Level 1

27 points

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

Posting this to help anyone who has an issue after upgrading an iPhone and subsequently cannot get iTunes on a Mac to see the phone for syncing and backing up. Found the solution was to reinstall iTunes atop the existing copy, allow the installer to also install the 'update needed' for the iPhone, then wait minutes for the install to complete.

This answer for someone who had the issue with iOS 13 solves this for me:

[quote]

I had the same problem, with iTunes 12.8.2.3 (running on macOS 10.13.6) and iOS 14.0.

First, I went through the steps listed at If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support . That didn't fix the problem, but I felt it was important to try those things first before calling in for assitance.

Then, I called Apple Support. After some research, the person I spoke with said to go to Download iTunes 12.8.2 for Mac and install this slightly older version.

I did. While the installer was running, it downloaded additional updates, as did iTunes 12.8.2 itself when I launched it. I then ended up with a re-updated version of 12.8.2.3 that was able to see my iPhone.

This completely fixed the problem for me.

[/quote]

Hope this helps someone else still running older and fully functional macs with OS 10.13. My iPhone is the original SE, btw. Still kicking, both.

iPhone SE, iOS 14

Posted on Sep 23, 2020 5:19 PM

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turingtest2

Level 10

278,091 points

Posted on Feb 17, 2021 1:50 PM

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

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137 replies

May 6, 2021 8:04 AM in response to turingtest2

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?

May 6, 2021 8:03 AM in response to Korukat

Thanks for the info!

As it turns out, I do have the installer for High Sierra. Not sure why I never installed it? I think that's going to be the fix, since I probably can't regress the phone iOS back to 12.x. (should've left well enough alone, haha)

BUT, good to know this machine can run Mojave. I have it on a work machine and it's been fine.

May 6, 2021 8:23 AM in response to Limnos

FWIW, something that does work: OS X 10.14.6 (Mojave), iOS 14.4.2 on iPad, iTunes 12.9.5.5. I can access the iPad via iTunes on my Mac, back it up to the hard drive, share files, etc.

(I'm sticking with Mojave for the sake of software I use everyday, i.e. Lightroom Photoshop 5; further OS X upgrades will come with a second computer that I will buy someday.)

Korukat

Level 1

4 points

May 6, 2021 10:39 AM in response to soundboy44

Here’s an Apple Support article that provides links to older Mac OS like High Sierra! Once you upgrade to High Sierra you should be able to download the iTunes app suggested in this thread and that will recognize your iphone and other apple mobile devices! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

May 6, 2021 10:41 AM in response to After Hours

Warning to others, if you do a partition, in the future, make sure you do a back-up separately for each partition. I had a past desktop computer set up like that, was not told by the Apple technician to do it that way before I sent in my computer to Apple for a hard drive repair, and subsequently lost all of my files from the non-backed-up partition. Then I paid extra for them to try to retrieve some of what was deleted, which captured some things, but I lost the majority of files, including some photos. I was so distressed over it!

May 6, 2021 11:29 AM in response to soundboy44

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

MDB1967

Level 1

12 points

May 10, 2021 3:38 PM in response to turingtest2

Thanks I have the 12.8.2.3 installer. I thought I was looking for just a straight 12.8.2 version which doesn't seem to exist. I usually save my installers but could track this one down. the .3 version doesn't help so looks like i need to move to high sierra or mojave

MDB1967

Level 1

12 points

May 10, 2021 5:25 PM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for your help I did get the mobile device update window to be compatible but it didn't make my phone visible to itunes. I rebooted and repaired prefs just in case. I'll try the copy and pasted from your earlier post to see what happens.

My machine is a 2013 333ghz 32gb 6 core and is quite speedy. I like Sierra but gut guess I will upgrade to HS or Mojave. As a 30 year user just miffed how Apple doesn't really have backwards compatibility, very limited.

I'm still running Yosemite on my laptop because it works great and downgraded itunes so my phone worked on.

