Fixed: iTunes could not Backup iPhone Because the iPhone Diconnected

iTunes could not backup the iPhone because the iPhone disconnected

I was backing up my iPhone 13 on computer yesterday. Everything was perfect until I came across the problem reported by iTunes. It keeps saying my iPhone disconnected. I am sure I plug my iPhone to computer and there is the lightning icon on iPhone. Anyone could help me to solve the problem?

- Question from Apple Community

Why does iTunes keep saying iPhone is disconnected?

iTunes is often used to backup iPhone by users, but there are many known iTunes errors that could stop you from protecting iPhone data. Apple seems not so considerate at that time because there is no specific buttons or options in iTunes to help users fix iTunes issues.

Can’t backup iPhone because disconnected? When you backup iPhone with iTunes, hardware, iPhone system, or Windows system could cause the problem. How to fix iPhone disconnected issues? If iPhone keeps disconnecting from iTunes during sync, backup, or restore, you should check hardware first and then check the software. Follow the ways to troubleshoot the problem when iTunes could not backup the iPhone because the iPhone disconnected.

If you are curious about the content of your backup, refer to this guide What Does iTunes Backup Include?

7 solution to "iTunes could not backup iPhone because the iPhone disconnected" Windows 10/8/7/11

When you get the iTunes backup failed prompt, you can try the solutions below to fix it. Or you can turn to the bonus tip to try bonus tip another way of backing up your iPhone.

Solutions 1: Check Cable

Not any cable can be used to transmit data between iPhone and PC, even if it can be used to charge your iPhone. If you don’t use the lightning cable, it would be very likely that this cable couldn’t be used to transmit data. You can change the cable and try again. If you use the original cable, please make sure that it is not so old or broken.

Solution 2: Check USB Port

You need to check the interface whether it is too loose, which might be caused by impact. If you haven’t used a USB port for a long time, it might rust or there would be dust. You should clean the USB port to make sure the normal connection. You can also change the USB port and try again.

If you use a USB hub on your computer, it would be possible that your computer can’t supply enough power to your phone. You should try to connect your iPhone with computer directly.

If the problem is caused by software, you might also have the problem that iTunes could not restore the iPhone because the iPhone disconnected. You can easily fix it, too.

Solution 3: Check Security Software

For the safety of your PC, it is likely that the connection would be blocked by your antivirus software. There has been evidence that some antivirus will cause iPhone disconnected in iTunes. You should disable it for a while and try again.

Solution 4: Check Driver

Apple Mobile Device USB driver is necessary for connecting your iPhone to computer. Right-click the Start button on desktop > select Device Manager > expand the Portable Devices Section > right-click on the device name > click Update Driver > select "Search automatically for updated driver software." Restart iTunes and try connecting your iPhone again.

Solution 5: Restarting Device

You can reboot your PC and iPhone and try again. The background of system could be very complicated. The unseen programs would interfere with the connection. Rebooting computer could fix many issues like iPhone cannot sync error 54.

Solution 6: Check iTunes Update

To update it, you need to click Help and select “check for updates”. iTunes would give the information whether you need to update this application. Some people also said that they fixed the problem by uninstalling iTunes and reinstall it. You can try it, too.

Solution 7: Check iOS Update:

Some applications would not support the old operating system, so to avoid incompatibility, you need to update your operating system to the latest version. To check the update of your operating system, you should go to the Start menu, click the gear-icon Settings, then click Update and Security, and click Check for Updates to see whether there is a new version for windows.

If the solutions above still can’t solve your problem. You should keep the error code and screenshot contact Apple Support so that they can narrow down the problem.

Since iTunes can’t detect your device, you could try another iPhone backup software.

Bonus tip: Alternative way to backup iPhone when iTunes could not backup iPhone

If all these methods can't help you out with this issue, you can turn to an alternative to iTunes - FoneTool, which is a powerful iOS backup software enabling you to backup iPhone data to computer.

• Backup all iPhone data or partially backup: It allows you to completely backup your iPhone data, or select photos, videos, contacts, messages, and music items to backup.

• Preview Files: Whenever you back up or restore your phone, you could preview and select the files to get what you need.

• Transfer iOS: It supports transferring photos, videos, contacts, and music between your iPhone and PC, or transferring all data from one iPhone to another.

• Widely Compatible: It supports most iPhone models from iPhone 4 to the latest iPhone 14 and would be perfectly compatible with the latest iOS 16/15. It also supports iPad and iPod Touch.

Steps to backup iPhone data

Step 1. Download and launch FoneTool. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB and remember to tap Trust This Computer.

Step 2. Run FoneTool and click Phone Backup, and click Full Backup or Selective Backup.

✍Note:
• Full Backup: This feature will backup all iPhone data, including settings, app data, photos, videos, and so on. It works like iTunes backup.
• Selective Backup: With this feature, you can select specific photos, videos, messages, contacts to backup. And it supports incremental backup.

Step 3. Click on Get Started under Full Backup.

Step 4. Now you can choose a backup path to save your iPhone data. Then click Start Backup.

Then wait for the backup process to get finished. To restore iPhone backup, please choose Backup History to locate your backup files.

Conclusion

If you are told that iTunes could not backup the iPhone because the iPhone disconnected on Windows computer, you can follow the 7 solutions to easily fix the issue.

FoneTool will work much better than iTunes for you. It is the best iPhone to PC transfer software. You will never have problems with compatibility.

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