iTunes is a tool known to all and that allows you to perform many actions on an iPhone or an iPad. The most used is the synchronization of content in a comfortable way through a physical connection by cable. But if you hate cables, you should know that there is also a form of wireless linking that you will undoubtedly love to know. We tell you all the details below.
What are the advantages of this type of connection?
Few people know about this feature that iTunes has when it comes to synchronizing without having any type of cable connecting it physically. The main advantage that comes to have is basically the comfort that you get with this wireless system. If you are a person who needs to be constantly synchronizing the content of the iPhone with that of the PC or Mac, this is undoubtedly the most recommended method. You will only have to make the first synchronization through the classic system but beyond this you will not have to worry about connecting it.
That is why when you have a new iPhone in your hands, it is best to always activate this option. Keep in mind that never by activating it you will limit yourself to this option forever since you can also make use of the physical connection. In the end, they are alternatives that Apple offers to completely get rid of the cables that can be connected to computers.
Steps prior to pairing the device
Before starting to perform the normal synchronization of the content between two devices, it must be activated in iTunes through a physical connection, this being the main requirement to take into account. We tell you all the details below.
Requirements to take into account
In order to be able to make the link between iTunes and the iPhone, the iPad or the iPod Touch, it is important to meet some requirements. The most important is to have iOS 5 or higher installed since from this version it is when this feature was finished including. It should also be borne in mind that a USB-A to Lightning cable must be on hand to make the first link, which, as we will see below, must be done physically.
To this is also added the fact of having the most recent version of iTunes installed on the Mac or the PC itself. This is not something to take into account in the case of being on macOS Mojave or higher since iTunes as such does not exist having to resort to Finder to access all the information of the devices. In the latter case, what you should always do is have the latest version of the operating system installed in order to avoid future problems that may arise.
Activate the connection via WiFi
As we have previously commented, before connecting through WiFi to your iPhone or iPad, you must first physically make the connection with the cable. This is something that applies to both PC and Mac. You will simply have to perform the following steps to be able to have this wireless link:
- Connect your device to your computer via a USB-A or USB-C cable.
- Open the iTunes application and click the device button in the upper left corner of the iTunes window.
- On the left, click on ‘Summary’.
- In the window that appears, scroll down and activate the option that says ‘Synchronize with this iPhone via WiFi’.
- Click on ‘Apply’ which will appear at the bottom of the window.
From this moment you will be able to disconnect the device that you have connected to your PC or Mac. It is important to click on the ‘Eject’ button that is located next to the name of the device in the upper left part. From this moment on, the computer will understand that it is no longer physically connected but the wireless connection through WiFi will persist, which is what is of interest in this case.
Enable syncing between iTunes and iPhone
Once the previous process has been carried out with the physical connection, you can now proceed to synchronize through the WiFi connectivity of your router. It is necessary to take into account the way in which it is carried out in the connection as well as the limitations that exist.
How to connect an iPhone with iTunes over WiFi
In order to synchronize wirelessly, the first thing to bear in mind is that both the computer and the iPhone, iPad or iPod must be connected to the same internet network. It may be the case that the computer is connected through a LAN cable and the mobile device through the WiFi network. The important thing is that in the end they are connected to the same router and the IP address is shared, which is where the corresponding tracking will be carried out. In addition to this, it should be noted that both computers have to be turned on.
The device must be connected to a charger for it to start syncing automatically through iTunes. In this application an icon of the device itself will appear as if it were physically connected. Once all this has been taken into account, you can click on ‘Synchronize’. Obviously, you can drag different items so that they are synchronized, such as photos, contacts or even songs.
Main limitations to consider
When synchronizing over WiFi there are significant limitations. The main one lies above all in the speed in the transmission of the data that is carried out . You can not compare the speed of synchronization between a physical connection and a wireless connection, since obviously the most recommended is the first of these. This is where you should assess if it ends up compensating for the fact of not having to constantly connect the device through a physical connection that in the long run can cause many more problems. It should also be borne in mind that if a higher speed is required during synchronization via WiFi, it can be connected via cable. From this moment on, the synchronization will continue to increase the transmission speed.
To this must also be added other limitations on what can and cannot be done with this system. When you want to restore the operating system and reconfigure the iPhone or iPad, it is impossible to do it wirelessly. For the system to be installed correctly, it must be physically connected so that all the files are transferred constantly, especially when the different reboots are carried out. Regarding the rest of the actions that can be done with iTunes, there are no limitations when it comes to doing it with the wireless connection.