iPhone 13 - iTunes 12.8 - El Capitan

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Level 1

4 points

iPhone 13 - iTunes 12.8 - El Capitan

Just got a new 13. It does not sync with iTunes. I open iTunes, connect the phone, the phone icon shows in iTunes for a second then disappears. All the music from my old phone migrated to my new phone in the initial set up but I can't add any new music or playlists from my iTunes library onto my new iPhone 13 running the most current software version.

I have 25,000+ songs in my iTunes Library & iTunes match or whatever it's called is not feasible. Am I out of luck until I get a new laptop that can accept OX beyond El Capitan? Can you even do this on the most recent OX or is this Apple's way of forcing you to their cloud music service like it or not? It's disappointing to have curated a great library of music and not be able to port it on my phone. Thanks for any info.

iPhone 13, iOS 15

Posted on Nov 11, 2021 1:22 PM

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Answer 1

turingtest2

Level 10

276,725 points

Nov 11, 2021 1:55 PM in response to watrcolr

For iOS 14 you need iTunes 12.8.2.3 or better running on OS X 10.11.6 or better. I don't know if the same is true for iOS 15/iPhone 13 or if they have stricter requirements.

Assuming a suitable version of iTunes is in place then in Finder use the menu item Go > Go to Folder..., copy the following text, paste it into the dialog box and press enter:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/MobileDevice.framework/Versions/Current/Resources

Unlock your device and connect it to USB. Double click on MobileDeviceUpdater in the folder that has opened. It should notify you of a software update. Install it and iTunes should hopefully recognize your device.

If these steps haven't worked you can also try reinstalling iTunes12.8.2.3.dmg (El Capitan/Sierra) or iTunes12.8.3.1 (High Sierra) while your device is connected and unlocked.

tt2

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Answer 2

watrcolr Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 12, 2021 8:35 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks. I've tried the mobile device updater before and nothing happens. I'll try the reinstall iTunes route but I'm concerned about losing the music I have in the current version 12.8.2.3. Any thoughts there? Otherwise I'll give it a try & let you know. Thanks for the speedy reply.

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Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

276,725 points

Nov 12, 2021 10:09 AM in response to watrcolr

Reinstalling iTunes shouldn't have any impact on your library. That said you should still have a backup in place for when it all goes wrong.

tt2

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iPhone 13 - iTunes 12.8 - El Capitan

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