How to Download Apple Mobile Device USB Driver for Windows 11,10,8,7

Has it ever happened to you that you connect your iPhone to your Windows PC, it starts charging, but isn’t detected? There is no error message, no prompt, just a blank screen, and no sign of it in File Explorer? You check the cable, ensure the phone is unlocked, and still the same result? There is nothing in File Explorer, and iTunes is blank.

Sounds like something you have encountered? The good news is, it is not a hardware issue. The real culprit often is Apple Mobile Device USB Driver. When it is missing, corrupted, or outdated, you face this problem because Windows doesn’t know what to do with your iPhone without it.

This step-by-step guide explains what an Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is, its need, and how to download, install, and update it on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 so you don’t run into issues when connecting your iPhone and can easily sync, back up, and transfer files.

What Is an Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, and why do You Need It?

The Apple mobile device USB driver is an essential component that helps establish a smooth connection between your Apple device and Windows, and with apps like iTunes. 

It is well known that Windows and Apple devices are not fully compatible. Yet iPhone, iPad, or iPod users use a Windows PC to connect their devices for backup and syncing. This is where drivers like Apple Mobile Device come to play.  

Without it, Windows knows “a USB” is connected, but doesn’t know it’s an Apple mobile device; this is why it fails to read it. 

On Windows 11/10, this driver is preinstalled; on older systems, there is a classic driver bundle so that when iTunes or Apple Mobile Device Support is installed, iPhone can be detected, read, and shown in File Explorer, sync with iTunes, and access photos/videos via DCIM

Here’s why you need it:

1. For recognition and accessing all types of Apple devices:

• iPhone (all models, including USB-C iPhones)
• iPad (Lightning and USB-C)
• iPod models that sync with iTunes

2. To transfer and back up data.
3. Make the connected Apple device detectable by iTunes.
4. To avoid encountering connection errors and “iPhone not recognized, ” “USB device not recognized, ” messages.
5. To support all Apple devices over USB.

Best Ways to Download/Update Apple Mobile Device USB Driver for Windows

Like other drivers, if you think there is a direct EXE download link for “Apple Mobile Device USB Driver,” you are wrong. Apple doesn’t provide a standalone installer. Therefore, if the driver is missing or broken, you will have to manually install or reinstall it from Device Manager, or use a reliable driver updater tool to update it.

Below, we explain how to do it manually and with a tool called Advanced Driver Updater.

1. Basic Checks

1. Unlock your iPhone and leave it on the Home screen.
2. Connect it to your PC using the original Apple USB cable.
3. If you see a “Trust This Computer?” prompt on your iPhone, tap Trust.
4. Check the USB port to see if it is working. Try connecting the cable to a different USB port to ensure the port isn’t the issue.
5. Use the original Apple cable or a certified (MFi) cable.
6. Restart both your iPhone and your Windows PC.

If these checks don’t help, before you update the driver, check the driver status and version in Device Manager. 

2. Check Driver Status & Version

1. Connect your iPhone to the PC.
2. Press Win + X > Device Manager.

3. Under either of these categories, look for – Apple Mobile Device USB Device / Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, or a device with a warning icon when an iPhone is connected.

Device Category:

• Universal Serial Bus controllers
• Portable Devices
• Universal Serial Bus devices
• Other devices

4. Double-click Apple Mobile Device USB Device / Apple Mobile Device USB Driver, or a device with a warning icon.
5. Go to the Driver tab and check:

• Driver provider (Apple Inc.)
• Version
• Date

Note: If you see a yellow warning triangle, it means there is a problem with the driver. 

3. Different Ways to Install/ Update Apple Mobile Device USB Driver

Method 1: Install Apple Mobile Device USB Driver Automatically Via iTunes or Apple Devices

This is the most straightforward way to install the driver. To do so, simply install iTunes (or Apple Devices app), and the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver will be automatically installed. 

A.) Install iTunes on Windows 11/10 – Microsoft Store

1. Open Microsoft Store.
2. Search for iTunes > click Get.

3. Once installed, open iTunes and connect your iPhone.
4. Unlock the device and tap Trust when prompted.

If you already have iTunes installed on your Windows PC, you can update it and see if it helps.

B.) Update iTunes

The steps to update iTunes on Windows depend on the version you are using. If it is installed from the Microsoft Store, follow the first method. If it was installed via the Standalone Apple installer, follow method 2.

Method 1 : Update iTunes installed from the Microsoft Store

When you install an app from the MS Store, the updates are handled automatically. However, if the option is disabled, you might have to check it manually. To enable automatic updates and update iTunes, follow these steps: 

1. Open the Microsoft Store.
2. Click your Profile icon > Store settings.
3. Toggle the button under App updates to the right side to enable automatic app updates.

