Its come to my attention that a lot of people are having issues syncing iPads, iPhones and iPods to iTunes. It would seem that even though the device is set up to sync with iTunes correctly, sometimes it just feels like being a jerk and not syncing. I’m a big fan of Apple products, but it’s no secret that syncing with iTunes can be a little buggy. In this article are a bunch of methods that have worked for other people, and hopefully will work for you.
First if you simply need help understanding how to sync with iTunes or how to set it up you can check my other post, Sync your iOS device with iTunes over Wi-Fi.
These fixes are what I have found through hours of reading articles and forums, as well as speaking to people through twitter and other online resources to find out what has the highest chances of working. These instructions may work for you, however nothing is guaranteed as it’s pretty much trial and error. Try each solution, then attempt to sync, if it doesn’t work, go to the next solution and so on. I will put them in order of easiest and quickest methods, down to the more drastic.
- If syncing over Wi-Fi, make sure both your computer and iOS device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Restart your iOS device, restart computer and restart your wireless router if your device syncs over Wi-Fi.
- Plug in your iPad, iPhone or iPod into iTunes. Uncheck “Sync with this [your device] over Wi-Fi”. Click Apply. Check “Sync with this [your device] over Wi-Fi”. Click Apply. It also may help to disable “Home Sharing” and then re-enable it.
- Uninstalling iTunes and then re-installing it may work. If you take this route make sure to do a backup first.
- If you just want your iOS device to sync and don’t care if it syncs over Wi-Fi or by plugging it in with the cable, then just deselect “Sync with this [your device] over Wi-Fi”.
Devices pane
Remember that with the new iTunes (11) the devices tab has moved from the left side to the top right hand side of iTunes. If none of the above made iTunes recognize or connect to your device you could always restore your device (wipe everything off it then restore it with a backup). I have heard many people fix most syncing issues with this method. However make sure you have made a backup if you take this route, so that you can restore all your settings and apps ect, when you’re done restoring.
Instructions for restoring your device are at the bottom of this article.
If you want to bring back the left side-panel that shows all the devices connected, Music, Movies ect. Then go to the menu bar in iTunes -> View -> Show Sidebar.
- If you have “Manually manage music and videos” checked, try unchecking it and then syncing. After recheck it and try syncing. Also make sure you have the music or video selected when syncing.
- If your apps aren’t syncing properly try to deauthorize and then reauthorize your computer. To do this, open iTunes, go to the menu bar and select -> Store -> “Deauthorize This Computer”. After it’s done, simply select “Authorize This Computer”.
- In your device window under the Summary tab, check to see if “Sync only checked songs and videos” is checked, if it is make sure you have the music or video selected when syncing.
- If your music isn’t syncing, go to the Music tab in your iOS devices window in iTunes and uncheck “Sync Music”. Click Apply. Once done, check “Sync Music”. Try the same thing if it’s something else like your Movies that isn’t syncing.
- The only options that I have selected under the iTunes summary page is “Sync this iPhone over Wi-Fi” and “Prefer standard definition videos”. Syncing working well for me with these options selected, maybe it would also work for you.
- Restoring your device may work. Instructions on how to do this are at the bottom of the page.
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Device Window
Go to the devices window and select the “On this [your device] tab. Make sure the song is checked, once checked it should change from grey to black and then be playable.
- An issue that is surprisingly common when trying to sync with iTunes via the USB cable is simply that the USB cable is faulty. I know it may sound strange, but if nothing here works, then you may need to use a different/new USB cable or even trying syncing over Wi-Fi.
- If when/after you sync you notice that the song is greyed out on your iOS Device then the song may not be in the proper format. Right click on the song in the iTunes and select “Create AAC version”. This will create a new version of the music file. Delete the original song file and sync the newly created AAC version.
- Check to see if you have “Manually manage music and videos” or “Sync only checked songs and videos” selected in the Summary tab of your devices window, if it is make sure you have the music or video selected when syncing.
- Go to the Settings app on your iOS device and then tap “iTunes & App Stores”, turn off Automatic Downloads for Music, Apps and Books. Connect your device to iTunes, go through the device page and uncheck “Sync Music”, then click Apply. After it’s done check “Sync Music”. Turn Automatic Downloads back on if you like.
- Sign out of all iTunes accounts on your iOS device and iTunes, then sign back in.
- There is a very good chance that restoring your iOS device will also fix this issue.
Restoring your device will wipe everything off of it, so if you want to restore everything make sure you make a backup!
- Disconnect the USB cable from the iPad, iPhone or iPod
- Launch iTunes
- Turn off your iOS device. (Press and hold the Home and Power button until it turns off)
- Press and hold the Home button while you reconnect the USB cable
- Keep holding down the home button until iTunes shows an alert saying that a device in recovery mode has been detected.
