iPhone not synching with MacBook

There is a bug in iOS versions prior to 17.3 that causes a sync to hang at “preparing to sync”. The easiest way to fix it is to update to the latest version of iOS. But be patient; it can still pause for several minutes even when it is working.

there is a workaround also. Open Activity Monitor, after starting the sync find the process MDCrashReporter, click on it and force quit it.

Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this synchronization problem:

1. Check USB Connection:

   - Make sure the USB cable you're using is in good condition and properly connected to both your iPhone and MacBook. Try using a different USB port on your MacBook if possible.

2. Restart Devices:

   - Restart both your iPhone 12 and MacBook to refresh their connection and settings.

3. Permissions and Trust:

   - Check if you've granted necessary permissions and trust to your iPhone when connected to your MacBook. Trust the device on your iPhone when prompted.

4. Update macOS and iTunes:

   - Ensure that macOS Catalina and your Music app (iTunes) are up to date. Updates often include fixes related to device syncing.

5. Reset iTunes Sync:

   - In the Music app on your MacBook, go to Music > Preferences > Devices. Delete any existing backups or devices listed here and try reconnecting your iPhone to initiate a fresh sync.

6. Toggle iCloud Music Library:

   - Try turning off iCloud Music Library on both your iPhone and MacBook, restart both devices, and then turn the feature back on to see if it helps with synchronization.

7. Check Storage Space:

   - Ensure that there is sufficient storage space on both your iPhone and MacBook to accommodate the items you want to sync.

8. Home Videos Sync:

   - To sync Home videos, make sure they are properly formatted and compatible with your iPhone. You might need to use compatible formats for better compatibility.

9. Apple Support:

   - If the issue persists, contacting Apple Support might provide you with more specific troubleshooting steps or insights tailored to your devices' setup. Officiële Apple Support

Michael Vallance wrote:

OK.. I am now stuck on Synching step 2 of 4.

Unfortunately, the poster to whom you are replying appears to be simply copying things from ChatGPT and has little understanding of whether or not what they are posting is correct or relevant. I've also never seen them post back when someone asks for clarification.

I'm afraid I'm not going to be of much help as I haven't synced my iPhone to my Mac using a cable in probably a decade.

But, see if anything here helps:

Sync music between your Mac and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

I don’t recommend betas for regular users, but developers and invitees to closed betas have additional resources to discuss and report issues. Open betas have all of the disadvantages of using untested code and none of the advantages, except to see what’s coming. The workarounds for this issue came from experimentation by other testers. There’s actually more than one workaround, but I posted the easiest one to use.

Thanks!

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Thanks!

One of the few benefits of being a seeded participant; I found it in the seed forum.

I keep ignoring those invitations. Perhaps I shouldn't.