4. In addition, to ensure you are using the latest version, go back to the MS Store home > Library (bottom-left) > Apps > look for iTunes > click the three dots > click More Info.

5. Here, you can check the app version, last update date, and other details.

Method 2: Update iTunes installed from Apple’s website

If the iTunes version you are using is installed from the iTunes Download page, you can either manually check for updates or set it to update automatically every week.

1. Go to the iTunes app.
2. Click the iTunes menu button > click the Show Menu Bar option.

3. Open it > Help > Check for Updates.

4. If an update is available, click the Download iTunes button on the pop-up window.

5. This will open an Apple Software Update window. Click the Install button to download and install the update.

If you do not want to update iTunes manually, you can automatically check for new versions every week. To do so, follow these steps: 

Choose Edit > Preferences, click Advanced > “Check for new software updates automatically.” 

iTunes will now check for new updates weekly. 

Tip : You can also update iTunes by reinstalling it directly from Apple’s website. This helps fix iTunes crashing, the driver component not updating, and iTunes recovery and backups.

Method 2 – Update Apple Mobile Device USB Driver via Device Manager

1. Connect your iPhone and unlock it.
2. Press Win + X > select Device Manager.
3. Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers or Universal Serial Bus devices.
4. Look for Apple Mobile Device USB Driver / Apple Mobile Device USB Device.
5. Right-click it > Update driver.
6. Choose the first option to automatically search drivers – “Search automatically for drivers.”

Wait for Windows to look for updated drivers. If you get the message “The best drivers for your device are already installed”, but the iPhone is still unrecognized, uninstall the existing driver and then scan for hardware changes. To do so, follow these steps: 

• Right-click the Apple device entry > Uninstall device.
  
• You will now get a warning message: “You are about to uninstall this device from your system. Check the box next to “Delete the driver software for this device” and click Uninstall.
• Restart your PC.

• Now go back to Device Manager, click Action > Scan for hardware changes.
  
  

This will help Windows to re-detect your iPhone and reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver from available Apple components.

Method 3: Manually Install the Driver .INF Method

If automatic installation of the drive doesn’t work, you can manually download it using the .inf file. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Disconnect your iPhone and unlock it to keep the Home Screen on.
2. Reconnect the device and close iTunes.
3. Press Win + R, and copy and paste the following command –

%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers

and press Enter.

4. Look for usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf (INF file type) in the folder that opens.
5. Right-click the correct .inf file > Install.

6. Wait for the installation to complete. When done, restart the PC and reconnect your iPhone.

Alternatively, you can update the driver via Device Manager using “Browse My Computer.”

1. Open Device Manager (Windows + X > Device Manager).
2. Expand the following categories to find your iPhone under:

• Portable Devices, or
• Other devices, or
• USB controllers (with a warning icon)

3. Right-click the device > Update driver.
4. Click Browse my computer for drivers > manually browse to:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers

5. Click Next and let Windows install the driver from that location.

This should help, as you bypassed Device Manager’s auto-detection and installed the specific Apple driver file directly. 

Method 4: Reinstall iTunes

If none of the above methods work, completely uninstall all Apple components in the following order and reinstall iTunes. 

Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features:

1. iTunes
2. Apple Software Update
3. Apple Mobile Device Support
4. Bonjour
5. Apple Application Support (32-bit)
6. Apple Application Support (64-bit)
7. Manually delete leftover folders (Optional) 

• C:\Program Files\iTunes\
• C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\
• C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\

Restart your PC and reinstall iTunes.

1. Visit https://www.apple.com/itunes/ > click the “Get it from Microsoft” button.

2. Click the Download button or click View in Store.
3. Download the standalone installer.
4. Right-click the installer > Run as administrator > complete the installation and restart your PC.
5. Connect your iPhone and trust the computer when asked.

Method 5: Restart Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS)

Sometimes, when the Apple Mobile Device Service is not running, it stops the driver from working. To ensure that is not the case, restart the AMDS service. To do so, follow these steps: 

1. Close iTunes and disconnect your iPhone.
2. Press Win + R > services.msc > Enter.
3. In Services, look for Apple Mobile Device Service.

4. Double-click it > click General tab and set Startup type > Automatic.

5. If the service is running, click Stop, then click Start. If already Stopped, click Start.
6. Click Apply > OK.
7. Restart your PC and reconnect your iPhone.

Method 6: Use Advanced Driver Updater (Fastest & Easiest – Recommended)

If manually updating the driver doesn’t work or you find it time-consuming, complicated, or risky, try Advanced Driver Updater. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Install Advanced Driver Updater by clicking the button below.

