If the iPhone charges but the computer shows nothing, the problem is nearly always the cable: some cables carry power only, with no data wires, and they look identical to good ones (Solution 1). Test with a different cable before anything else. Next, unlock the iPhone and tap Trust on the prompt that appears on its screen, because without that permission the computer sees nothing but a battery (Solution 2). If the prompt no longer appears, Solution 4 explains how to bring it back. On Windows, Apple's driver is the third suspect (Solutions 6 and 7); on a Mac, the iPhone shows up in the Finder sidebar and may simply be hidden (Solution 8).
What causes this problem
- The cable carries power only and has no data wires. It is the most common cause of all, and the symptom is exactly this: the iPhone charges, but the computer does not react.
- The Trust This Computer prompt was never answered, was declined at some point, or the iPhone is locked with a passcode and therefore never shows the question.
- The connection goes through a hub, an extension, an adapter or a front-panel USB port, which often fails to deliver enough power or data.
- On Windows, the driver that recognises Apple mobile devices is missing, out of date or half installed.
- The iPhone's charging port holds compacted dust or lint, keeping enough contact to charge but not to transfer data.
- On a Mac, the iPhone is connected correctly but does not appear because the Finder sidebar is set not to show devices.
- Watch what happens when you plug in: does the iPhone buzz and start charging? If it does not even charge, the problem is physical, and suspicion falls on the cable, the port or the device's socket.
- Keep the iPhone unlocked with the screen on while you run each test. Much of this depends on you seeing the prompt that appears on it.
- Set aside at least two different cables to test. If you can, use a cable that came in a device's box, which always carries data.
- Close any programs that might be holding the device, such as a backup in progress, photo syncing or any management app.
- Make one change at a time and reconnect the cable after each. Changing two things at once makes it impossible to know what worked.
Solutions, in the order to try them
1Swap the cable for one that carries data
This is the number one cause and the most deceptive one, because a charge-only cable looks identical from the outside to a full one. Cables sold loose, freebies and the ones bundled with car chargers usually have power wires only. The iPhone charges normally, and the computer will never react no matter how many settings you change.
- Grab a different cable, preferably one you know has transferred data on some device before.
- Plug in again and watch the iPhone's screen. A good cable makes the prompt appear asking whether you trust the computer.
- Also inspect the cable's ends for darkened, bent or dirty pins, and the plastic sleeve near the connector for kinks and cracks.
- If you only have one cable, test it on another computer before blaming yours. If it fails on both, the cable is the culprit.
2Unlock the iPhone and tap Trust This Computer
For security, iOS will not let any computer see the device's photos and files until you explicitly allow it. Until that happens, the iPhone presents itself as a plain charging device and the computer behaves as though nothing were plugged in. A locked iPhone never even shows the question.
- Unlock the iPhone with your passcode, face or fingerprint before plugging the cable in.
- Connect and wait a few seconds. The prompt asking whether you trust the computer should appear on the device's screen.
- Tap Trust and enter the iPhone's passcode when asked. Without the passcode, the authorisation is not completed.
- If you tapped Do Not Trust by mistake earlier, unplug, plug back in and answer again.
- After trusting, give the computer time to recognise it. The first time can take up to a minute.
3Plug straight into the machine, with no hub or extension
Hubs, adapters, monitor docks and front-panel ports are weak points. Some do not deliver enough power to keep the data link stable, and others simply do not pass the protocol through properly. Testing straight into the machine rules that variable out in thirty seconds.
- Remove any hub, adapter or extension from the path and plug the cable directly into a port on the computer.
- On desktops, prefer the rear ports, which are soldered to the motherboard and more reliable than the front ones.
- Test at least two different ports before ruling this out.
- If you use an adapter to change connector type, try a different adapter. They fail often.
4Make the trust prompt appear again
If you declined trust at some point, the iPhone remembers that choice and never asks again, which feels like a fault. Resetting the list of trusted computers clears that history and brings the question back on the next connection. This deletes nothing from the device, but the location and privacy permissions apps already had return to default, so they will ask for everything again.
- Disconnect the iPhone from the computer.
- Go to Settings, open General and find the section for transferring or resetting the iPhone.
- Choose Reset and then the option to reset location and privacy. Do not choose the option that erases content and data.
- Enter the passcode and confirm. The device will restart some services.
- Connect again with the iPhone unlocked. The trust prompt should reappear.
