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JayKay01 Author

Level 1

11 points

iPhone cannot sync iPhone (unknown error: -50)

iTunes (v8.6.1) cannot sync my iPhone (v3.0.1). Says an unknown error occurred (-50).

Any ideas how to sync?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8), iTunes 8.6.1 / iPhone v 3.0.1

Posted on Aug 10, 2009 6:14 PM

Best reply

Shaun Campbell

Level 1

5 points

Posted on Aug 15, 2009 5:03 AM

I've exactly the same problem. Synched my iphone 3G to 3.0.1. I also got a message "An update to the carrier settings for your iphone is available. Would you like to install it now?" After this I get "The iphone "iphone" cannot be synced. An unknown error occurred (-50)"

I reset the phone and still the same.

I've just tried syncing my wife's 1st gen iphone and now it's the same.

I'm running itunes 8.2.1 on an iMac running Leopard.

View in context

27 replies

Nov 5, 2009 9:04 AM in response to JayKay01

I'm having the same error, but I'm not syncing to iPhone, I'm syncing with Aperture. Does anyone know if there is a "fix" for using Aperture?? I'm assuming it's the same type of thing, but this adds an interesting piece to the puzzle... it's not iPhoto specifically, it may be something with the way the phone syncs photos in general, whether it's from iPhoto, Aperture, or an individual system folder (though I haven't tried syncing with an individual folder, yet).

Dec 12, 2009 5:16 AM in response to Stephen Sandritter

This problem just showed up for me. I'm syncing with an iPhone 3GS. I turned off the iPhoto sync and now the error is gone. I tried deleting the last Album from my iPhoto but it still causes the error. I haven't synced my iPhone for about a month so there could be many Albums back that is causing my problem.

I am surprised that this thread was started in Aug and here it is Dec and Apple has not fixed this yet with an update.

Feb 3, 2010 3:26 PM in response to phalanges

I have the same problem. I unsynced the photos and it still gave me the error, so I unsynced Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, iTunes U and Photos, and it synced. Now, I am going through 1 and a time a resyncing, and so far so good.

Feb 19, 2010 1:11 AM in response to JayKay01

Same problem here with Aperture 2.1.4, iTunes 9.0.3 and iPhone 3G (OS 3.1.3)
Rebuilding the Aperture library did not help.
HELP!

Mar 1, 2010 1:23 AM in response to MattBerlin

Found the solution at last - deleting the iPod photo Cache and then starting the photo sync again.

Go to your Pictures folder (~/Pictures) and locate the iPhoto Library file.
Control-click the iPhoto (or APERTURE) Library file and choose Show Package Contents from the shortcut menu.
In the iPhoto/Aperture Library window, locate the iPod Photo Cache folder and drag it to the Trash.
Close the iPhoto/Aperture Library window.

This problem and its solution would merit its own Apple support document - tagged to the error message!

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1306
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1314

PolkRB

Level 1

8 points

Oct 17, 2011 10:00 AM in response to Guglielmo Altavilla

I'm glad the link is now fixed:

http://edtechhacks.com/2007/12/09/solved-itunesiphoto-sync-error-50/

a little outdated, but saved my day.

thanks a lot!

Nov 3, 2011 6:42 PM in response to MattBerlin

Found the solution at last - deleting the iPod photo Cache and then starting the photo sync again.

Go to your Pictures folder (~/Pictures) and locate the iPhoto Library file.

Control-click the iPhoto (or APERTURE) Library file and choose Show Package Contents from the shortcut menu.

In the iPhoto/Aperture Library window, locate the iPod Photo Cache folder and drag it to the Trash.

Close the iPhoto/Aperture Library window.

This worked perfectly. Thanks Matt!

BBJ_Tim

Level 1

0 points

Dec 8, 2011 3:44 PM in response to David Wen

I do not have an iPhoto Library file in Pictures. I only have a iPhoto Library temp file and a Photo Booth Library file.

Is the temp file the culprit?

Mar 5, 2012 10:27 PM in response to JayKay01

I had this error when trying to sync using iTunes. The problem turned out to be a lack of space on my iPhone. iTunes is set to sync my entire music library and my phone reached a point where there wasn't enough free space left to sync the recently added music.

I deleted some videos I had recorded using the camera app, unplugged USB and reconnected, and then it synced no problem.

UI Guy

Level 1

16 points

Mar 9, 2012 5:12 PM in response to JayKay01

Same error: "The iPhone "My iPhone" cannot be synced. An unknown error occurred (-50).

Based on what I read in this thread (thanks, everyone), I tried unchecking the box for syncing photos in iTunes and then trying to sync. It worked. Then I rechecked the syncing checkbox and synced, and it worked again. Keeping my fingers crossed that this simple fix will continue to work.

Apr 19, 2012 9:02 AM in response to JayKay01

Same error - don't get it. Just checked my iphone (3GS) and everything I wanted to sync did. So I don't understand this message. I would rather not have so many photos on my phone anyway, just a select few of grandkids to show off, but I would like to mass delete all the old photos on my phone but now I can't. Any way to get the photo library off?

Uh-oh, now on the Photos Albums of my iphone, it says "Syncing 1,854 of 1,945" - yet this is the number iTunes gave as the error that couldn't be downloaded. I ejected my iphone properly. Turned off and back on but still "syncing"...... What?

Dec 5, 2013 9:21 PM in response to JayKay01

I have the same problem, even though I'm not synching photos!!!

iPhone cannot sync iPhone (unknown error: -50)