[2024] Top Fixes to iPhone not Syncing with iTunes

What can you do when iTunes won’t sync music to iPhone? The effective solutions in this guide may help you out when iPhone is not syncing with iTunes.

Demi

By Demi / Updated on March 7, 2024

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iPhone not syncing with iTunes library

I uploaded some old CDs into my iTunes library on my computer. This worked fine. Then, I followed the instructions to sync them with my iPhone. Unfortunately, nothing about my music library is changing when I sync with my computer. The CDs I added are not showing up. Any suggestion?

- Question from Apple Community

Where is your music from on your iPhone? Most Apple users may be used to transferring iTunes library to iPhone and enjoy playlists on iPhone wherever you go. Indeed, with some simple clicks, music in iTunes can be synced to iPhone.

iTunes Logo

However, sometimes, you may encounter the issue iPhone not syncing with iTunes. Why won’t iTunes sync music to iPhone and how can you fix it? Keep reading and this guide will give you an answer.

Why iPhone not syncing with iTunes on Windows 11/10

Here are the main causes that result from iPhone not syncing with iTunes on Windows 11/10. Figure out the reasons may save your time to some degree when troubleshooting.

• The USB cable or USB port you’re using is broken or incompatible, which leads to an unstable connection between iPhone and iTunes/computer.
• An outdated version of iTunes or the operating system of iPhone.
• Any unknown software or hardware error of computer, iTunes, or iPod can also lead to iPhone not syncing with iTunes.

How to fix iPhone not syncing with iTunes on Windows PC

Here are the specific solutions to help you fix iPhone not syncing with iTunes. Please disconnect your iPhone from computer and try them one after another until your issue is solved. Alternatively, you can try the way in the next part to transfer iTunes music to iPhone without syncing in a simple and quick way.

Quick fixes to troubleshooting iTunes won’t sync to iPhone 15/14/13/12

The quick fixes below can help you solve some common iTunes issues with no effort. Hope the issue is not a complicated one and you can fix it with one of them.

1# Restart your iPhone, iTunes, and computer
It is simple but workable to restart your iPhone, iTunes, and computer, which can fix minor glitches of your devices and service. Launch iTunes again to have a try after restarting them.

2# Check for iTunes and iOS updates
Outdated software and operating system always bring you errors and bugs. Hence, you may need to check for updates and update them in time.

To update iTunes: Launch iTunes and click Help > Tap Check for Updates > If there is a new version available, follow the onscreen instruction to update it.

iTunes Check For Updates

To update iOS on iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

3# Connect iPhone to computer with other USB cable or port
You can change the USB cable or port to avoid any connection issues between your iPhone and computer.

Reauthorize computer in iTunes

If the quick fixes above don’t work, you may need to reauthorize your computer in iTunes before you can view iTunes files and copy them to your iPhone. It is simple to achieve.

Run iTunes on your computer > Click Account from the menu bar > Click Authorizations > Choose Authorize This Computer.

iTunes Authorize This Computer Windows

Consolidate iTunes media files

If the media files in iTunes are saved in different folders, your iPhone may have trouble syncing with iTunes and you will receive an unknown error (-54) message. To resolve the issue, try consolidating your iTunes library with the steps below.

Open iTunes on your computer, click File from the menu bar in the upper left corner > Choose Library > Click Consolidate Files... or Organize Library and check Consolidate files.

iTunes Consolidate Files

Create a new iTunes library

A corrupted or duplicated iTunes library can prevent your iPhone from syncing with iTunes. Just in case, you can create a new iTunes library and remove the older one to fix it.

Step 1. Press and hold the Shift key while launching iTunes > Choose Create Library and reopen iTunes to see if the iTunes library can work for syncing data from iPhone to iTunes.

Creat New iTunes Library

Step 2. Go to My PC > Music > iTunes > Rename the iTunes Library as outdated or corrupted.

Step 3. Go to the Previous iTunes Library and select the most recent library to copy.

Previous iTunes Library

Step 4. Paste the library to current iTunes and rename it as iTunes Library.itl.

Reset sync history

Resetting your sync history is a simple action that can help you fix certain syncing problems. Here are the steps.

Open iTunes on your computer > Click Edit at the top of the screen > Choose Preferences > In the prompt window, select Devices > Click Reset Sync History.

Reset Sync History

Bonus: Transfer iTunes music to iPhone without syncing

It’s always time-consuming to fix iTunes errors, and iTunes won’t sync music to iPhone is also one of them. Why don’t you try to transfer iTunes music to iPhone without syncing? The transfer tool for iOS devices - FoneTool can give you a hand.

What you can benefit from FoneTool
✔ Transfer with no limitation. No matter the music is in iTunes or not, you can be free to transfer it to iPhone. FoneTool even supports you to transfer CD to iPhone directly.
✔ Fast transfer speed. It provides a faster transfer speed than iTunes. It just takes a few minutes to transfer 100 songs.
✔ Safe transfer. The transfer process doesn’t erase original data on your iPhone. Besides, the data you’d like to transfer will be saved in original quality on your iPhone.
✔ Wide compatibility. FoneTool supports iPhone, iPad, and iPod. You’re allowed to transfer files among these iOS devices and computer with it.

Get the tool by clicking the icon below. Let’s transfer iTunes music to iPhone with FoneTool in three steps.

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

Step 1. Connect iPhone to computer with USB > Launch FoneTool and click Phone Transfer > Choose PC to iPhone and click Start Transfer.

Transfer To iPhone

Step 2. Click the folder icon to preview and select the music you want to transfer to iPhone > Click Open to continue. You can also drag and drop music to the box.

Choose Music

Tip: Where is the iTunes music?
If you have consolidated iTunes media files with the steps above, then your iTunes music should be located in C:\Users\YourUserName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media.

Step 3. Make sure you have added all wanted music in the box > Click Start Transfer to send them to your iPhone.

Transfer

You can also transfer photos, videos, and so on at the same time. Besides the powerful transfer functions, you can also rely on FoneTool to backup iPhone to PC fully or selectively.

Conclusion

That’s all for the fixes to iPhone not syncing with iTunes. Hope the solutions can help you out. To transfer files from computer to iPhone in a lossless way, you can also try the best iTunes alternative - FoneTool, which is the best software to transfer files from iPhone to PC. If this guide helps you, please share it with others.