May 10, 2021 6:08 PM in response to MDB1967

Totally trivially: I'm glad I'm not the only Apple "Luddite." Catalina (the 64-bit-only one for those of us who always have to look up OS X versions on Wikipedia to keep track) is the Great Divide that would render my most useful software applications into digital doorstops. Anyway, good luck!

After Hours Author

Level 1

27 points

May 11, 2021 6:23 AM in response to ConnieMcC

ConnieMcC, FWIW, I use Parallels for backward compat. I run my business off of a self-cooked Filemaker solution. I stayed with FM11, so a VM of 10.12 is where that application lives. (Note, I keep the actual database file collection in my normal documents folder and 'share' in from the VM. The reason: so TimeMachine has access to the individual Filemaker solution files. If you are a fan of any other older, but better, applications such as Quicken 2007, etc. -- this is a way to keep your original apps still in play while moving the Mac up OS generations. My current machine is a MBP2015 running Catalina, but Parallels lets me have every other version of Apple from 10.6 on up, Windows 95 on up, DOS 7 and Ubuntu on the one machine.

If I had to work in the VM for the bulk of my usage, it might get tedious - but I find jumping in a couple times a day for billing, client notes, etc not bad at all. A SSD upgrade and maxxed out RAM would be in order if your system is spinning rust -- just for the speed bump.

After Hours Author

Level 1

27 points

Jun 6, 2021 2:55 PM in response to soundboy44

From Apple's perspective, supporting something that is a decade old is, um, difficult. They exist to satisfy their shareholders as do all companies. Unfortunately, in the chase for the all-mighty quarterly report, it becomes the norm. I've been doing Mac support since 1986 -- Apple has a tendency to look back two or three generations of product and not much more. Their competition rarely goes back THAT far. With so many changes in corporate culture (legalizing stock buybacks, Citizens United, and the adaptation to the Milton F.'s fascination with profits, and McKinsey model of corporate management) -- in the last 40 years, we've seen the death of companies creating a lifetime career model for dedicated employees and gutting of wage parity for the productive segment of corporate staffing. Apple has been less affected by these corporate evolutions, but they still have to answer to shareholders. That they have one of the most comprehensive user-based forums for their product lines, and we can self-support here, gives an idea of them vs our other technology options in the marketplace. That they product products that outlast the expected technology lifespan and we are all here contributing to obsoleted tech speaks to their engineering objectives.

[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]

jla

Level 1

21 points

Jun 23, 2021 11:44 AM in response to After Hours

Thank you SO much. I have a setup that is identical to yours. I have resisted all updates to my phone in fear that I would lose connectivity to my computer... until today when there was an app I absolutely needed but that wouldn't run on my iOS. Before updated, I searched for and found your solution to the problem I expected and with greater confidence I update my phone, then reinstalled iTunes and sure enough - it all worked again. Thank you! Thank you for doing the work to find a solution and for posting it here!

MSANG106

Level 1

4 points

Jun 28, 2021 9:20 PM in response to After Hours

I am using the latest update of IOS 14.6 , and my desktop itunes version 12.11.3 cant detect my iphone plugging in.

I experiencing backuping up WA business data using Icloud backup as always storage space not enough , so am now soughtling to backup my Iphone data using Itues.

Please advise,

Aug 29, 2021 9:46 AM in response to turingtest2

Unfortunately, this still didn’t do anything for me.

I’m on High Sierra so I’ve reinstalled iTunes 12.8.3.1 multiple times with my iPhone connected and unlocked.

MobileDeviceUpdater didn’t produce any results and I’ve never received any prompt to update.

Restarted Mac and iPhone multiple times.

My last resort is upgrading entire system, although my Mac isn’t officially supported for the upgrade.

Any other suggestions before I go the Mohave route?

Thanks

Tumi03

Level 1

4 points

Sep 27, 2020 5:00 PM in response to After Hours

This Worked! Thank you!!

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