2. Run the tool and click Start Scan Now, allowing Advanced Driver Updater to scan the system.

3. Let the scanning complete.
4. When done, to update the driver, click the Update driver next to the Apple Mobile Device USB driver (if using the trial version). However, if you use the registered version, click Update All.

5. Wait for the driver update to be downloaded and installed.
6. Restart the PC to save changes. Now connect the Apple device; it should be detected.

Why use Advanced Driver Updater for this?

• Automatically scans for missing, broken, or outdated drivers.
• Detects Apple Mobile Device USB Driver along with other USB and chipset drivers.
• Saves time.
• Helps keep the driver updated so that future iPhone detection issues can be prevented.
• Shows WHQL-certified drivers.
• The need to manually look for and install .INF file through Device Manager is no longer there.
• Detects missing/broken Apple drivers.
• Fixes driver conflicts.
• Creates driver backups and restore points.

Method 7: Disable USB Selective Suspend

For saving laptop power, Windows offers a power-saving feature called USB Selective Suspend. This feature disables individual USB ports when it thinks they are “idle.” Due to this, often when iPhones and iPads are connected, the connection is interrupted, and you face issues like: 

• iPhone is charging but not detected by iTunes.
• iPhone continuously disconnects.
• iTunes or Apple Mobile Device USB Driver fails to establish a stable connection.
• Device Manager shows “Unknown Device.”
• Apple Mobile Device USB Driver fails to load.
• You are unable to transfer photos or take a backup.
• File Explorer shows no Internal Storage.
• Device Manager shows errors or unknown devices.
• The Apple Mobile Device USB Driver loads inconsistently.

This is why disabling USB Selective Suspend, especially on laptops, is suggested.

To turn off USB Selective Suspend, follow these steps: 

1. Press Windows key + X > select Power Options.
2. Click Additional power settings.

3. Click Change advanced power settings.
4. Look for USB Settings > USB selective suspend setting > select Disabled.

5. Click the Apply button to save changes

Doing so will prevent the iPhone from randomly disconnecting.

Read Also : USB Selective Suspend – What is It and How to Enable and Disable It

Why does the USB Selective Suspend feature interrupt with iPhone detection?

Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads, have strict privacy policies. Therefore, when the port is disabled, even temporarily, iOS considers it a faulty cable, a power issue, a trust permission issue, or a data transfer or connection issue, and the device does not appear in iTunes. Moreover, when the USB device is partially suspended, Windows often loads a generic USB driver instead of the Apple Mobile Device USB driver. This interrupts the connection, and iTunes doesn’t show the iPhone even when it is connected.

Additional Fixes

1. Fix “Trust This Computer” Not Showing Up

When you connect your iPhone to a Windows PC, if you do not get “Trust This Computer” prompt, the phone will only charge. This means Windows is unable to establish a secure connection with your device. 

Why don’t you get the ‘Trust This Computer’ prompt? 

• Your iPhone is locked.
• The USB cable supports charging only (no data transfer).
• Faulty USB port.
• You tapped Don’t Trust, option.
• Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is missing or corrupted (Windows).
• iTunes or Apple Mobile Device Service Not Running.
• Pairing is disabled.
• An MDM profile blocks USB connections.
• USB Accessories are restricted under iOS Security Settings.
• PC has blocked “new device installation.”

Steps to Fix “Trust This Computer” Not Showing Up: follow these fixes:

1. Unlock the iPhone > keep it on the Home Screen. You will get the Trust prompt.
2. Use the Original Apple Cable for the connection.
3. Try using a different USB port or the direct motherboard ports.
4. Restart iPhone and Windows PC.
5. Reset “Location & Privacy” on iPhone – Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. Reconnect the phone > Trust prompt should reappear.
6. Reinstall / Update Apple Mobile Device USB Driver (Windows)
7. Restart Apple Mobile Device Service (Windows)
8. Update iTunes
9. Enable USB Accessories – Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode > USB Accessories > Enable
10. Remove Mobile Device Management (MDM) or restrictions  – Contact the administrator to remove restrictions. 

2. Fix iPhone Not Appearing in File Explorer

iTunes used Apple driver; however, File Explorer relies on Windows MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) driver. Therefore, when there is an issue with either of the following when you connect your iPhone to a Windows PC, if it does not appear in File Explorer: 

• iPhone is locked.
• iPhone permissions.
• USB cable is charging only /port is faulty.
• Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is missing or corrupt.
• Windows USB settings.
• iOS is restricting the connection.
• MTP/PTP driver is missing, broken, or corrupt.
• Trust your computer did not appear or was accepted.
• iCloud Photos is enabled.
• You are using USB hubs, a docking station, or monitor USB ports.
• USB sync permissions are not enabled.
• Windows or iTunes is outdated.
• USB Selective Suspend is enabled and interfering with the connection.

