iPad won't connect to computer via USB

Professional repair of Apple equipment is the best way to solve the problem of why iTunes does not see the iPad. A specialist in restoring electronic devices comes to your home; only in the most critical cases are tablets taken to the workshop. Regardless of the complexity of the situation, it is eliminated in a short time frame.

Important! Do not try to repair or configure the equipment yourself; without a special tool, skills to work with it, or software, this will be very problematic. It will be much faster and more profitable to repair a broken tablet by contacting a workshop.

Connecting iPad to Computer

Connecting an iPad to a PC will be relevant when the user needs to work with files or simply charge the tablet via a USB cable. The only difference is whether iTunes or another program will be needed to synchronize the device and PC.

Option 1: Via USB

Using the original cable from your iPad or iPhone, you can connect to your PC/laptop via the USB connector, after which the device will automatically start charging. You can view and edit files using both the standard iTunes program and Windows Explorer.

Types of USB cable

There are currently 2 types of USB cables for Apple tablets:

With 30-pin connector. Fits iPad, iPad 2 and The new iPad, the oldest models;
Lightning. The latest cable included with iPad 4th generation and later models, and all iPad minis.

Therefore, before connecting your iPad to your computer, check which model you have and which cable is suitable for it.

iTunes

Before connecting your iPad to your PC for the first time, you need to download iTunes from the official Apple website. Along with it, the necessary drivers will be installed to successfully synchronize the device with the computer. The user just needs to connect the tablet via USB, open iTunes, enter the login and password for the Apple ID account and confirm trust in this PC by clicking the corresponding button in the pop-up window.

Conductor

You can view files, namely photos and videos, on your iPad without using iTunes. To do this, we only need a connected device and knowledge of the folder to which we need to go. However, in this case the user will not be able to edit or delete files.

Connect your iPad to your computer and open My Computer.
Find the connected device in the list and click on it.

Go to the "Internal Storage" folder and then to "DCIM". If it doesn't appear, unlock your iPad.

In the window that opens, folders ending in APPLE contain all the photos and videos of the tablet.

File managers

These are a kind of analogues of iTunes, with which you can view basic information about the device and manage all files. The most popular of them are iTools and iFunBox. You can read more about them in the article on our website.

Option 2: Wi-Fi

Essentially, this method helps you configure certain settings once in iTunes and on your device, and then always have synchronization enabled between your computer and iPad via Wi-Fi.

Please note that for this method, a Wi-Fi adapter must be installed on the PC.

Step 1: Setup in iTunes

Connect your tablet to your computer via USB. This only needs to be done once; there will be no need for it later. Open iTunes and click on the connected device icon.

Go to the "Overview" section, find the "Options" item and check the box next to "Sync this iPad over Wi-Fi." Click "Apply".

Then confirm the settings by clicking "Sync".

Step 2: Setup on the tablet

The connector is clogged

You will be surprised, but this reason is one of the most common, since the iPad connector is not covered with a lid. And even if the device itself is in a case, then dirt, dust and crumbs easily penetrate into the connector every day. It’s not difficult to figure this out, and it only takes a couple of gestures from you:

Shine a flashlight on the connector on the iPad, try to examine the presence of foreign objects and pull them out. Just do it carefully so as not to damage the contacts. It is best not to use sharp, hard metal objects, but rather arm yourself with, for example, a wooden toothpick.
You may not find any debris in the connector, since it is very small and you simply won’t notice it with the naked eye. Then try to sweep debris out of the connector with a thin brush, then slowly blow into it.

If your iPad won't connect

A situation often occurs when iTunes or the PC does not see the connected device. Let's look at the main causes and solutions to emerging problems.

Faulty USB port on the computer. Simply connecting the tablet to another socket will help here. If everything is fine with it, disconnect all USB devices from the PC except the tablet;
Defective USB cable. Try using a different cable to connect;
Problem with iTunes. Reinstall the program by downloading it from the official Apple website;
Problem with your computer or Wi-Fi adapter. Use another PC, laptop to connect, or check the functionality of the adapter with other devices;
The USB port on the device is faulty. Examine it carefully. If you find damage, you should contact a service center.

We looked at the main ways to connect an iPad to a computer: via a USB cable and Wi-Fi. However, many factors can influence successful synchronization.

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If you connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to your computer using a USB cable and the device is not recognized, try the following instructions.

