iOS 8 WiFi sync is broken

More details would be helpful. For the record though, 8.1 fixed all of my sync issues.

It is so exhausting. Years and years. iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5S. IOS versions in a row. iTune version after version. Just thinking about it, I am overcome by weltschmerz. I dread updating iOS. I dread updating iTunes. Sometimes it works after an update. Sometimes it does not work after an update. Hours spent on theoretical solutions. Some temporary. Some useless. None permanent when it is simply broken. And, yes, I caved and updated to 8.1 and whatever idiotic version of iTunes it demanded that I install and, yes, again, I can no longer wifi sync Outlook. I want Apple arrested for making me miserable.

Just curious. How is Outlook involved?

This thread is about iPhones and iPads disappearing from the Device list in iTunes, while staying reliably on the WiFi network.

This problem started, or at least became much worse for some users, with the introduction of iOS 8. It was fixed, mostly, with iOS 8.1.

FWIW, both my devices have stayed on the list for a few days now, and can sync.

I've read this thread from the beginning.

My experience has been that since iOS 8.1, both my iPad and iPhone have usually stayed on the Device list in iTunes. But every few days, one or the other drops off the list, like with iOS 8.

I guess what I would call "fixed" is if that happens once a month. If it happens a couple of times a week, I wouldn't call that "fixed."

Since this thread has been mainly devoted to wifi syncing devices and iOS apps I'm not sure what you mean by syncing Outlook. Updates or the actual app which has only been available recently. If syncing Outlook mail is a problem, it is a problem with Microsoft, not Apple.

One can sync Outlook (calendar, contacts, etc.) with iPhones and-- if it is working-- one can sync on wifi. It looks and feels the same as syncing the other "stuff" that you are all going on about-- apps, etc. wirelessly. When it works, it is wonderful. When it is working, little iPhone icon on iTunes when wireless and then one can sync and it syncs calendar and contacts, etc. . It is EXACTLY the same as syncing your applications. Except with Outlook, it has an actual business and professional usage. I assure you that the problem, having dealt with this for years and years is not-- oh, stop with the smug face about Mr. Softie-- Microsoft or Outlook. I can still sync all, including Outlook, HARD WIRED. It is the wifi syncing as to everything, including stupid little applications and Outlook, that is broken. The problem: WiFi sync is broken, exactly as the thread says.

I'm still confused, maybe because I don't use Outlook. Are you saying that Outlook can only sync calendar and contacts by way of iTunes? Or are you talking about syncing new versions of iOS Outlook? Or are you saying that Outlook normally syncs by WiFi and that's broken?

All Apple productivity apps sync files, as do Contacts, Reminders, Calendar, etc. but that's independent of iTunes and is not affected by this bug.

This has nothing to do with syncing apps or photos or music or podcasts, etc. per se. It's only that iTunes loses any knowledge of an iPad or iPhone (or both) that are on the same WiFi network sometimes. Only WiFi syncing via iTunes is affected. All other WiFi functions, including syncing of files and so on still work fine.

Just trying to stay on topic.

I am, indeed, saying exactly that: unless one has Microsoft Exchange (which I don't), one can only sync Outlook calendar and contacts with the iPhone by way of iTunes. If you still doubt, google it. (There may be someway to do this through Google/cloud, but I am not interested in doing it through the cloud). This IS an iTunes sync issue and it is an issue of iTunes losing any/all knowledge of the iPhone, despite both being on the same network. It so happens that Outlook is sync'ed through iTunes, also, in addition to all the other things that one syncs through iTunes. In the Settings list, on the left side of the iTunes page, the choices are: Summary, Apps, Music, Movies, TV Shoes, Photos and Info. Under "Info", I have a choice (presumably this is only available if Outlook is installed on the computer on which iTunes is installed) of sync'ing contacts, calendar and Outlook mail accounts with the iPhone, through iTunes sync. So, if iTunes develops instant amnesia, there is no WiFi sync.

I brought up Outlook because that is for what I use iTunes sync. The second one mentions Microsoft, everyone starts hyperventilating, leaping about and pointing fingers, like a bunch of demented Rumplestiltskins. Geesh.

I switched to iPhones in 2010 because Microsoft (watching them all start to prance about) stopped sync'ing Outlook with their mobile OS except through Microsoft Exchange, to force people into purchasing the très cher Exchange. OTOH, Apple still supports the sync. I love Apple very much (BFF status, really) when it works by WiFi. Not so much when the WiFi, she breaks.

New updates for iOS and OS X were released today. Wifi reliability is included in the list of fixes. I'm installing on my devices as I write this.

Love to hear if it works. Thank you!

Ok, I installed OS X 10.10.1 and iOS 8.1.1 on iMac, iPhone, and iPad. Everything is syncing over wifi, let's hope it lasts.

Before updating, I did notice something strange. Something had changed the names of my iOS devices. I assign unique names to them, but they had been changed to generic 'iPhone' and 'iPad'. I changed them back to the names I use and did the upgrade, and all is good now. Makes me wonder if some of the problems have been due to device name corruption. That could certainly cause a lot of problems for iTunes sync.

Anyway, fingers crossed that it all keeps working now!

No issues here with device names after both upgrades.

I'll give it a couple of weeks.

To be clear, the device name issues I experienced were noticed before the upgrades.

Well, I had no issues with WiFi syncing all week, then this morning, iTunes couldn't find either my iPhone or my iPad. Plugging in with USB didn't work. Restarting iTunes did not work. Restarting my iMac allowed my iPhone to sync via USB and my iPad to sync via WiFi.

Seems like something different going on than I've experienced in the past.

Sort of off topic here, but it does relate to wifi syncing in the end, I promise - I noticed that air play from my iMac to the AppleTV was broken, even though Home Sharing was enabled on all devices (Mac and iOS) and all the iOS devices in the house could stream to the AppleTV while the iMac could not. Scouring the discussion forums for the air play streaming problem led me to believe that the fact that I did an in-place upgrade from Mavericks to Yosemite was the likely culprit, so I went ahead and did a full restore. Creating a bootable Yosemite USB drive was fun, but that's another topic altogether.

The end result is that my iMac is running much better, air play streaming and Home Sharing is working as expected, and I have had zero problems with iTunes WiFi syncing with any of my iOS devices since the restore/reload of Yosemite. I guess I should also mention that I changed from CenturyLink to Comcast for broadband access; the only reason that the ISP change is relevant to the discussion is because it necessitated a TimeCapsule 3TB purchase, so I am running wireless AC now, which is blindingly fast. Wireless TimeMachine backups are also running without a hitch from the iMac and both MacBook Pros.

I am sorry to hear that some of you fine folks are still having issues. It has essentially been solved for me with the steps taken above.