Why can I not see my iPhone on my laptop
When I connect my iPhone to my laptop I cannot see it to copy over my photos.
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)
25 replies
Thank you for your quick response.
1) I do not use iTunes
2) I would expect to be able to see it as an external drive
This is the confusing part of Apple to me it should be simple.
Hasn't been the case for years. You must use iTunes to connect with the iPhone regardless of what you may expect. It is pretty simple.
iTunes is the app for syncing, updating, and backing up your iPhone. Even if you don’t use iTunes for music or movies you still need to use it for your iPhone. There is an excellent third party app available called iMazing that does all of that plus allows dragging and dropping of files to/from the iPhone but iTunes is the default app for managing iOS devices.
Hi if you used itunes/ iCloud all your photos would be on all
Your Apple devices.
Also when you charge iphone /iPad it would automatically
Backup to iCloud .
We have 2 iPhones / 3ipads and haven't used our PC
For over 2Years everything done over WiFi .
Cheers
Brian (UK )
By the way, Kappy provided a link to the iOS 8.1 iPhone User Guide.
Here is a more recent version (iOS 8.4):
Well I go in to iTunes and get some message about a cloud. Why cannot I not just see the drive of the phone?
This explains the process:
Sync photos from your computer to your iOS device using iTunes - Apple Support
Sorry, this is more pertinent:
To be honest I do not connect my phone to my Mac Book Pro normally but there is a photo I would like to retrieve. I would have thought I would be able to see it as an external drive.
If your Mac uses Yosemite, you can use AirDrop to get the photo.
Use AirDrop to send files from your Mac to another nearby Mac or iOS device - Apple Support
Share content with AirDrop from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
I do not use cloud it is insecure.
What gets me is why do I have to use something else and not just plug and play?
We cannot speculate in these forums about why Apple products behave or do not behave the way they do.
Frankly, it makes perfect sense to me. This shows yet another way in which Apple has integrated hardware and software. But some folks will certainly disagree. That's why some folks prefer Android to iOS.
but there is a photo I would like to retrieve.
Do you have access to a Windows PC? If so connect your phone to a USB port, open the Windows File Manager, and under Devices you will see the phone as a folder. Expand all subfolders and under the DCIM folder(s) (there may be more than one) you will see your photos. You can then select the photo you want and just copy it.
Why can I not see my iPhone on my laptop