Cannot sync mac with iPhone. Mac insists on an upgrade. Not ready for Catalina. Will Mojave work?

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Level 2

226 points

Cannot sync mac with iPhone. Mac insists on an upgrade. Not ready for Catalina. Will Mojave work?

Yes, I want to sync my phone with my mac. But no-go. It insists on a software update. I think it means of macOS and iTunes.

Presently:

macOS High Sierra, v10.13.6

iPhone iOS v13.6

Do I really have to upgrade to Catalina just to sync my phone? I still have 32-bit apps to replace with 64-bit versions. I also don't want to lose QuickTime 7 Pro. Might an upgrade to Mojave be sufficient?

Is there a workaround? Why do upgrades always break things? Command Tab is now flaky just from a security update! They always push us to do updates. Well, this is why I don't like doing updates: they break things.

Thanks in advance! (^_^(

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 11

Posted on Jul 24, 2020 1:38 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

K Shaffer

Level 8

36,022 points

Jul 27, 2020 11:01 AM in response to betaneptune

Certain things Sync by use of Continuity settings in Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.

However you could carefully backup - then upgrade - to Mojave 10.14.6 and

have no issue with part of older stuff using 32-bit & newer 64-bit; sees both.

• How to upgrade to macOS Mojave (10.14.6) - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210190

Drivers for peripherals also continue to work with Mojave ~ while in Catalina,

all 32-bit items are lost. Support remains in Mojave for 32-bit software/drivers.

(One complaint whose details need to be worked out, a recent final update for

Mojave 10.14.6, w/ Security Update. This breaks a feature where after an update

you'd no longer need to see there's a later macOS system upgrade pending.)

Had noticed awhile back this happened to occur in my macbook pro w/ 10.14.6.

In any event, good luck & happy computing!🌞🎣

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Answer 2

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 27, 2020 11:48 PM in response to betaneptune

I got the stupid thing to work. I ran the software update from the message way above, thinking if it were Catalina I would have a chance to abort at the read-license phase. It installed something in just a couple of minutes, never said what it was, but I ended up with an updated iTunes! But it didn't never showed up in the App Store before. And now the App Store crashes upon launching it! WTFIGO? Why didn't it just say, "You need a newer version of iTunes . . ."?

Anyway, sync works, except that every time I run it it asks me if I want to transfer purchased items from the phone to the mac. You'd think one time would be enough. Anyway, I removed a couple of songs and put one back in separate sync operations, and it worked.

WHY didn't the message just tell me I needed a new version of iTunes in the first place? In fact no one told me this, including AppleCare support.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Jul 24, 2020 1:51 PM in response to betaneptune

Well, Mojave would be better than a swift kick, but make sure you have a recent clone or backup in case you need to come back to reality.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828?mt=12

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Answer 4

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,700 points

Jul 27, 2020 7:36 PM in response to betaneptune

You don't even need to move from High Sierra. The update is so the OS you're currently using can connect to your iPhone.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Jul 27, 2020 4:02 PM in response to betaneptune

Don't use Firefox for the link.

Naw, not damaged, it's just that you have an old copy already in Applications, there are 2 cures...

Disconnect from the Internet & set the Date back to 2014, then you can run the Install MacsOS Mohave App in Applications, so expired Certificates are not expired.

Or... trash the Install MacsOS Mojave.app in Applications then a new copy can be downloaded.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/macos-mojave/id1398502828?mt=12

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Answer 6

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 27, 2020 7:46 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Update of what and to what? The phone is already up to date. iTunes is up to date. All that's left is the OS, which is just shy of Catalina. And Catalina will break my 32-bit apps and not run my Motion JPEG A movie files. So I'm not ready for Catalina. Looks like I should have stopped updating the phone as soon as Catalina came out. Or perhaps even when Mojave came out.

Here's the "Learn More" link:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208831

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Answer 7

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,700 points

Jul 28, 2020 5:47 AM in response to betaneptune

Update of what and to what? The phone is already up to date.

As I said, it's to the OS you're currently using. The OS doesn't understand the newer version of iOS your phone is running. The update allows High Sierra to understand and connect to it.

The OS level won't change. It will still be 10.13.6, but after the update, it will be able to properly communicate with your phone.

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Answer 8

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,700 points

Jul 29, 2020 7:07 AM in response to betaneptune

Okay, since you seem to be intent on twisting my words, one more response and then I'm done.

A short amount of time? I did a Time Machine restore once and it took like 6 hours. Your customers are very patient.

That's because I don't, and won't use Time Machine. I use Carbon Copy Cloner. The initial clone to an external drive (or any other partition or drive you want to use) can take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. All depends on how much data needs to be copied and how fast the drive is.

