Wifi syncing stopped working - Catalina

Hello,

This is quite odd.

Let's try creating a new Network location on Macintosh. This will help eliminate any concerns of software conflicting with your Mac's Wi-Fi.

How to use network locations on your Mac - Apple Support

I have also run into a similar situation when I was trying to

setup WiFi syncing as well.

Checked all the proper boxes and my iPhone 11 Pro never shows

up in Finder as stated it should.

The iPhone and the target Mac can communicate with each other

via WiFi as evidenced by the fact that the iPhone can access the

Mac media via Home Sharing. I can also connect to a file share on

the Mac with the Files app on the iPhone and easily move files

back and forth between them directly. So the two devices can

talk to each other via WiFi.

Both the iPhone and the Mac are active with the same AppleID

and the iPhone syncs quite happily via USB. It seems that either

WiFi syncing is broke in Catalina or there is yet some new hidden/

undocumented setting that also needs set for it to work. Or there are

issues at both the iOS device and macOS device ends.

FWIW, the iPhone 11 Pro is on iOS 13.2.3 and the Mac macOS 10.15.1 (19B88).

Also, I have done all matter of reboot, turn on/turn off, delete and reconnect

networks, reset network settings, log out/log in, etc.

NormalGuy wrote:

I'm sorry this is happening to you....but I am a little bit glad to see that someone else is having this problem.

After messing with it for a couple days, I went out to do some

shopping and after I came back, POOF, my iPhone 11Pro magically

appeared in Finder. The only thing different from the past couple

days was to go out shopping. Is that the solution??? Or maybe the

planets became properly aligned.

I'll see if it continues beyond today.

FWIW, it showed up again this morning when I booted my

Mac. Planning on a road trip today, so I will see if it will

re-appear when I return.

Something to check, are both the Mac and devices on the same

subnet, i.e. 192.168.1.x or such.

Well, it is still working today for me (11/24).

I wonder if WiFi syncing has turned into something like Content Caching.

When it works, its great and wonderful. When it doesn't. there seems

to be no rhyme or reason or solution as to why it doesn't.

I had the same problem after upgrading to Catalina: My iOS devices appeared in the finder (and in Music) but they were not responsive (no sync, couldn't even eject). So, I'm passing on what worked for me (thanks to another user). Connect your iOS device directly into a USB port on your computer (not into a USB hub). Then, you should see the message "Trust This Computer?". Click yes, and you should be good for syncing and managing your device after that. It worked for me anyway.

Thanks, this finally fixed it for me too.

1) Reset the network settings in my iPhone 8+.

2) Had to enter the wifi password again.

3) Connect phone and mac with the cable

4) Confirm the "Trust this device" messages on the iPhone and the mac.

5) Then the finder window bugged out with an endless spinning wait icon

6) unplugged the cable and connected it again (this time it synced as it should)

7) now it works without the cable too again

I had the same problem for my iPhone XS, 7 Plus and my iPad Pro, and after doing some digging online, I found that the solution is to go on each of them to Settings > General > Reset > Reset location & Privacy. Then after doing reset plug each of them to your computer, open the device settings and uncheck "Show this 'device' when on Wi-Fi", click "Apply", then re-check it again then click "Apply" one last time, and voila.