iPhone not showing up on a Windows PC? Try these fixes

Last updated: 8 October 2026

Work through these in order. Most problems are solved by the first three.

1. Unlock the iPhone and tap Trust

Windows cannot read anything on a locked iPhone. Unlock it before you plug it in. The first time, it asks Trust This Computer? Tap Trust and enter your passcode.

If you once tapped Don't Trust, the question will not come back on its own. Reset it on the iPhone with Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Location & Privacy, then reconnect. (This only resets privacy permissions and trusted computers; it does not erase your data.)

2. Check the cable and port

• Some cables only charge. Try the cable that came with the phone or another one you know carries data.
• Plug directly into the PC, not into a hub, dock or monitor.
• Try a different USB port, ideally one on the back of a desktop PC.

3. Install Apple Devices or iTunes

Windows needs Apple Mobile Device Support to work with an iPhone. It is installed with Apple's free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, or with iTunes. Install one, restart the PC and reconnect the phone. PhotoFroggy relies on the same driver.

4. Restart both devices

Turn the iPhone off and on, restart the PC, then connect again with the phone unlocked. It sounds obvious, and it fixes a surprising number of cases where the connection got stuck.

5. Check Device Manager

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.
2. Look under Portable Devices for Apple iPhone, and under Universal Serial Bus controllers for Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.
3. If either has a warning sign, right-click it and choose Update driver. If that does not help, choose Uninstall device, unplug the iPhone and plug it back in so Windows installs it fresh.

6. Restart Apple Mobile Device Service

Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter. If you see Apple Mobile Device Service, right-click it and choose Restart, and make sure its startup type is Automatic.

7. Update Windows and iOS

Install pending updates on both. A new iOS release occasionally needs an updated Apple driver on Windows, which comes through Windows Update or the Apple Devices app.

The iPhone shows up, but DCIM is empty or missing

• The phone is locked or not trusted. Unlock it, unplug and reconnect.
• There are no photos stored on the phone itself. With Optimize iPhone Storage on, most full-size originals live in iCloud; see why some photos won't transfer.
• File Explorer is showing an old view. Close the window, unplug and reconnect.

Still not working?

If Explorer sees the phone but importing fails, the problem is the import, not the connection; see Windows Photos won't import from iPhone. And if you are using PhotoFroggy, its home screen says what it can and cannot see, and every error message explains what to do next.