iPhone 16Pro NOT RECOGNIZED by older iTunes in Windows

The clue might be in your title. iPhone 16 was released running iOS 18. Support for iOS 18 was added in iTunes version 12.13.3.2, however there have been two releases since then, 12.13.4.4 and 12.13.5.3. You are always advised to run the current build for best compatibility with devices. You can get this from the following link:

• https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/win64

Should you still have difficulties getting the device connected see iOS device not showing in iTunes for Windows - Apple Community. Avoid Apple Music/TV/Devices.

tt2

To add to what turingtest2 has said;

Rich Allcorn wrote:

upgrading iTunes is a downgrade.

It removes all of the things that made Apple great in the music industry. You will no longer be able to "sync" with your phone and do real backups like before.

You can still sync your purchased music with an iPhone. I have an iPod Touch and I do it all the time (and no, the fact that it's not an iPhone is not relevant).

APPLE MUSIC and iTUNES MUSIC are 2 entirely different things!!

Correct, they are. Well, in as much as "iTunes Music" can be taken to mean music that you (or I) have purchased and have in our iTunes Library. I can be regarded as pedantic, but iTunes does not "make" or "create" music. They simply sell other people's music. As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as "iTunes Music".

I guess I'll just have to find another way to get my music on my device and back it up properly.

Use iTunes. But - do not install the Apple Music app, the Apple Devices app or Apple TV as they will prevent you from adding the music in your library to your phone. If you have added them, uninstall them.

Do not pay for Apple Music (the subscription service) because if you already have music that you have purchased, why pay again just to get access to the same music? I assume that you're not paying for Apple Music, but if you're on the free trial, end it.

As mentioned:

the fiend wrote:

Almost every rumour that you've read about the up to date version of iTunes being incompatible or broken, or "it doesn't do x, y or z" is bound to be incorrect.

Turingtest2 has beaten me to it, that was what I suspected.

Unless you have an extremely good reason for using an older version of iTunes, your only course of action will be to update it. Almost every rumour that you've read about the up to date version of iTunes being incompatible or broken, or "it doesn't do x, y or z" is bound to be incorrect.

Version 12.13.5.3 of iTunes is not the Apple Music for Windows app. You will note I said "Avoid Apple Music/TV/Devices." We are suggesting you install the current version of iTunes for Windows, not the new suite of apps that Apple seem to be encouraging people to move to. You need to install a current version because only the last three builds of iTunes for Windows are designed to support iOS, which will be OS your iPhone 16 is running.

tt2

Why are you using an old version of iTunes and which version are you using? Look on iTunes' top bar menu Help/About iTunes.