How to Update iPhone Driver on Windows PC

Is your iPhone not being detected by Windows? Maybe you’re trying to access an iPhone or iPad for transferring photos to the PC or to sync with iTunes and music on the computer? If you’re on Windows and your iPhone or iPad device isn’t recognized by the software when it’s connected with a USB to Lightning cable, read on as you’ll learn a few possibilities as to why this happens, and also we’ll show you how you can update the iPhone driver on a Windows PC.

Note an undetected iPhone in Windows could be due to various factors. You might want to observe the screen on both your iPhone and computer to find the issue. For example, if you get an unknown error or “OxE” error pop up as soon as you connect your iPhone to the computer, you might want to make sure your device is powered on and unlocked. If you get a “Trust this computer” pop-up on your iPhone, make sure to tap “Trust” and see if that fixes the issue. If that doesn’t resolve it, you might have to unplug all the other USB accessories that are connected to your PC and try rebooting your device & computer.

Are you one of those iPhone users who tried everything that you possibly could and still couldn’t resolve the issue? Don’t fret, because in this article, we’ll be discussing exactly not one, but three ways to update your iPhone driver on Windows and make sure it gets recognized by iTunes. And yes while we’re focusing on iPhone here, this applies to iPad and iPod touch too.

How to Update iPhone Driver for iTunes Downloaded from Microsoft Store

There are two ways to install iTunes on your computer today. Users could choose to download the software directly from Apple’s website or head over to the Microsoft Store and download the iTunes app. However, if you installed the software from Microsoft Store, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed and simply follow the steps below.

1. Disconnect & reconnect your iPhone and make sure it’s unlocked. Right-click with your mouse on the Start icon and choose “Device Manager”.
   
   
2. This will open a new window on your screen. Expand “Portable Devices” and right-click on “Apple iPhone”. Now, click on “Update driver” as shown below.
   
   
3. You’ll now get a pop-up on your screen. Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
   
   
4. Once the drivers are installed, you need to make sure you have no other software updates available for your computer. To verify, type “Windows update” in the search box located in the taskbar and click on “Windows Update Settings”.
   
   
5. Here, you can simply click on “Check for updates” to see if your computer is on the latest software.
   
   

Once done, open iTunes on your computer and see if your iPhone is now detected.

How to Update iPhone Driver for iTunes Downloaded from Apple

If you downloaded the software directly from Apple, the procedure is fairly different. Simply follow the steps below carefully to avoid running into issues.

1. Disconnect & reconnect your iPhone and make sure it’s unlocked. Press “Windows + R” key on your keyboard to open the Run command. In the Run window, type the following text and click OK.
   

   %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers

   

2. This will open a new window. Here, right-click on “usbaapl64.inf” or “usbaapl.inf” and choose “Install” for reinstalling the necessary drivers. Now, open iTunes and see if your iPhone gets recognized.
   
   

That’s how you can update and install the iPhone driver in Windows, but you can also go another route and update the Apple Mobile Device Driver using the method detailed below.

Updating Apple Mobile Device USB Driver

This is your last resort if your iPhone didn’t get recognized after the first two methods. Make sure your iPhone is connected to your computer and simply follow the steps below.

1. Open the Run command by pressing “Windows + R” key on your keyboard. Now, type “devmgmt.msc” in the Run window and click OK.
   
   
2. Here, expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers” as shown in the screenshot below. Right-click on Apple Mobile Device USB Driver and choose “Update driver” to check for any newer version.
   
   

That’s pretty much all the necessary steps you need to follow for updating or reinstalling iPhone drivers on your Windows computer.

If the Apple Mobile Device driver doesn’t show up in the USB controllers section, there’s a fair chance that your cable might be faulty. Try using a different cable or see if connecting to a different computer fixes the problem.

Are you still facing issues connecting your iPhone? You might try using a different USB port on the computer, and try using a different Lightning cable as well. If you still have issues, you may need to contact official Apple support as they can assist you further. With all that being said, the procedures outlined above should help you resolve the iTunes detection issue if you follow the steps in the exact manner.

This obviously applies to Windows, but if you have issues connecting your iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max to iTunes on your Mac then you may need to install a software update before they’re usable on iTunes on the Mac too. You can also follow this helpful general advice for when iTunes won’t detect iPhone, iPad, or iPods as it applies to virtually every computer and device.

Did you manage to update your iPhone drivers on Windows without any trouble? Did it resolve the detection issues you faced on iTunes? If so, which method worked for you? Do let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section down below.