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This article will show you how to Fix ‘iPhone Not Showing Up in Windows File Explorer’ issue. If you’re using Windows 10 and can’t see your iPhone when you plug it in, you’re not the only one. A lot of people who use Windows 10 are also having this trouble. Windows Explorer/File Explorer can make it easy to manage photos and movies on a computer and move them from one place to another. You just use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to a computer.
But some people said that their iPhone doesn’t show up in Window Explorer, which means they can’t look at their iPhone pictures on PC. Windows users don’t have anything like AirDrop, so they have to connect their iPhone to their PC and use the File Explore menu to transfer files. But what if the File Explorer menu doesn’t show your iPhone? Before you use it, try to finish the video transfer process in other ways. Use the below ways to Fix ‘iPhone Not Showing Up in Windows File Explorer’ issue. If you know more details about this, than you can check on official website.
Causes of the iPhone not showing up in Windows File Explorer issue
- Outdated or incompatible drivers: If the necessary drivers for the iPhone are outdated or incompatible with Windows 10, it may prevent the device from appearing in File Explorer.
- USB connection issues: A faulty or loose USB connection between the iPhone and the computer can result in the device not being recognized by Windows.
- Software conflicts: Certain software or applications installed on the computer could conflict with the iPhone’s connection, causing it to not appear in File Explorer.
- Incorrect settings or permissions: Incorrect settings or permissions on the iPhone or the computer can prevent proper communication between the devices, leading to the issue.
- iPhone locked or asleep: If the iPhone is locked or in sleep mode, it may not be detected by Windows File Explorer until it is unlocked or awake.
- Device Trust settings: If the computer has not been granted trust by the iPhone in the past, the device may not be recognized until trust is established.
- Hardware faults: Rarely, hardware faults in either the iPhone or the computer’s USB port can cause connectivity issues and prevent the iPhone from showing up in File Explorer.
Ways to Fix ‘iPhone Not Showing Up in Windows File Explorer’ issue
Make Sure to Have a Full Control Over iTunes Folder
It has also been found that this problem can happen if you don’t have full access to the iTunes folder. To fix this, you need to make sure you have full power over the iTunes folder and check to see if iTunes is connected to the iPhone. Here are the steps you need to take:
- Press Win+E at the same time.
- Tap on the Music folder, right-click on iTunes, and choose Properties from the menu that comes up.
- Then uncheck the box that says “Read Only” (Only applies to files in folder).
- Tap Apply and OK again to keep the changes. Then, leave.
- Now, find out what’s wrong. If the problem is still there, go back to iTunes Properties.
- Tap the Edit button in the area for security.
- Next, check the box for “Full Control,” and then tap Apply and OK to save the changes. And click the Exit button.
- Last, check again to see if the problem has been fixed.
Use Official Apple USB Cable
- Ensure that the connection is not broken or unofficial.
- If the connection is broken, get a new one.
- If the cable is fine, use the original Apple USB cable or an MFi-certified cable.
- MFi cords make a better link between your iPhone and the system.
- Using a cable that isn’t approved might hurt your iPhone.
- If you are already using the original, certified connection and still facing issues, check your USB port.
- A damaged port could be the cause of the problem.
- To fix this problem, try using different ports.
Try Updating Apple USB Driver
If you still have trouble with the iPhone drive not showing up in Windows Explorer, try updating the USB drivers for your Apple device. Most likely, the old drivers will give people trouble, which will stop them from making links. So, to update the USB driver, follow the steps below:

- First, use an MFi-certified wire to connect your iPhone to your PC.
- Next, right-click on the Windows Start button and choose Device Manager.
- Now go to the part called Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Right-click on Apple Mobile Device USB Driver after that.
- And click the “Update Driver Software” button.
- Then click the Search Automatically button. This will let Windows immediately update itself if a new version is available.
- Last, you will get a message saying that your driver has been updated.
- Once you’ve done all of the steps above, restart your iPhone and PC and try connecting your iDevice to your PC again to see if it shows up on your system.
Switch To Another active Driver In Device Manager
A faulty or broken Windows system driver is another reason why your iPhone might not show up on the system. Driver is a very important part of how Windows works and makes it possible to do certain things well. So many people said that switching to a different current driver in the device manager fixed the problem for them. To fix this, you need to change to a different current driver in the device manager. Here are the steps you need to take:
- To get to Device Manager, press the Win+X keys at the same time.
- Now, expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section and click twice on the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver choice.
- Next, go to the Driver area and click the Update Driver button.
- Then, choose “Browse my computer for driver software,” Give me a list of choices for device drivers on my computer.
- Then click Next after tapping MTP USB Device.
- Lastly, check to see if the problem has been fixed.
Update Your OS To the Latest Version
Most of the time, this problem could be caused by an old OS version. So, the first thing you need to do is update your Windows OS to the most recent version. As the latest changes come with more features that are better and fixes for bugs, they make your system run faster and better.
- First, go to Settings in Windows.
- Second, click on Update and Security.
- Next, in the Windows Update area, tap the check for updates button.
- If any changes were found, choose Download & Install to download them.
- Lastly, wait until the download is done. Once it is, restart Windows and check if the iPhone doesn’t show up in Windows 10 file explorer.
Restart Your System
Here it is suggested to restart your system as this allows you to solve certain glitches and bugs that might be causing the particular issue. Restarting will help the system to start afresh thereby solving unknown issues in your system.
- Reboot your Windows 10/11 system.
- Connect the iPhone and check if you see your iPhone in the Windows File Explorer.
- If facing the same problem, head to the next potential fix.
Questions and Answers
The folder for your iPhone’s camera roll may be empty. If your iPhone doesn’t have any photos or videos in the Camera roll, they won’t show up on your PC. For example, you may have synced your pictures to iCloud using iCloud Photo Library, so the photos are no longer on the phone. The USB port on your PC might not work well or just stop working.
Tap Cellular Data on the Settings screen, scroll down, and make sure the switch next to Files is turned on. If you found it turned off, all you have to do to fix the problem is turn it back on. If you didn’t find anything strange, you should log out of iCloud and back in.
If your Android device doesn’t show up as it should in File Explorer, it could be because of how your phone is connected to the computer. If you want to use your phone as a storage device, you may only be able to connect it in charging mode.