A
Allyson Kazmucha
If you've upgraded your iPhone or iPad to iOS 8 only to find that wifi syncing capabilities between iTunes are now broken, you aren't alone. For some users, wifi sync just appears to be syncing indefinitely while others can't seem to get it working again at all. No matter what issue you're experiencing with wifi sync, try these troubleshooting steps to get it back up and running again!
1. Update iOS and iTunes
The first thing you should do before anything else is make sure that you are running not only the latest version of iTunes, but that you're on the latest version of iOS 8. This can resolve issues before continuing any further, so make sure you're running the most current versions.
To check for new software on iOS, follow these steps —
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on General.
- Tap on Software Update.
- Perform an update if one appears.
To check for updates in iTunes, simply check for updates in the Mac App Store. If you have one for iTunes, make sure you update.
If you're running the most current versions available for your devices and wifi sync is still not working, continue on to the next step.
2. Restart iTunes and all your devices
The next logical step is to restart everything manually. While restarting just iTunes is normally sufficient, you can of course reboot your entire Mac if you choose to. You should also reboot your iPhone or iPad as well by holding down the Home and Power buttons simultaneously. Don't let go of either of them until you see the Apple logo.
Once everything boots back up, verify that all devices are on the same wifi network again and see if wifi sync is back up and running. If it's not, continue on.
3. Forget and rejoin your wifi network
Sometimes forgetting all your wireless settings across all your devices can boot out any bad connection you may have. If something funny happened at some point, whether in iOS or OS X, it could cause wifi sync to not operate as it should.
To forget and rejoin a wireless network on iOS, follow these steps —
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on Wi-Fi at the top.
- Tap on the info button next to your wifi network.
- Tap on Forget This Network at the top and confirm.
- Rejoin the network again.
To forget and rejoin a wireless network in OS X, follow these steps —
- Click on the wifi bars in your top menu bar.
- Click on Open Network Preferences....
- Click on Advanced....
- Click on the network you'd like to forget to highlight it.
- Click on the minus button to remove it.
- Rejoin the network again.
4. Disable handoff on iPhone and iPad
While this isn't necessarily a fix, it's a temporary workaround that's been working for some users. Until Apple comes out with an actual fix for wifi sync issues, disabling Handoff in iOS seems to do something that allows wifi sync to start functioning normally again, which makes it worth a try.
To disable Handoff in iOS 8, follow these steps —
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on General.
- Tap on Handoff & Suggested Apps.
- Turn Off the option for Handoff.
5. Wait for iOS 8.1
iOS 8.1 is currently in beta and should be released in the next few weeks. Early reports indicate that users running it are having better luck with wifi sync, which may indicate it fixes many of the problems people are having. So if you don't want to reset your network settings or keep fiddling, waiting for iOS 8.1 may be your best bet.
6. Reset network settings on your iPhone or iPad
If all else fails, resetting network settings on your iPhone or iPad could get wifi sync up and working again. Just remember that resetting network settings causes all wifi passwords and settings to be reset. This also applies to other kinds of network settings such as Bluetooth devices, etc. So be sure you are okay with that before performing a reset.
To reset network settings in iOS, perform the follow steps —
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on General.
- Tap on Reset — you'll need to scroll all the way to the bottom.
- Tap on Reset Network Settings.
- Type your password if needed to confirm.
- Confirm you'd like to reset your network settings one more time in the popup menu.
Your tips and tricks for getting wifi sync working again in iOS 8?
If you were able to restore wifi sync via iTunes under iOS 8, did you use one of the above methods or something else? And if something else worked for you, be sure to let us know in the comments! Hopefully Apple issues a fix soon, but until then, hopefully one of the above steps should get you up and running in the mean time.
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