[3 Situations]iTunes Could Not Connect to This iPhone | How to Fix

Applies To: iPhone XS/XS Max/XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6/6s

When it comes to iPhone data transfer, many of you may first think of iTunes to help you get things done. It no doubt that you can use iTunes to back up your iPhone, sync data from computer to your iPhone, or transfer files from one iOS device to another. However, it’s also true that you may encounter various kinds of iTunes errors while using iTunes. According to iPhone users, one of the commonest issues is iTunes Could Not Connect to This iPhone. Given that, this article is written to introduces the potential solutions to the iTunes could not connect to this iPhone problem, either due to an error occurred (0xe8000015), an invalid response received, or other reasons. Read on to get the details.

Part 1: Fixes to iTunes could not connect to this iPhone

You can also apply the tips below to your device if you are troubled by the iTunes could not connect to this iPad issue.

If you can't fix the iTunes error with the possible solutions provided, you are recommended to use the FREEWARE for iOS data transfer and file backup introduced in Part 2 to help you transfer data to or from your iPhone.

Situation 1: iTunes could not connect to this iPhone because an unknown error occurred (0xE8000015)

An unknown error or a “0xE” error always indicates that iTunes on your Mac or PC doesn’t recognize your connected iPhone. When you are facing this issue, follow the steps below and try to re-connect your iPhone after each step before you try the relatively complex solutions provided.

Simple tips that you should try first:

• Check that you have the latest version of iTunes, macOS, or Windows on your computer.
• Make sure your iPhone is turned on.
• When you see the Trust this Computer notification, unlock your iPhone and click Trust.
• Disconnect all peripheral devices except for your iPhone. Try a different USB port, and then try another Apple USB cable to see whether it works.
• Restart your computer and iPhone.

If the tips above doesn’t help to solve the iTunes could not connect to this iPhone (0xe8000015) problem, try the methods below.

For Mac users: 

Step 1: Press and hold the Option key, and go to Apple > System Information or System Report.

Step 2: Under Hardware, choose USB.

Step 3: If you see your iPhone under the USB Device Tree, remove third-party security software from your Mac will fix the iTunes could not connect to this iPhone issue. If your iPhone is not showing there, you may need to contact Apple for help (https://support.apple.com/contact).

For PC users:

You need to reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver. The steps to do it vary according to where you have download downloaded iTunes from, the Microsoft Store or Apple.

If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft store:

Step 1: Disconnect your iPhone from your PC.

Step 2: Reconnect your iPhone to your computer. (Close iTunes if it opens automatically.)

Step 3: Right-click the Start button (the Windows icon), and then select Device Manager.

Step 4: Find and expand the Portable Devices option.

Step 5: When you see your iPhone, right-click your iPhone name and choose Update driver.

Step 6: Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

Step 7: After the driver is updated, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and make sure there are no other available updates.

Step 8: Run iTunes and see whether the iTunes could not connect to this iPhone still exist.

If you downloaded iTunes from Apple:

Step 1: Disconnect your iPhone from your PC.

Step 2: Reconnect your iPhone to your computer. (Close iTunes if it opens automatically.)

Step 3: Press the key combination (Windows + R) to open the Run command.

Step 4: Then enter the following string and click OK.

%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers

Step 5: Right-click the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file and choose Install. (Make sure the filename extension is .inf.)

Step 6: Disconnect your iPhone from your PC and restart your computer.

Step 7: Reconnect your iPhone to your PC and run iTunes.

Situation 2: iTunes could not connect to this iPhone because an invalid response was received from the device

If iTunes could not connect to your iPhone due to an invalid response received from your iPhone, you can try the following tips to fix the issue.

• Update iTunes to the latest version on your computer.
• Update your iPhone to the latest iOS and update your computer to the latest operating system.
• Reset network settings on your iPhone. (Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings on your iPhone.)
• Try a different USB port or Apple USB cable.
• Restart your iPhone and computer.
• Make sure your iPhone is unlocked when connecting to computer.

Situation 3: iTunes could not connect to this iPhone because an error occurred while reading from the device

If you see the error message “iTunes could not connect to this iPhone because an error occurred while reading from the device”, follow the tips below to have a try.

• Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your computer.
• Authorize your computer in iTunes. (On Mac: Open iTunes, sign in with your Apple ID by going to Account > Sign In, navigate to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer. On PC: Open iTunes, sign in with your Apple ID by going to Account > Sign In, then choose Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer. If the iTunes menu bar is hidden, press Control + B to show it.)
• Delete incompatible Apps from your iPhone. (Learn how to delete Apps from iPhone here.)
• Make sure your iPhone is unlocked when connecting to your computer.
• Make sure you have enough space left on your computer.

Part 2: An free alternative way to transfer iPhone data without iTunes

Using iTunes is not the only choice for you to back up your iPhone to computer, transfer data from computer to your iPhone, or sync files from one iPhone to another. For example, as an iTunes alternative, EaseUS MobiMover Free supports the data transfer between an iOS device (iPhone/iPad in iOS 8 or later) and computer (Mac or PC) or between two iOS devices. With MobiMover installed on your Mac or PC, you can transfer and manage your iPhone content without any cost or limitations.

What can MobiMover transfer or manage for you:

Photos: Camera Roll, Photo Library, Photo Stream, Photo Videos

Videos: Movies, TV shows, Music Videos

Audios: Music, Ringtones, Voice Memos, Audiobooks, Playlists

Others: Contacts, Notes, Messages, Voice Mails, Books, and Safari Bookmarks

Now, follow the steps below to back up your iPhone to computer without using iTunes. (If you want to transfer files from computer to iPhone or sync data from one iPhone to another, learn how to do it from the full guide of EaseUS MobiMover Free.)

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer running Windows system with a USB cable > Select the "Backup Manager" from the left panel > Select "Backup" to proceed.

Step 2. Tick the box next to "Select All" to back up all files from iPhone to computer > Set the destination on computer > Click on "One-Click Backup" to start the backup process.

Step 3. MobiMover will start immediately to back up iPhone files to your computer without requiring iTunes. Wait patiently until it finishes.