Sync between MacBook Pro (2012) and iPhone 12 mini

macs do not run ios they run MacOS

if the iphone is running ios17 then it requires a mac with macOS

• Syncing to a Mac or PC requires:
• macOS Catalina 10.15 or later using the Finder
• macOS High Sierra 10.13 through macOS Mojave 10.14.6 using iTunes 12.8 or later

so if you're running macOS 10.14 that would be the explanation

beinn wrote:

Hello,

I am not managing to get anything from my MacBook Pro (from 2012) onto my iPhone 12 mini (from this year). They are both on the latest IOS.

I connect my iPhone to the Mac via a USB cable (my WiFi isn’t good), at which point the computer offers to import (not sync) all the new pictures from my iPhone to my computer. Not from mac to iPhone though.

Furthermore, after having read tips online, I have found that my iPhone does not appear in the sidebar of the finder app (under « Locations »), and there is no section in the Finder settings called « Sidebar » to make it appear.

The thing is I KNOW that the mac has recognised my iPhone because there is a one way exchange of data. So I don’t think that’s the main problem…

I just don’t understand why it won’t do a full sync of all information between both devices, like it does automatically between my iPhone and iPad, via iCloud.

Macs can participate in iCloud syncing. But what you're doing when you connect an {iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, other iPod} to a Mac or PC, for iTunes/Finder syncing, is an older type of syncing that predates iCloud. You can transfer photos from a portable device to a Mac using Image Capture, and that's another type of transfer which happens outside of iCloud.

Often, when there are two or more ways of syncing or transferring something, you would choose just one.

For instance,

• I load music from my own CDs onto my iPhone using iTunes/Finder syncing. This is the only means that Apple provides for doing this.
• I synchronize photos between my iPhone and Mac using iCloud Photos.
• I synchronize calendars, contacts, and notes through iCloud.
• I don't use Finder/iTunes syncing to load photos onto my iPhone. Besides it being less automatic, that type of syncing may downsize the copies of photos transferred to the iPhone.

beinn wrote:

...

I connect my iPhone to the Mac via a USB cable (my WiFi isn’t good), at which point the computer offers to import (not sync) all the new pictures from my iPhone to my computer. Not from mac to iPhone though.

This is probably the Photos app launching as it recognizes the iPhone connection. That app will ask about importing any new pics.

Furthermore, after having read tips online, I have found that my iPhone does not appear in the sidebar of the finder app (under « Locations »), and there is no section in the Finder settings called « Sidebar » to make it appear.

These are the Finder settings you are looking for: check the box for CDs, DVDs and "iPods" in the case of the older OS.