But, once that's done, incremental updates to the clone rarely take more than 5 minutes as it only changes what's already on the clone to make it once again match the source drive. So, in the case of an update that doesn't work out, you boot to the clone and use CCC to set the main drive back to what's on the clone. This typically takes a total of 15 minutes or less; boot the external, clone the backup you had just made previous to an update back to the main drive, and restart back to the main drive. Done and back to where you were before applying the update.

Uh, you said, "Either run the update or don't." What exactly am I to base this on?

Based on? It's a yes or no decision. Run the update, or don't run it. I have no idea what else you're reading into such a plain, single meaning sentence.

You get paid what you get paid. I think you'll want to know what you get paid.

??? That doesn't make any sense at all.

Here's what this whole discussion between you and I comes down to. You asked if you needed to apply the update, or if it required updating to Mojave so your Mac could access your iPhone. I answered it in two short sentences: You don't even need to move from High Sierra. The update is so the OS you're currently using can connect to your iPhone.

There was nothing more that needed to be said, or known. If you're unsure of the time the update would take, then run it just as you're going out to lunch, after business hours, or the weekend. Surely you could have determined that yourself instead of getting into a useless discussion about how long it takes.

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Answer 9

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 26, 2020 11:01 PM in response to betaneptune

Turned out it was the Tab key (on the keyboard) that was flaky. I managed to fix it by lifting the keycap and administering some air blasts and pressing the stub a few times. Still, upgrades often cause grief. There's a reason they tell you not to do upgrades while in the middle of a Final Cut project!

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Answer 10

K Shaffer

Level 8

36,022 points

Jul 27, 2020 2:57 AM in response to betaneptune

• Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204681

Covers most things and then some, to use Apple stuff among themselves; and other brands too.

Good luck & happy trails!🌻🐝

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Answer 11

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 27, 2020 9:42 AM in response to Lexiepex

But I'm already on the latest version of High Sierra and the latest version of iTunes that runs on it. I fear running this will download and install Catalina, which I am not ready for. I still have to get 64-bit versions of some apps and convert my JPEG-A Motion movie files. (You can't convert the movie files once on Catalina, as the QuickTime 7, which is needed for this conversion process, format will be gone.) So I figure they're just being sloppy about upgrade versus update.

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Answer 12

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 27, 2020 2:42 PM in response to K Shaffer

The Mojave upgrade cannot be done. Whether I go to the App Store or use the copy I downloaded long ago, I immediately get the following depressing message when clicking Open on the store of Install macOS Mojave.app . Can anyone help with this? Is Mojave really a no-go now?

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Answer 13

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 27, 2020 7:36 PM in response to BDAqua

I did not use FF. I used Chrome.

Ah, so Apple lies about the install file being damaged. Apple busted!

I trashed the copy of Install MacOS Mojave.app and the App Store page for Mojave went from Open to Download! So I downloaded it. Ran it and got the same "damaged" message. I then rebooted. Ran it, and I got past the license bit, but then it hung. I had to power down, as Force Quit would open! So I ran it yet again, but it was eerily quiet for the first few minutes. I opened the log file and I saw stuff was happening. (Does anyone know where I can find this log? I'd like to review it. ) At some point it rebooted twice. I went away for a bit. Done when I came back. Phone still not recognized. It again says a "software update" is needed, without any details. Yeah, what a surprise, eh? iTunes doesn't seem updatable! I guess the highest version on High Sierra is the same as that on Mojave. Bummer. Looks like iOS 13 just doesn't recognize iTunes. Is that right? Thanks to Apple for breaking syncing.

BTW, I didn't have to change the time. I really don't like doing that anyway, as it will likely make some very incorrect timestamps who knows where.

I have Parallels and Windows 10. Maybe I can run iTunes on that, transfer the music and videos over, and sync using that?! Seems unlikely, but I might luck out. Any pointers or comments?

Man, I'll be doing some serious research or at least a large helping of caution before doing any more updates. At least I'm not stuck with a surprise of broken movie files and broken 32-bit apps! I already knew about that.

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Answer 14

betaneptune Author

Level 2

226 points

Jul 28, 2020 9:28 AM in response to Kurt Lang

Let me see if I got this straight. It's an update to the OS, but its version number doesn't change, yet the version number of iTunes does change, going from 12.8 to 12.9. And in the whole process, the mac and the Apple support pages never tell me what's being updated. On top of that, there's nothing in the App Store or System Preferences regarding this. Do I have that right? And on a side note, the mac lies about the Mojave upgrade file being damaged.

Is it really too much to ask (or perhaps I should say expect) to be told what's being updated? And also how long it will take to run?

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