Lux Infinita

Q: iPad-iTunes connection flickers on and off

I can't physically connect my iPad to iTunes and sync my music (or do anything else, really). When I plug the cable in, the connection sort of flickers on and off really quickly and just keeps doing that until I remove the cable:

  • The battery icon at the top-right corner of my iPad's screen changes to either the "charging" icon or the "not charging" icon and flickers between whichever of those it chose and the normal battery icon which appears when the iPad isn't connected to anything. I don't care whether it charges or not; I just want it to stay connected to my computer.
  • The iPad appears on the list of devices connected to iTunes, but this might be because it's on the same wi-fi network; I haven't checked whether turning wi-fi off on either the iPad or the computer makes the iPad disappear from the list.
  • A popup appears on iTunes. It says "iTunes could not connect to this iPhone. This device is no longer connected.". There appear to be multiple identical popups on top of each other; I need to click on "OK" or press return many times before it will go away. Also, it appears again at most two seconds after I do this. I'm pretty sure this popup has to do with iTunes recognising the iPad for a fraction of a second and then ceasing to recognise it (hence the iPad "is no longer connected").
  • A popup sometimes appears on my iPad, although it disappears after a fraction of a second every time and it doesn't appear as frequently as the iTunes one. Because of its reduced frequency and the ridiculous amount of time it remains on the screen before disappearing (without me touching the iPad's screen), I haven't been able to read it completely, but I think it has something to do with the iPad asking me whether I want to trust the computer.

 

I'm using a late-2014 MacBook pro with Mac OS 10.9.5. My iPad is a 3rd-generation iPad with iOS 8.0.2 (or whatever version we are currently at). The cable is not physically damaged; I use the same cable to charge the iPad every night and have had no problems with that, and I tried another cable anyway just in case (and got the same result). The iPad is not physically damaged. The laptop is not physically damaged. The USB port I'm using works perfectly (I've connected an external drive there and used it for TimeMachine backups). I've successfully connected the iPad to three other Apple computers without this happening. About three hours ago I connected the same iPad to the same laptop without this happening (although the syncing got stuck, but that's a different story, I guess).

 

I can connect over wi-fi, but that's not the issue here. I want to be able to connect physically.

 

Seriously, considering this and the other problems I've had recently, it's like Apple has been turning more and more into an expensive version of MicroSoft ever since Steve Jobs died. Yes, I'm ******. This is like the fifth really stupid problem I've had with Apple devices (three different ones) in the past five days or so.

iPad (3rd gen) Wi-Fi, iOS 8, 64 GB

Posted on Oct 11, 2014 6:18 PM

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Q: iPad-iTunes connection flickers on and off

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  • by markwmsn,

    markwmsn markwmsn Sep 11, 2016 9:34 PM in response to Lux Infinita
    Level 5 (5,679 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 11, 2016 9:34 PM in response to Lux Infinita

    Since it is likely to be a problem local to specific iPads, there is not likely to be a generic fix. You should consider making a Genius Bar appointment to examine your specific equipment; take your iPad, your MacBook, and your cable.

  • by Lux Infinita,

    Lux Infinita Lux Infinita Sep 13, 2016 2:13 PM in response to markwmsn
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Sep 13, 2016 2:13 PM in response to markwmsn

    Sometimes there's a quick fix which does not involve going to a Genius Bar. Clearly, this isn't the case here, so, yeah, I'll make an appointment one of these days.

     

    Incidentally, I've noticed a new problem which maybe some of you have noticed too. When I do manage to connect my iPhone (which is when my Mac is plugged in), the status bar on my iPhone says 100% battery (regardless of actual battery level), the wi-fi icon appears (even though I normally have wi-fi turned off because I use mobile data), and my phone says it's 09.41 and gets stuck at that time (it's always 09.41 regardless of what the actual time is). Additionally, once I unplug my phone, if I then plug it to the power outlet, it doesn't charge (nothing happens, as if my phone weren't connected to anything). The not-charging problem disappears if I restart the phone.

  • by markwmsn,

    markwmsn markwmsn Sep 13, 2016 3:01 PM in response to Lux Infinita
    Level 5 (5,679 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 13, 2016 3:01 PM in response to Lux Infinita

    I had the impression that you had tried most of the usual fixes that can be recommended in a forum like this. I had a similar problem that did wind up being fixed by updating both OS X and iOS, but you mentioned having done both. (I'll also mention that in my instance several of my cables exhibited the problem more frequently than others, but all worked most of the time with most device combinations.)

     

    I don't recognize your more recent problem.

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