How to Download/Update Apple Mobile Device USB Driver When It is Missing

“Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is missing on my PC, so I can’t get iTunes to recognize my iPhone. I have Windows 10(version 1809) 64 bit. But I don’t want to reinstall iTunes because it will remove everything in my iTunes library. Can anyone tell me how I can reinstall just the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver?”

You may need to download, install, or update Apple Mobile Device USB Driver on Windows 10/8/7 because Apple Mobile Device USB Driver or Apple Mobile Device Service is missing. And as a result, your computer or iTunes cannot recognize your iPhone, iPad or iPod if you want to transfer files between your Apple devices and computer. But what is an Apple Mobile Device USB Driver?

Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is the driver for Windows PC to detect and communicate with Apple mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod that are connected to the PC via USB. If the driver is missing or corrupted, your computer will have trouble detecting your Apple devices that are plugged in.

This post will show you how to download or reinstall Apple Mobile Device USB Driver to solve your problem. If your computer or iTunes on your computer still cannot detect your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch after Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, there are more tips you can follow to fix the issue. Or you can use FonePaw DoTrans, an iTunes alternative to help you freely move photos, music, videos, files, messages between PC and iOS devices without iTunes syncing.

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Install Apple Mobile Device USB Driver via 3 Easy Ways

Before going further, there are some requirements you should know:

• You have been using a workable USB cable. And ensure the USB port on your PC is not faulty.
• You have the latest version of iTunes properly installed on your computer.
• You have tried unplugging your iPhone, iPad, iPod out of the computer and then re-plug in.

If you have done all the things above right and yet you still cannot see the Apple USB driver or have trouble in getting your device detected by the computer, keep reading.

Method 1. Reinstall Apple Mobile Device USB Driver by Update Apple Driver Automatically

If Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is missing in Device Manager, here is the first method you can try to download and install it. This method only works if iTunes on the computer is downloaded from the Microsoft Store. If your iTunes is downloaded from Apple’s official site, try method 3.

Step 1 Right-click the Windows icon in the bottom left corner. Select Device Manager.

Step 2 Plug in your Apple device.

Step 3 Expand Portable Devices and see if your Apple device is listed in the name such as “Apple iPhone”(some users found their devices under Imaging Devices, Other Devices, or MTB USB Device).

If there is, right-click the device name and click Update driver. Then choose “Search automatically for updated driver software.”

Step 4 After the updated driver is successfully installed, Apple Mobile Device USB Driver will be reinstalled. You can find it under Universal Serial Device USB Driver.

Unplug your Apple device and then replug it in to see if it can detect your device now.

Method 2. Reinstall Apple Mobile Device USB Driver by Update Apple Driver Manually

If method 1 doesn’t work and your iPhone, iPad, iPod is still cannot connected to your computer, try the following one.

First of all, make sure there are iTunes and Apple Mobile Device Support installed on your computer. You can find Apple Mobile Device Support in Settings > Apps & features. Then you can install the missing Apple Mobile Device USB Driver in this way.

Step 1 Open Device Manager.

Step 2 Plug your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to the computer with a USB cable. Find your device in Portable Devices. The device should show as Apple iPhone or something like this.

Step 3 Right-click the Apple Device and click Update Device Driver or Update Driver.

Step 4 Select Browse my computer for driver software, which will open a new window.

Step 5 In the new window, select the folder: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Devices\Support\Drivers.

Step 6 Click Next. The Apple Mobile Device USB Driver should be downloaded and installed. Check it under Universal Serial Device USB Driver. If you cannot see it, restart your computer.

Method 3. Reinstall Apple Mobile Device USB Driver with .inf File

If your iTunes is downloaded from Apple’s official site, you should install Apple Mobile Device USB Driver with .inf file in these steps.

Step 1 With iTunes closed on your computer, unlock your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and plug the device to the computer.

Step 2 Open the Run window by pressing the Windows and R key simultaneously.

Step 3 In the Run window, enter %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers. Hit OK.

Step 4 This should open the driver’ folder for Mobile Device Support. Right-click the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file and choose Install.

After Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is installed, you can disconnect your device from your computer and restart the computer. Then try to connect your device to the computer again. This time, the device should be successfully detected by the computer and iTunes.

Try Restarting Apple Mobile Device Service

If iTunes still won’t recognize your device after installing Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, here is one thing you can try: Restart Apple Mobile Device Service.

(Also Read: What Is Apple Mobile Device Service?)

Step 1 Launch Services. You can launch it by pressing Windows + R and entering “services.msc” in the Run window.

Step 2 Find Apple Mobile Device Service and right-click it.

Step 3 Select Properties. Under the General tab, set the Startup type to Automatic. Click Stop to stop the Apple Mobile Device Service.

Step 4 Click Start to reactivate Apple Mobile Device Service. Then restart your computer.

If You Can’t See Apple USB Driver in Device Manager, How to Fix

If you can see Apple Mobile Device USB Driver in Device Manager, but cannot find your Apple device USB driver in the list, you can try to fix the USB connection by updating Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Or use FonePaw DoTrans to move files.

First, make sure you have iTunes and Apple Mobile Device Support Installed.

Step 1 Open Control Panel > Device Manager.

Step 2 Connect your device the computer. Check if you can find your Apple device under Portable Devices, MTB USB Device, or Other Devices.

Step 3 If not, navigate to Universal Serial Bus Controllers > Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Right-click it and select Update Driver > Browse my computer for driver software and select the folder: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers (or C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers)

Step 4 Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer and select Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Then click Next.

The Apple USB driver will be updated. You can now unplug your iPhone, iPad, iPod and replug it to the computer and see if it can be recognized.

FAQ: Can I Reinstall Apple Mobile Device Service/Apple Mobile Device Support Separately?

Some users have iPhone, iPad or iPod that cannot connect to computer because Apple Mobile Device Support or Apple Mobile Device Service is missing or not properly installing. Thus they want to reinstall Apple Mobile Device Support or Apple Mobile Device Service separately.

The truth is, Apple Mobile Device Support or Apple Mobile Device Service is a component of iTunes and cannot be installed independently. To reinstall Apple Mobile Device Support or Apple Mobile Device Service, you can first remove iTunes and its related components and then reinstall iTunes from Apple or Microsoft Store. This should update the iTunes app and bring the missing Apple Mobile Device USB Driver back to your computer.