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iPad not available in iTunes over wifi

Since updating iTunes my iPad and iPhone are no longer appearing in the iTunes sidebar on my Macbook Pro. Is this a bug or is it intentional as part of the most recent iTunes update? If it's the latter then can someone please instruct me how to transfer and sync files wirelessly between my iPad and my MBP?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Oct 28, 2012 3:34 AM

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30 replies

Oct 28, 2012 4:39 AM in response to GrumpyGator

My iPad is already set up for wifi sync, that's what I'm trying to tell you. The settings on the iPad and within iTumes haven't changed- sync over wifi is switched on as it has been since I installed Lion. The thing that's changed is the icons for iPad and iPhone don't appear anymore and the only time I do is when I plug them into my MPB via the USB cable.

Jan 19, 2013 10:41 AM in response to timbloke

I have an ipad mini, ipad 2 and iphone3. I haven't had any problems with the wifi sync with the ipad 2 or the iphone3, but I couldn't get it to work with the mini.


I tried everything suggested in the forums, but no luck. I noticed that the the comment in the Settings section of the mini, where you turn on the wifi sync, says it will sync when the ipad mini is connected to power. So I plugged the mini into a power source (NOT the computer) and it popped up in iTunes and started syncing. I am not sure if this is unique to the ipad mini, since my phone and ipad2 don't need to be plugged into a power source in order to sync via wifi.

Apr 1, 2013 12:14 AM in response to GrumpyGator

This solution works, but the problem continues to recur after a day or so. This is a work around in my opinion because despite buying new iOS devices, cycling power and toggling states, despite just installing a new i7 Mac Mini, and having a multi-point Airport Extreme/Airport Express network that otherwise works well, WiFi sync reliability still eludes me. In all other ways, my iOS device work well and that is particularly in that they sync data very well via iCloud. iCloud sync is mind blowing reliable, but merely syncing wirelessly to iTunes on my desktop Mac Mini...not so much.


There is another thread on the Apple Support Communities that refers to WiFi sync problems since iOS 6, that has been open since September, 2012 and is quite active with almost 450 replies and no reliable solutions. Both threads appear to address a common problem with WiFi sync to iTunes on Mac (mostly, since there are PC iTunes users as well) computers. This is predominately an iOS device to Mac iTunes sync problem.

iPad not available in iTunes over wifi

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