Sometimes restoring your device and setting up as a new device instead of restoring from a backup works as well, however this should be only used if nothing else works.
If you need help backing up and restoring check out my other article: 2 ways to backup your iPod, iPhone and iPad
If you had a problem syncing and have found a different method that works, please post it in the comments section below.
I liked the old iTunes more than the iTunes 11. it used to have that panel on the left side where I could go into my iPod.
February 3, 2013 at 9:20 pmHello Amanda, it’s very easy to have the sidebar show up just like it did in the earlier versions of iTunes. When in iTunes go to the menu bar -> View -> Show Sidebar. Alternatively you use the keyboard shortcut; press the “options” key and the “command” key down then tap the “s” key.
February 3, 2013 at 9:28 pmOMG I feel like an idiot for not knowing that. Thanks lol
February 5, 2013 at 1:02 amI’m having a problem with my iPod it won’t even show up on my computer I reinstalled iTunes and it still doesn’t show just a photo download shows up help
March 17, 2016 at 10:08 pmBought my daughter an ipod and have spent literally 6 hours attempting to just get music on the thing, from a CD we had put in the computer. I understood about getting the songs into the itune library first, but would they show on the ipod?? Kept saying ‘no content’. Finally, after going all over the net and being told to click the device pane (which I couldn’t blooming well find, and no-one explained how to find the device pane), I found your thread and the ‘show sidebar’ advice you gave solved the problem. Thank you for a guide for ‘thickies’, as everyone else (Apple included!) seems to think that we all should automatically know the basics! You have just saved an iPod Touch from being stamped to death.
February 7, 2013 at 9:41 amI’m glad to hear you found my article helpful, and I’m pretty sure your daughters iPod is glad not to have been “stamped to death” haha.
For a quick reference, the device pane is accessible from the button located at the upper right side of iTunes, incase you were curious.
February 7, 2013 at 11:16 amGood stuff, here, but I have something imitate but not resolved…
My new iPad appears in iTunes. I selected the apps to install and the ones to remove, but whe. I tell it to apply or sync, it goes through the steps quickly, but does not change the apps that were to be affected.
Thanks for any advice on this.
Steven.
February 27, 2013 at 3:57 pmBefore we delve to deep into what could be the cause can you tell me what options you have checked on your devices summary page in iTunes?
February 27, 2013 at 4:37 pmThanks for responding so fast. I tried to delete my post after finding the solution, but I couldn’t find this site until I got your email.
Turns out I had to de-authorize my computer, and reauthorize it for each account I wanted to sync apps with. Simple enough, but not intuitive.
Thanks very much for responding, and your helpful replies to other users.
BTW – Sorry ’bout the confusing first sentence… should have read “similar” not “imitate”… Not sure where Siri got that from!
February 27, 2013 at 5:14 pmI’m glad to hear you were able to resolve the issue your were having with your iOS device. Thanks for coming back and posting the solution that worked for you. If it worked for you it may be something that will work for someone else. I’ll add it to the article.
Haha, thought that looked like Siri’s handy work. Again, thanks Steven.
February 27, 2013 at 11:59 pmWhen I try to sync movies to my iPad, following the normal process of checking the boxes etc it shows as it is syncing going through the 5 processs though no movies are on my iPad? When I check the on thisipad tab it shows the movies there though the text is very faint and a small broken line circular icon is next to the movie name? I can watch the movies through home sharing though I want to down,lad them onto my iPad for travel etc
Help please ?? It is winding me up haha
March 1, 2013 at 4:56 amThat’s strange that is happening. I’ll need a bit more info to try and narrow it down though. First try these steps:
1. Connect your iPad to iTunes, go to the Summary Page -> Movies, uncheck “Sync Movies”. Now sync the iPad (this will remove any movies currently on the iPad). Once it’s done, close iTunes, then reopen it. Go back to the Movies tab, and check “Sync Movies”, then mark the movie you want to sync. I had this same issue once on my iPhone and it fixed it for me. No idea why though.
2. Try to simply drag the movie into your iPad. Go to “Movies” in iTunes (not under the device, in the actual iTunes library) and simply drag the movie over to the right. A side panel on will slide into view from the right hand side, just drop it onto the iPad.
Is this movie from the iTunes store or did you convert it yourself? If you converted it, what format did you convert it from and what format/extension is it now?
March 1, 2013 at 10:48 amI seem to be having similar problems syncing my iPhone 4, having already sync’d my iPad mini. It would appear that my phone is not communicating with my pc. It’s only he music which won sync everything else has been transferred. So annoying!
