Connecting my iPhone SE to my 2013 iMac

Question

Connecting my iPhone SE to my 2013 iMac

My old (2013) iMac running MacOS 10.15.7 can no longer connect with my 2nd Gen iPhone SE running the current iOS. When I connect with a Lightning cable, Photos keeps re-launching, quitting, and re-launching, and the iPhone will sometimes show up in Finder windows' left-hand column, but if I click on the Phone there then, I get the start of a normal iPhone Finder-window (with back-up, etc), but the main panel just says "Couldn't communicate with a helper application."

And I get intermittent requests to "Please unlock the iPhone," with no change when I do with either fingerprint or access code.

If I reboot either machine with the other running, it makes no difference.

The box in Photos that says "Automatically launch Photos" is unclicked.

Sync automatically is unclicked, as is every other choice I could find...

I vaguely recall automatic downloads of some app in the past, but not clearly.

I want to backup my phone to my Mac, and that's mostly it, although I do store photos on my Mac.

The phone is set to, and does seem to, backup to iCloud, but I can't be sure.

What to do? Is there some way to configure this, or is there some way to download that app manually?

Or is this all just because the Mac and its OS are old and poorly (or un-) supported?

Please advise...

Thanks

iMac 27″

Posted on Oct 18, 2023 5:22 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Gena_D

Community Specialist

Oct 19, 2023 12:37 PM in response to alexander.carpenter

Hello alexander.carpenter,

First, let's discuss the iCloud backup. Follow these steps to assure your backup is successful: How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud - Apple Support. You can check by going to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Device Name and looking next to Last Backup.

Next, as far as the connectivity issue, an older Mac could possibly have an issue that would prevent a successful and reliable connection to your iPhone, but without inspection, we can't say 100% that's what is happening. You can try checking the steps in this support article which might help: If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support.

We hope this helps. Let us know if we can assist with anything else at all. Take care.

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Answer 2

Oct 19, 2023 1:14 PM in response to Gena_D

Thanks, Gina_D. I checked about the iCloud backup, and discovered that my iPhone is already configured to being backed up to iCloud, and that is happening. Previously I had thought that I needed to do that manually in the iPhone Finder window. So the backup issue is moot.

As for the connectivity issue, my iPhone had previously shown up in the Finder sidebar as described, and trying five of the other six approaches did not change this strange lPhotos-launch-relaunch business, wherein the iPhone flickers in and out of the Finder sidebar and in the Photos sidebar, even when I unlock it and even if the phone is already unlocked.

Even changing to a different USB port on the iMac made no difference, either. However, replacing the USB Lightning cable ended this behavior. So doubly thanks for your suggestions.

One thing to note, though: with Photos not launched when I plug in the iPhone with the new cable, Photos still launches even though the "Open Photos for this device" checkbox is unchecked.

The old cable was very old and had been around for a long time, and the new cable is just as old. I reckon that the generally poor reputation of those old Apple USB Lightning cables was well-deserved, and it's good that they have been improved.

So I am thanking you for a third time, that this vexation is over...

Alexander

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Connecting my iPhone SE to my 2013 iMac

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