5Clean the charging port and restart both devices
Pocket lint compacts at the bottom of the charging port and forms a thin layer that stops some pins making contact. Because the power pins sit at the edges and the data pins in the middle, it is common for the device to keep charging and stop transferring data. Restarting, in turn, reloads the connection services on both sides, which sometimes hang after an abrupt disconnection.
- With the iPhone switched off, shine a torch into the charging port. Look for a compacted grey layer at the bottom.
- Clean it with a wooden toothpick or a soft, dry bristle brush, scraping gently along the sides. Never use a needle, paper clip or any metal object: they scratch and bend the pins.
- Do not use compressed air or liquids in the port.
- Restart the iPhone and restart the computer before testing again.
- Plug in and check that the connector seats firmly, with no sideways play.
6Windows: repair the Apple mobile device driver
On Windows, the iPhone is only recognised through a specific Apple driver. It is installed alongside the device support application and fails often: it vanishes after a Windows update, installs halfway, or clashes with an older version. When that happens, the device shows up with an exclamation mark or as an unknown device.
- With the iPhone connected and unlocked, right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Look for the iPhone or an Apple mobile device entry, usually under Portable Devices or USB controllers. Also check the other devices section, where items with no driver end up.
- If there is a yellow triangle on the item, right-click it, choose Update driver and then the automatic search.
- If that does not help, right-click and choose Uninstall device. Unplug the cable, restart the computer and plug it in again: Windows tries to reinstall on its own.
- If the iPhone appears nowhere in Device Manager even though it charges, go back to Solution 1: the cable is almost certainly the problem.
7Windows: install or update Apple's support software
Windows cannot talk to an iPhone on its own. It needs Apple's software for Windows, which installs the drivers and the communication services. Without it, the device may show up for importing photos but never for backup or syncing. If it is already installed, a clean reinstall usually clears cases where the background service fails to start.
- Install Apple's application for managing devices on Windows from the system's own app store or from Apple's official site. Do not download it from third-party sites.
- If you already use that program, update it to the latest version and restart the computer.
- In the Windows services list, look for services with Apple in the name and confirm they are running. If one is stopped, start it manually.
- If the problem persists, uninstall the program and everything related to it from the apps panel, restart and install it again from scratch.
- Connect the unlocked iPhone after the installation and answer Trust on the prompt.
8Mac: look for the iPhone in the Finder sidebar
On a Mac there is no separate program for managing the iPhone: it appears in the sidebar of a Finder window, like a disk. Many people look in the wrong place and conclude it was not recognised. If the sidebar is set not to show devices, the iPhone stays invisible even though it is connected.
- Open a Finder window and look at the sidebar, under locations or devices. The iPhone's name should be there.
- If it is not, open Finder settings from the Finder menu, go to the sidebar tab and tick the option that shows external disks and devices, including those connected by cable.
- Click the iPhone's name and, if a trust button appears in the window, confirm there as well as on the device.
- If the Mac asks for a software update in order to recognise the device, accept it and let it finish before trying again.
- On older Macs, management may still happen through the music and media program rather than the Finder. Look for the device icon at the top of that program's window.
9Test on another computer and use the alternative routes
If nothing worked, this test settles once and for all where the fault lies and stops you tinkering with the wrong machine. And if all you wanted was to get photos off the iPhone, there are routes that need no cable at all.
- Connect the iPhone with the same cable to another computer. If it works there, the problem is your computer: focus on Solutions 6 and 7 on Windows, or 8 on a Mac.
- If it fails on both computers and you have already tried a different cable, suspicion moves to the iPhone's charging port: take it to an authorised service centre.
- To move photos without a cable, turn on cloud photo syncing on the iPhone and open it in a browser on the computer.
- For individual files, use the iPhone's files app with a storage service you already have, or email them to yourself.
- Update iOS and the computer's operating system before giving up. Incompatibility between very distant versions does happen and is fixed this way.
Applies to
| System | Status |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 and Windows 10 | Confirmed |
| macOS with the iPhone managed through Finder | Confirmed |
| Older macOS, with management through the media program | The device appears as an icon at the top of that program's window instead of the Finder sidebar |
Menu names can change slightly between versions. If a step above does not match what you see on screen, the official support page from the manufacturer has the most current wording for your version.
Frequently asked questions
Last checked: Jun 26, 2026 · We review this guide whenever the manufacturer changes the process.