iTunes Won't Sync with my iPhone 16

jimbob5941, I don't know given I thought they were supposed to be removing that access in iTunes.

I am uneasy about ANYTHING working right in the future given it seems Apple just wants everyone buying an Apple Music subscription, music from your own CDs/downloads be darned. Given how limited Apple Music for Windows is for people managing their own music collection, and the MS Store even erroneously stating you need a subscription to use the program, the care going into it seems like it be a lot better.

Did you install any of Apple Music (the program), Apple TV, or Apple Devices before iTunes went just to podcasts? That is the behavior iTunes has after installing any or all of those.

Uninstall any of the ones you have of those three, reboot, select music in iTunes and it should all be back. In regards to the sync issue I'll let others speak to that to help you out.

Apple Music for Windows *is* supposed to work like iTunes, outside of needing the separate Apple Devices program to sync. Right now it is missing so many features that it isn't remotely like iTunes. Apple Music on Mac has all the features but Windows for now 1.5 years hasn't gotten much of anything for reasons unexplained. You don't need a subscription to use it.

To add to what Z-Salem has told you, Apple Music the $11 per month subscription service (which is completely different to Apple Music the programme), is not needed either. If you're on the free trial, end it before the fee kicks in.

The first thing is do not wait until the free trial period ends, if you don't want it and it's hampering your efforts, cancel the trial now.

Once you stop the trial you will be able to manage your music in iTunes. In there you can create and alter playlists and then add them to your phone. I suggest that you use the Sync method to manage your phone, rather than manually manage. Sync (synchronisation) makes life so much easier.

Z-Salem:

Since "Apple Music" is supposed to work like iTunes, do you think / has it been announced

that in the future Apple Music will support sync-ing of Contacts and Calendar with Microsoft Outlook

(as iTunes does now)?

I currently run Win10 + iPhone 13 pro + iTunes + Outlook 2021, and everything works fine,

but I will soon be upgrading to a new laptop which will come with Win11 on it and.................

I'm a little uneasy about the whole thing.

THANKS for any insight!

Jim

Thanks Z-Salem

I travel a lot in the "3rd world" so the cloud is not really an option,

I also have HIPAA-rated data which is another rodeo. ...

Sadly it does appear I'll have to start looking for a new sync-solution soon

perhaps when I am forced to upgrade to iOS 18.x

someone suggested CopyTrans, I'll have to see what's out there :-/