How to fix Lenovo Thinkpad not recognizing iPhone

Are you wondering, "Why isn’t my Lenovo ThinkPad recognizing my iPhone?" The answer might be a lot more straightforward than you think. The best part is that even if common go-to fixes won’t solve your connection hiccup, an advanced fix probably will.

At Asurion, we help take care of your favorite tech so that it takes care of you, starting with a comprehensive laptop warranty. Here’s our guide on how to fix the issue of an iPhone® not being detected on a Lenovo®.

Check your USB cable and ports

The USB cable you’re using could be to blame for your phone detection issues. A faulty, loose, or non-certified cable can render your connection efforts futile.

Start by checking to see if you’ve been using an Apple-certified Lightning cable. If not, swap it out. If you’re using an approved cable, change it out for another one to rule out physical damage.

Next, carefully inspect all the ports on your ThinkPad. Try plugging your iPhone into a different port to see if there’s any improvement. 

Update drivers and software

Are you still having trouble? It could be a driver update issue. Outdated or missing drivers can cause all sorts of connection issues.

Here’s how to remedy that:

1. On your Lenovo ThinkPad, navigate to Device Manager.
2. Expand Portable Devices. Then, pinpoint your iPhone on the list of devices provided. If there’s a yellow warning icon on it, that’s a sign that its driver needs updating.
3. Right-click to update.

While at it, make sure both Windows and iTunes are running the latest software updates. An Apple iTunes connection that’s out of sync can have your ThinkPad treating your iPhone like a strange device.

Need more clarity? Check out our comprehensive, no-frills guide on how to update computer drivers.

Restart devices

Sometimes, a quick restart is all it takes to fix Lenovo iPhone sync issues once and for all. Do this on both your ThinkPad and iPhone. Restarting might even solve minor issues or major glitches that you didn’t even know existed — saving you more headaches down the road.

Our guide on how to restart your Lenovo laptop shares all the rebooting tricks and hacks.

Advanced fixes for Lenovo ThinkPad not recognizing iPhone

If none of those fixes worked, don’t worry. Here’s what else you can do:

• Reset network settings on your iPhone by navigating to Settings > General > Reset. Then, tap Reset Network.
• Try reinstalling the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Simply go to Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus Controllers > Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. Select Uninstall, and upon reconnecting your iPhone, Windows should automatically reinstall the driver.