Just as we did in iTunes a few years ago, it is now on our Mac that we will make a local backup of our iPhone or iPad, update its software or perform a complete restore. Operations that we can do directly from the same device, yes, but if we want to do it on Mac, the first thing is that this device appears in the Finder.
Several resources to be able to comfortably access our iPhone or iPad
There are several reasons that can prevent our iPhone or iPad from being present in the sidebar at the very moment when we want to synchronize it through the Finder. Fortunately, most of them have an easy fix. Here is what we can do:
- Unlock iPhone: For our iPhone to trust our Mac for the first time, it is necessary to unlock it. To make sure this happens, it’s a good idea to unlock our iPhone and plug it in only when we see the home screen on it.
- Properly configure the Finder sidebar: There are many items in the Finder sidebar. If our iPhone or iPad does not appear, it is better to check that they are not hidden. For this, we simply choose preferences On the menu Searcherwe enter the tab Lateral bar and we mark CDs, DVDs and devices.
- Force Quit Finder: Sometimes Finder just doesn’t recognize the device. In these cases, it is better to force it and reopen it. To do this, just press Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + esc, select Searcher in the list and we touch To restart.
- Close other applications that may be interfering: Other apps, like Xcode, Music, or Image Capture (for transferring photos to your Mac), to name just three examples, may have established a connection to your iPhone or iPad that prevents the Finder from showing it. It’s not common, but to be sure, it’s best to right-click its icons in the Dock and choose to go out.
- Restart iPhone and Mac: A resource that will always be useful to us. After a restart, it is very likely that Finder will immediately recognize our iPhone or iPad.
- Trust the computer: The first time we connect an iPhone or iPad to a Mac, we need to confirm that the device can trust the computer. We will do this by choosing Trust this computer in the dialog box that appears.
- Verify that we really trust the computer: If we don’t remember trusting the computer or if we made the wrong choice when asked, we can reset the trust history. We will do this by opening the application Settings on our iPhone or iPad, by entering Generalby pressing Transfer or Reset iPhoneby pressing Restore and choose Reset location and privacy. After that, when connecting the iPhone or iPad to the Mac, we should be able to Trust this computer
- Check the connection cable: If we have it, let’s try to connect another device with the same cable or use another cable to connect the same devices to exclude that the cable has been damaged.
- Check if the Mac really sees the iPhone or iPad: In the Apple () menu, we choose About This Mac then we hit System information. In the sidebar we touch USB and verify that our iPhone appears in one of them. If so, it is best to update the operating system of both devices. If not, we must check that the USB port is working and that the cable we are using is the correct one.
- Restore Finder Preferences: At this point, the last thing we can do before restoring both iPhone and Mac is to delete Finder preferences. To do this, while in a Finder window, press Command (⌘) + Shift (⇧) + G, paste “~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist” (without the quotes) and press Enter . Here we are looking for the com.apple.finder.plist file and deleting it. We empty the trash and restart the Mac.
Before opting for a restoration of the devices, it is preferable that Make an appointment at an Apple Store so they can perform hardware diagnostics and make sure everything is fine. In the same store they will be able, if at this point we still do not see our iPhone or iPad in the Finder, to help us with the restoration, if necessary.