can't get itunes 12.9 and iphone 8 with ios 16 to work together

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Level 1

12 points

can't get itunes 12.9 and iphone 8 with ios 16 to work together

I am using an older iMac with Mojave installed (10.14.6) so device backups and syncs must be done using iTunes.

I recently installed ios16 on my iphone 8 plus. Something went wonky during the process and I had to restore from a backup, which worked.

The problem now is that when I plug it in via USB, iTunes will not recognize my phone—it thinks it's a new device—and the only options it will offer are to either restore from my January backup (which I already did) or set it up as a new phone. It does not offer me the opportunity to backup or sync or even see what is on my device. This means I can't access music that's in my iTunes library but was originally from CDs rather than downloads from the Apple Store.

I've already done a restore and I have no idea if setting it up as a new iPhone will help with my basic problem. Setting everything up from scratch again would be a lot of work, so I'm reluctant to do it without knowing whether the problem is in my system or is a basic incompatibility between Mojave and ios 16.

Does anyone know one way or the other, or have any suggestions?

iPhone 8 Plus

Posted on Mar 4, 2023 8:51 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

green500

Community Specialist

Mar 6, 2023 2:33 PM in response to pericat

Hello pericat,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

We understand that since you restored your iPhone from a previous backup that your Mac is recognizing it as a new device. We are happy to help.

We recommend following the steps as listed here although the title of the article is different from what you’re experiencing: If you can't update or restore your iPhone or iPod touch - Apple Support

"Put your device in recovery mode and set it up again

Make sure that your Mac is up to date. If you're using iTunes, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes.
On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, open Finder. On a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier, or on a PC, open iTunes. If iTunes is already open, close it, then open it again. Find out which macOS your Mac is using.
Keep your device connected and wait until the recovery mode screen appears:

iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation): Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

4. Locate your device on your computer. When you see the option to Restore or Update, choose Update. Your computer will try to reinstall the software without erasing your data. Wait while your computer downloads the software for your device. If the download takes more than 15 minutes and your device exits the recovery mode screen, let the download finish, then repeat step 3.

5. After the Update or Restore completes, set up your device."

Let us know if you have further questions.

Take care.

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

272,767 points

Mar 6, 2023 1:31 PM in response to pericat

Select the option to set up as a new device. Choosing this (poorly labelled) option gives permission for iTunes to connect to the device and manage it. Nothing happens immediately however. You can take a fresh backup and/or choose what to sync to the device. Only when you sync might existing media content on the device be overwritten by whatever is selected to sync from the local library. Settings and data on the device are unchanged.

tt2

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