Apple iPhones and Macs often work in sync with each other. However, many users are complaining that their iPhone disconnects from Mac and then reconnects after a while. This can be frustrating if you are tethering data from your iPhone.
If your iPhone keeps disconnecting from your Mac, it’s difficult to transfer data or share a mobile data connection. Fortunately, there are many solutions to help fix this problem.
Read on to discover five ways to prevent your iPhone from disconnecting from your Mac. These tips will work on all MacBook devices and desktop versions.
Reset Your iPhone’s Location and Privacy Settings
If your iPhone keeps disconnecting from your Mac, you need to check the settings first. Resetting privacy and location settings has worked in some cases, so it’s worth a try before moving on to more complex solutions.
Stage 1: Open your iPhone’s Settings and go to General.
Step 2: Scroll down to reset.
Stage 3: Select Reset Location and Privacy.
Step 4: Enter your iPhone passcode. On the next screen, tap the Reset Settings button.
After completing the above steps, your iPhone’s location and privacy settings will return to their factory defaults.
Check Your Finder Preferences
Sometimes your iPhone may be connected to your Mac – but you can’t see it on your screen. This is an easy fix to fix and only requires ticking one box.
To do this, follow the steps below.
Stage 1: Open Finder on your Mac.
Step 2: When the application opens, select Finder in the upper left corner of the toolbar.
Stage 3: Click Preferences.
Step 4: On the General tab, you will see a list of options that you can tick and remove. Make sure external disks have a checkmark next to them.
Use Your Activity Monitor
As an alternative to the Mac terminal, you can change your USB settings using your device’s Activity Monitor. To do this:
Stage 1: Go to the magnifying glass on your Mac’s toolbar and look for Activity Monitor.
Step 2: Click on Activity Monitor.app.
Stage 3: Tap the Disc tab at the top.
Step 4: Under this tab you should see a process called usbd. Highlight this and press the x button above it.
Step 5: In the next window, select Force Quit.
Use Mac Terminal
If you have tried to see if your iPhone is connected but now it shows up and you are still out of luck, you can try using your Mac terminal to fix the problem. This may seem daunting, but don’t worry; you just need to use a quick code.
To stop your iPhone from disconnecting from your Mac using the terminal:
Stage 1: Click on the magnifying glass in your Mac’s toolbar.
Step 2: Search for Terminal.
Stage 3: Click terminal.app when it appears.
Step 4: In Terminal, type the following without a period: sudo killall usbd.
Step 5: Press Enter on your Mac when prompted to enter your password.
Use a Different USB Port
In some cases, you might have an issue with a single USB port rather than issues with your Mac settings. You can try to fix this by cleaning any dust or objects that get into the port you normally use.
If that doesn’t work, try using a different USB port on your Mac. If one of these works, you will need to replace the one that is not working at some stage – but for now you can use the other.
Change Your USB Cable
If all else fails, you may have a problem with your iPhone’s USB cable. Before you buy a new one, see if there are spare parts available to you. Alternatively, ask your friends and family if they can lend you money.
If none of the above works, you can always buy a new USB cable. And if you followed the steps in the section about your Terminal app, you should be able to reconnect your iPhone to your Mac and have no issues doing it.
Keep Your iPhone Connected to Your Mac
It’s annoying when your iPhone connects and disconnects from your Mac, but it’s not terribly difficult to fix it. Usually you will find that you don’t need to change your USB; you need to make a few settings on one of your devices.
Now that you’ve read this article, you should have everything you need to keep your iPhone connected to your Mac. However, if the problem persists, you can always visit an Apple Store or contact the company’s support team.