mid-2010 MacOS High Sierra (10.13.6) which is at its maximum OS capability. Can't afford to replace my laptop yet and would like to keep it as long as possible. Same with my iPhone6s, which after fixing the iTunes problem on the MacBook and doing a back-up, I updated the iPhone6s to OS 14.5 now.

For iOS 14 you need iTunes 12.8.2.3 or better running on OS X 10.11.6 or better. See How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan - Apple Support if required.

Assuming a suitable version of iTunes is in place then in Finder use the menu item Go > Go to Folder..., copy the following text, paste it into the dialog box and press enter:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/Current/Resources

Unlock your device and connect it to USB. Double click on MobileDeviceUpdater in the folder that has opened. It should notify you of a software update. Install it and iTunes should hopefully recognize your device.

If these steps haven't worked you can also try reinstalling iTunes12.8.2.3.dmg (El Capitan/Sierra) or iTunes12.8.3.1 (High Sierra) while your device is connected and unlocked.

tt2

For iOS 12 or later you need iTunes 12.8.0.150 or better running on OS X 10.11.4 or better. See How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan - Apple Support if required. iOS 13/14 requires iTunes 12.8.2.3 or better.

Assuming a suitable version of iTunes is in place then in Finder use the menu item Go > Go to Folder..., copy the following text, paste it into the dialog box and press enter:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/Current/Resources

Unlock your device and connect it to USB. Double click on MobileDeviceUpdater in the folder that has opened. It should notify you of a software update. Install it and iTunes should hopefully recognize your device.

tt2

Hello:

You need to install the the latest version of iTunes over the old one (don't uninstall old version, not necessary). Do this with your phone unplugged from the computer. After it is installed. Then plug your iPhone with IOS 14 or 14.1 into the mac or pc. It should detect that it needs to download additional software to read the phone. Say yes to the install. It may take up to 5 minutes to complete. So far this has worked to fix the issue. After this is completed, photos and other programs that read the iphone will work again.

Almost same problem - worked for 5 hours with three levels of tech support, and was told that the only solution was for me to purchase a newer machine, so that I could update the MacOS to match up with the i-Tunes and the iOS on my iPad (6th generation) and my wife's iPhone (11)...this worked like a charm!

Thanks for sharing this...should have started here!

I had the same problem. First I tried After Hours solution. Then turingtest2 solution. I got the error saying it couldn't reach the server (or similar). Then I restarted my Macbook and tried to connect my iPhone and it prompted me to do the Software Update and it actually downloaded and installed and then iTunes recognized my phone. Try the steps in that order and maybe it'll work?

I'm using OSX 10.11.6 on my Macbook and iOS 14.2 on my iPhone.

soundboy44 wrote:

Soooo, I updated the Mac to High Sierra 10.13.6 and iTunes 12.8.3.1 and I'm still getting a "need an update" message when I connect the iPhone? Any ideas? Is this where I try to install iTunes 12.8.2 and let it update, etc?

I didn't see any mention of iTunes listed in https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

If you've installed iTunes 12.8.3.1 you cannot then install 12.8.2.3 without fully removing iTunes first, but there should be no need to take this approach. When you connect your device you should get a prompt for an update if needed which is a patch to iTunes to connect to devices running newer versions of iOS. If you don't get the prompt you can try running MobileDeviceUpdater to trigger it manually, or try reinstalling iTunes while the device is connected and unlocked.

tt2

Ditto ... I had the same problem and spent no less than 6 hours on the phone with tech support trying to fix it. Wiped my phone, and even reinstalled High Sierra ... still nothing. Eventually, I took my iMac (2011) and iPhone (6s) to get serviced and was told that there was ultimately nothing they could do because of the age of my iMac; they couldn't even run a diagnostics test. You can imagine the mounting anxiety.

Found the link for iTunes 12.8.2 for Mac, downloaded it, and it fixed everything!

Thanks for posting it!

soundboy44 wrote:

iTunes 12.8.3 is only available for macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra.

El Capitan and Sierra are limited to 12.8.3.

Thanks for the info!

Sounds like 12.8.3 should work on Sierra then, but it doesn't. The OS wants an update.

Did you mean Sierra is limited to 12.8.2?

Argh! Apologies for the typo. Was meant to read:

iTunes 12.8.3 is only available for macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra.

El Capitan and Sierra are limited to 12.8.2.

Links to the various builds can be found at iTunes for Mac installers - Apple Community.

tt2

It worked! I'm so thankful you posted this because I have been searching online for answers since the iOS14 update to my iPhone and other devices. Easy fix and I didn't even need to talk to Apple. Thanks again!

When I click on the ’Download iTunes 12.8.2 for Mac’ it comes up with “This page isn’t working ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS”.

It tells me to try clearing my cookies, which I have done, but get the same result when I click on the link again.