To fix this issue, follow these steps: 

1. Unlock iPhone and Tap Trust this computer when prompted.
2. Use the Original Apple cable.
3. Avoid using USB Hubs; instead, use a USB port on the device or a USB 3.0/USB 2.0 port.
4. Restart Apple Mobile Device Service
5. Reinstall / Update Apple Mobile USB Driver.
6. Disable USB Selectie Suspend.
7. Turn off iCloud if DCIM is empty
8. Reinstall / Update iTunes.
9. Reset location and privacy settings
10. Update Windows
11. Remove MDM restrictions
12. Update MTP USB Device Driver – Open Device Manager > double-click Portable Devices> you will see Apple iPhone > right-click > Update Driver> select Search automatically for drivers. 

Read Also : How to Fix “MTP USB Device Driver Failed” Problem for Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

However, if you cannot find Apple iPhone in Device Manager, follow these steps: 

1. Click the Action tab, then select Add legacy hardware.

2. Click Next in the Add Hardware window that appears.

3. Choose Search for and install the hardware automatically (Recommended) and click Next.

 4. Again click Next to select the hardware model and install it manually.

5. Select Portable devices from the list and click Next.

6. From here, select MTP USB Device and click Next.

7. To start the process click Next and wait for it to complete.

8. When done, click Finish. You will now have the MTP hardware > reconnect your iPhone and then update the driver if your  iPhone is still not detected.

Tip – To avoid doing all this manually, use Advanced Driver Updater to keep drivers updated.

3. Fix “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)”

Usually, you encounter this error when Windows is unable to understand the connected device. In short, when the device fails to return its Device Descriptor, you see a yellow exclamation mark and the Unknown USB Device. This happens because: 

• The USB cable is faulty ora  duplicate
• USB port is damaged or broken.
• Insufficient power supply to the USB port
• USB Selective Suspend is enabled.
• Corrupt USB drivers.
• Outdated chipset / USB controller drivers
• Malware
• Using a hub or a docking station
• Device hardware is damaged.
• Firmware is not updated

To fix it, follow these steps:

1. Disconnect, restart, and reconnect the USB device.
2. Try a different USB port (USB 2.0).
3. Use the original USB cable.
4. Disable USB Selective Suspend.
5. Uninstall the Unknown USB Device and restart the PC, allowing Windows to reinstall the generic driver.
6. Disable Fast Startup – Open Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power button does (left panel) > uncheck: Turn on fast startup > click Save changes > restart PC and see if it helps.
7. Update chipset drivers – To do so, you will have to visit Intel Driver & Support Assistant, AMD Drivers & Support, and the Motherboard manufacturer’s website
8. Keep drivers up to date with Advanced Driver Updater.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why is Apple Mobile Device USB Driver missing in Windows?

The driver goes missing in Windows when the installation is corrupt, Windows update is removed, the driver is replaced by a generic one, iTunes is outdated, there is a damaged cable, AMDS service is not running, or there is a USB 3.0/3.1 conflict.

2. From where can I safely download the Apple USB Driver?

The safest way to download Apple USB Driver is through: 

• Apple iTunes
• Windows Update
• Apple Mobile Device Support folder (INF file)

3. Why does Windows stop recognizing Apple devices?

This issue commonly occurs on Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 because:

• Instead of Apple Mobile Device USB, Windows installs generic USB drivers.
• During Windows or system updates, the driver gets corrupted.
• Apple services fail to start.
• Incorrect drivers load after Windows Update.

4. What Happens When an iPhone Is Not Recognized by Windows 11/10/8/7

When Windows fails to recognize your iPhone, it does not appear in File Explorer, or iTunes fails to detect it. 

5. What to Do When Your iPhone Is Not Recognized by Windows 11/10/8/7

When the iPhone is not detected, the first step, in addition to the basic check explained below, is to verify that the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is installed. If it is missing, outdated, or corrupted, update it. 

Enjoy iPhone Data Transfer on Windows PC

Connecting an iPhone to Windows is easy till the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is working. However, when it goes missing or is corrupted, you face issues. To fix this, download and update the driver, reinstall iTunes, resolve trust issues, repair AMDS, disable USB Selective Suspend, and use Advanced Driver Updater to keep drivers up to date.

Whether the problem is caused by driver or trust issues, the fixes above will help troubleshoot all problems.