If the computer does not recognize the connected device, it may display an unknown error or error code 0xE. In this case, follow these steps, trying to connect the device after each one.

Make sure your iOS or iPadOS device is unlocked and showing the Home screen.
Make sure your Mac or Windows computer has the latest software. When using iTunes, make sure you have the latest version installed.
Make sure your device is turned on.
If the question “Trust this computer?” appears, unlock your device and click “Trust.”
Disconnect all USB accessories from the computer except the device. Try connecting the device to other USB ports. Then try using a different Apple* USB cable.
Restart your computer and iPhone, iPad, or iPod.
Try connecting the device to another computer. If another computer experiences the same problem, contact Apple Support.

Below are additional steps to resolve this issue on your Mac and Windows computer.

On a Mac

Connect your iOS or iPadOS device and make sure it's unlocked and showing the Home screen.
On your Mac, hold down the Option key and go to the Apple menu and choose System Information or System Report.
Select USB from the list on the left.
If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod appears under USB Structure, install the latest version of macOS or the latest updates. If your device doesn't show up or you still need help, contact Apple Support.

Checking the connection

Before you start troubleshooting the software, make sure that the problem is not with the cable.

To do this, follow 4 steps:

Make sure the cable is securely connected to your iOS device and computer.
Try connecting the cable to a different port on your Mac or PC.
Check for dirt and dust on the Lightning or USB-C port. Dust often accumulates inside the connector, preventing contact.
Connect your iPhone to your computer using a different cable. If this helps, simply replace the cable.

If your iPhone doesn't connect to your computer via USB after following these steps, continue.

On a Windows computer

The instructions differ depending on whether you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store or from the Apple website.

If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store

Follow these steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.

Disconnect your device from your computer.
Unlock your iOS or iPadOS device and go to the Home screen. Then reconnect your device. If iTunes opens, close it.
Press and hold (or right-click) the Start button, and then select Device Manager.
Find and expand the Portable Devices section.
Find your connected device (for example, Apple iPhone), right-click its name and select Update Driver.
Select the "Automatically search for updated drivers" option.
Once you've installed the software, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check to see if there are any other updates available.
Open iTunes.

On a Mac

Connect your iOS or iPadOS device and make sure it's unlocked and showing the Home screen.
On your Mac, hold down the Option key and go to the Apple menu and choose System Information or System Report.
Select USB from the list on the left.
If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod appears under USB Structure, install the latest version of macOS or the latest updates. If your device doesn't show up or you still need help, contact Apple Support.

On a Windows computer

The instructions differ depending on whether you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store or from the Apple website.

If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store

Follow these steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.

Disconnect your device from your computer.
Unlock your iOS or iPadOS device and go to the Home screen. Then reconnect your device. If iTunes opens, close it.
Press and hold (or right-click) the Start button, and then select Device Manager.
Find and expand the Portable Devices section.
Find your connected device (for example, Apple iPhone), right-click its name and select Update Driver.
Select the "Automatically search for updated drivers" option.
Once you've installed the software, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check to see if there are any other updates available.
Open iTunes.

If you downloaded iTunes from the Apple website

Follow these steps to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.

Disconnect your device from your computer.
Unlock your iOS or iPadOS device and go to the Home screen. Then reconnect your device. If iTunes opens, close it.
Press the Windows key and R to open the Run window.
In the Run window, type: %ProgramFiles%Common FilesAppleMobile Device SupportDrivers
Click OK.
Right-click the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file and select the Install option.

Other files starting with usbaapl64 or usbaapl may be displayed. The file with the extension .inf should be installed. If you're not sure which file to install, right-click an empty area in the Explorer window, and then select View and Table to display file types. You need to install a file of the “Installation Information” type.
Disconnect your device from your computer, then restart your computer.
Reconnect your device and open iTunes.

If your device is still not recognized

Check in Device Manager to see if the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is installed. To open Device Manager, follow these steps:

Press the Windows key and R to open the Run window.
In the Run window, enter devmgmt.msc and click OK. The Device Manager window should appear.
Find and expand the USB Controllers section.
Find the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver.

If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is not displayed or "Unknown Device" is displayed:

Connect your device to your computer using a different USB cable.
Connect your device to another computer. If another computer experiences the same problem, contact Apple Support.

If the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver appears with an error symbol:

If , or icon appears next to the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, follow these steps:

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