Solved: iTunes Wi-Fi Sync Not Working/Missing

iTunes Wi-Fi sync is convenient but it won’t work when it doesn’t show your device or the option is greyed out. Follow this passage to solve the problem iTunes Wi-Fi sync not working.

Dylan

By Dylan / Updated on September 18, 2024

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Why can't I sync my iPhone over Wifi?

I have an iPhone 15 running with iOS 18, and I wanted to sync iPhone wireless with iTunes on my Dell Windows 11, so I set "Enabled WiFi Sync" .  But iTunes refused to recognize my iPhone. My iTunes version is 12.11.0.26. Thanks!

- Question from Reddit

iTunes is a brilliant companion for iOS devices. With iTunes, you can back up iPhone 16 to PC, or transfer/sync your iPhone and iPad. To sync iPhone with iTunes, you just need to set up Wi-Fi sync when you connect iPhone to iTunes with USB cable. After that, you don’t need wired connection but you can still sync your iPhone to iTunes over the air.

iTunes Logo

But sometimes you may find the Wifi sync does not working in iTunes. For example, your iPhone does not show or indicate Wi-Fi sync. iTunes can't detect your iPhone. Don't worry, no matter what conditions, if you failed to use iTunes to sync over Wifi, you can try the following solutions to sovle this problem. 

Section 1. How to fix iTunes Wi-Fi sync not working/missing issue

According to Apple, your iPhone would automatically appear in iTunes when the iOS device and computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi. Therefore, you might find that iTunes Wi-Fi sync option missing on your iPhone because you don’t have to initiate this process on iPhone via Settings > General > iTunes Wi-Fi Sync anymore.

If you still can’t use Wi-Fi to connect iPhone and computer or iTunes cannot work, here are the fixes.

Solution 1. Check the Steps and Wifi

As is mentioned in the beginning, you need to enable iTunes Wi-Fi sync via wired connection at least once. If you have updated iTunes or iOS, you could connect iPhone to iTunes and check Sync this iPhone over Wi-Fi and click Apply.

Check the Wi-Fi you are using on iPhone. If you have more than one Wi-Fi in your house, your iPhone might not connect the specific Wi-Fi every time so you need to connect iPhone to the right Wi-Fi by yourself.

iTunes Sync Over Wifi

Method 2. Make IP address fixed

Even when your two devices are connected to the same network, the connection might still fail to build because of different IP addresses.

The steps to fix your IP address are a little complicated. If you want to check whether you are using a fixed IP and fix the IP issue, you may refer to this guide: How to Set Up DHCP Reservations.

Manage IP Address

Solution 3. Allow Bonjour through firewall

Except for close antivirus when you connect iPhone to iTunes over Wi-Fi, you need to allow Apple’s Bonjour Service through Windows firewall. You need to follow the steps:

1. Press and hold Windows Key and then press E to open Run box. Type control and press Enter to open Control Panel.

Run Control

2. Click System and Security.

System And Security

3. Click Allow an app through Windows Firewall.

Allow An App Through Windows Firewall

4. Click Change Settings, check all the Bonjour Service and click OK.

Allow Bonjour Service

Now you can connect iPhone to iTunes over Wi-Fi to sync the device.

Solution 4. Force restart Apple’s service

Apple Mobile Device Service is the driver which helps to connect iOS device to computer. You could restart the driver to fix Wi-Fi connection issue. Follow the steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del at the same time and then select Task Manager.

2. Select Services, locate and right-click Apple Mobile Device Service, and click Restart.

If you use Mac computer, you could restart the driver in Activity Monitor.

Restart Apple Service

⚠️Notes:  

If you are familiar with the Command line, you can also restart the Apple Mobile Device Service with Command Prompt.

  • Run iTunes and connect iPhone with computer.

  • Search for "cmd". Right-click on the search outcome, and click "Run as administrator".

  • Once the Command Prompt is launched, Run the command, net stop "Apple Mobile Device Service.

  • Wait for a while, restart the Apple Service by running the command: net start "Apple Mobile Device Service".

Solution 5. Reinstall iTunes from Apple Support

Some users reported that iTunes installed from Microsoft Store would cause iTunes Wi-Fi sync problem. You would find the sync option is greyed out or other problems. It could be solved by reinstalling iTunes from Apple Support.

You need to follow the steps to completely uninstall iTunes and then download iTunes from Apple Support to reinstall it.

1. Press Windows Key + R and type Control to open Control Panel.

2. Select Programs and Features.

3. Double click iTunes Apple Software Update > Apple Mobile Device Support > Bonjour > Apple Application Support in order to completely uninstall iTunes from your computer.

Uninstall iTunes

4. Download iTunes from Apple Support and install it.

5. Connect iPhone to iTunes with USB cable, click the device icon, check Sync this iPhone over Wi-Fi and click Apply.

6. Disconnect iPhone from computer, connect computer and iPhone with the same Wi-Fi, and then you could still find your device in iTunes.

Section 2. iTunes alternative to sync/transfer iPhone media easily

If your iTunes wifi sync is still not working, you can try iTunes alternative tool named AOMEI FoneBackup. It is the best iPhone data transfer to help you easily sync data like photos, videos, and music between iPhone and computer.

When you sync music, photos, and other data into iPhone, your library on iPhone would be totally rewritten, so you might need to check the local iTunes library every time. But AOMEI FoneBackup will not delete or overwrite your data on your iDevice and PC. 

AOMEI FoneBackup has plenty of advantages and features to meet different needs of data transferring, such as,

  • Preview Files: You can directly select files from your computer and then sync your iPhone as you wish.
  • Safe Process: Your data on your iPhone will never to rewritten so feel at ease syncing your iPhone.
  • Powerful software: It supports the latest iPhone 16 (Plus)/ Pro (Max) , iOS 18 and the previous iOS devices and systems.
  • Easy transfer: With an intuitive interface, you can easily transfer data between iPhone and computer within a few steps.

Now you can get AOMEI FoneBackup by clicking the button below and install it on your computer. After that, connect iPhone to AOMEI FoneBackup with USB cable. We will guide you on how to import data from PC to iPhone to show you how to use it.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

--> Steps to sync iPhone your iPhone:

Step 1. Run AOMEI FoneBackup, click Phone Transfer and select PC to iPhone > Click Get Started.

Transfer to iPhone

enlightenedTip: To sync data from iPhone to computer, you can click iPhone to PC to transfer photos, videos, messages, music and ringtones to your Windows computer.

Step 2. Click any area in the box to add photos, videos, music, contacts or ringtones from your computer.

Select Files

Step 3. Click the Start Transfer to safely sync your iPhone.

Transfer

Conclusion

If you find iTunes Wi-Fi sync not working/missing because the connection failed to be built or iTunes doesn’t work, you can follow the advice in the passage to solve the problem.

Besides, you could also choose an easier way to sync your iPhone, using AOMEI FoneBackup. This method would be more friendly and flexible than using iTunes.

Don’t forget to share this guide to help more people.

Dylan
Dylan · Editor
Dylan is an editor of mobile backup software. He likes to share the latest news about iPhone and iOS, write useful tips, and give solutions to help people solve all kinds of issues.