March 3, 2013 at 4:03 amTry unchecking, sync music. Click apply/sync. Now go back and check sync music. Click apply/sync.
This has a somewhat high success rate.
March 3, 2013 at 11:54 amHere’s the solution for syncing iPhone’s with iTunes for PC’s. I got this answer from an apple Genius. 1. right click on iTunes icon, 2. left click on Properties, 3. left click click on compatibility, 4.check box for Privilege Level/ Run this program as an administrator, apply, save.
August 31, 2014 at 5:51 pmHi
For some reason my iPad and IPod won’t sync with iTunes. I then downloaded the newest version of iTunes but it is still not working. I am afraid of losing all my data and can’t backup because the wifi sync also doesn’t want to work. What should I do next?
March 7, 2013 at 6:41 amAre you able to backup to icloud in the meantime? http://appducate.com/2013/01/2-ways-to-backup-your-ipod-iphone-and-ipad/
Also have you tried syncing without syncing over wifi?
March 7, 2013 at 10:08 amHi Damien
Thanks for your reply. This morning the printer wouldn’t work either. You won’t believe it, we restarted everything and I connected my iPod and it synced!! iPad as well! We had a power failure yesterday, I think that threw everything out and the restart fixed it. Thanks for your help. :)
March 7, 2013 at 10:44 pmHey Retha, I’m glad to hear your iOS devices are syncing properly again. Also thanks for coming back and letting us know that you got it resolved.
March 7, 2013 at 10:56 pmHi there, I’m having problems syncing my Iphone4s. I have tried all your methods (where applicable) and nothing seems to work! i feel like i’ve tried everything. I recently got a replacement iphone from apple and when i tried to set it up with my computer (after having actually set it up withouttttt my computer- just using the steps on the phone) it wouldn’t sync my music! Initially it wouldn’t sync anything. Later on, when i synced again it added my photos but still no music. I have 11.01 iTunes on my mac, and have checked sync when iphone is connected. Although i’ve tried doing it manually as well! PLEASE HELP! Very frustrated.
March 8, 2013 at 11:08 pmHello Cathy, that does seem like an odd issue. I may need some extra info in order to fully help though.
Before any of that though, have you tried selecting the songs in iTunes (not in the iphone summary) and dragging it to the right? Normally you should be able to simply drag it over to the right which will bring up all your connected devices where you can just drop it onto your iPhone.
If that doesn’t work could you tell me what options you have selected under “Options” in your iPhones summary page?
Are you receiving any messages/errors at all while trying to sync?
When you initially startup iTunes and plug your device in, what exact steps do you take to sync?
Sorry for so many questions, but the more info you can give me the better I can attempt to help you out.
March 8, 2013 at 11:28 pmWhen I plug in my iPod to sync it, it syncs all my music, but only syncs SOME of the pictures. I get a pop up on the screen that says “High resolution images synced via iTunes are missing. Connect your device to the computer you sync photos from and launch iTunes to sync them.” But I’ve always synced my photos from this computer, none of the photo folders that are connected to my iPod have been tampered with at all. And when I try syncing, I also get a pop up on iTunes saying I’m missing a folder or something? I don’t know what folder it could possibly be talking about because, once again, I haven’t tampered with any of the folders.
March 11, 2013 at 5:24 amIt may be an issue with your photos database. Try un-syncing all photos on your iPod and then syncing. Go to the summary page -> Photos -> Deselect Sync all Photos from [location here]. Now press sync. Go to your iPod, make sure all synced pictures are removed. No go back into iTunes, enable photos and sync.
Also are you using an iPod Classic or an iPod Touch? If you are using an iPod Classic make sure to select “Include Full Resolution Images”.
March 11, 2013 at 1:01 pmHi Damien
I have 2 apple devices Iphone 4 (ios 6.1.2) and Ipad3 (ios 5.1.1)
I try to sync my music libray with iphone i have a problem withe grey circle that you write in your article. I can’t sync music i try all method and it all fail. With ipad i dont have any prolems with syncing. Do you know how i can solve this problem ??
March 21, 2013 at 4:06 amThat’s odd that it is syncing to your iPad and not your iPhone. Do you have all the same options selected under the Summary page on both your devices? Do some of your songs sync with your iPhone or are they all greyed out? Have you tried selecting the songs in iTunes (not in the iphone summary) and dragging it to the right? You should be able to simply drag it over to the right which will bring up all your connected devices, where you can just drop it onto your iPhone.
Sorry for all the questions, but the more info I have the better I can attempt to help out.
March 21, 2013 at 10:10 am