How to Wirelessly Sync Your iPhone or iPad to a Windows PC - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Wirelessly Sync Your iPhone or iPad to a Windows PC

by

When you connect your iPhone or iPad to a Windows PC, you'll be able to sync to it albums, songs, playlists, movies, TV shows, podcasts, books, audiobooks, photos and videos, contacts and calendars. This article shows you how.

windows icloud hero pc iphone
You can sync your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ to a Windows PC by physically connecting them, but did you know that you can sync your Apple device by having them connected over same Wi-Fi network? The only real difference to the operation is that syncing over Wi-Fi is slower than syncing over a cable.

Note that if you connect an iPhone or ‌iPad‌ to your Windows PC while the device is syncing over Wi-Fi, the syncing process will continue over the cable. But if you disconnect the device's cable from the computer while syncing, syncing will stop, even if Wi-Fi syncing is on.

To enable syncing over Wi-Fi, you'll first need to connect your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ to your Windows PC using a cable.

If your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ came with a Lightning to USB Cable and your computer has a USB-C port, you'll need to connect the USB end of the cable to a USB-C to USB Adapter (sold separately), or use a USB-C to Lightning Cable (sold separately).

Apple Prefer Lightning Over USB C Feature
If your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ came with a USB-C to Lightning Cable and your computer has a USB port, you'll need to use a Lightning to USB Cable (sold separately).

If your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ came with a USB-C Charge Cable and your computer has a USB port, use a USB-C to USB Adapter and a USB-A cable.

How to Enable iPhone and iPad Wi-Fi Syncing

  1. If you haven't go iTunes on your computer already, go to the Microsoft Store to download and install the latest version of iTunes for Windows.
  2. Connect your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ to your computer using a compatible USB charging cable (see above).
  3. Launch the iTunes app on your PC.
    itunes windows

  4. Click the iPhone button near the top-left of the iTunes window.
  5. Click Summary in the sidebar.
  6. Select the checkbox for Sync with this [device] over Wi-Fi.
  7. Click Apply.

When you disconnect your iPhone or ‌iPad‌ from your computer, the icon for your device will remain in iTunes unless you click the Eject button. If you click Eject, the icon for the device is removed, but Wi-Fi syncing remains turned on.

You can now sync your device wirelessly by connecting it to a charger and plugging it into an electrical outlet. Syncing will begin automatically. Alternately, click the icon for your device in the iTunes app, then click the Sync button.

Tag: Windows

Popular Stories

MacBook Neo and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x Feature

New Study Highlights Advantages of $549 Windows Laptop Over MacBook Neo

Wednesday May 13, 2026 10:38 am PDT by
Microsoft has responded to the MacBook Neo by commissioning a study that highlights advantages of some Windows laptops. Market research firm Signal65 evaluated four Windows laptops:Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 3x Lenovo's Yoga 7i HP's OmniBook 5 HP's OmniBook X FlipWith a starting price of $549.99 on Best Buy's online store in the U.S. at the time of this writing, the IdeaPad Slim 3x is the only ...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...