How to Connect a New Device to iTunes

Last Updated: February 26, 2020

iTunes is the media library and syncing program designed for use with iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. You can quickly sync your media content to your iOS device, using either Windows or OS X. Connecting a new device to iTunes will allow you to easily add music, movies, and more.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Connecting Your Device

1
Ensure that iTunes is up to date. If your version of iTunes is out of date, you may run into connection problems. Updating iTunes is free, but requires a working network connection.^{[1]
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- Windows - Click Help → Check for Updates
- OS X - Click iTunes → Check for Updates
2
Connect your device via USB. Use the USB cable that came with your iPod, iPad, or iPhone to connect it to a USB port on your computer. Plug it into a port directly on your computer; plugging into a USB hub will generally not provide enough power.
- iTunes supports certain other MP3 players beyond iOS devices. You may not be able to sync all of your music with non-iOS devices.
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3
Set up your device. You may be prompted to set up your device if you are connecting it to iTunes for the first time. You will be given two options "Setup as New" or "Restore from Backup". Even if you've been using your device before connecting it to iTunes, select "Setup as New". While it may sound like it will delete everything, all it will ask is for you to name your device.^{[2]
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4
Select your device. Your device will appear in the left sidebar, under the "Devices" heading. If you can't see the sidebar, click View → Hide Sidebar.
- If your device is not appearing in iTunes, you may need to put it into Recovery Mode.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Syncing Your Content

1
Add files to your iTunes library. In order to add files to your device, you will need to have them in your iTunes library. You can add music, photos, movies, apps, podcasts, TV shows, and books. See this guide for detailed instructions on adding files to your library.
- Anything you purchase from the iTunes store will automatically be added to your library.
2
Choose what you want to sync. Select your device from the sidebar on the left. You will see a row of tabs across the top of the screen for the different types of media you can add to your device. Go through each tab and select the content that you want to add to your device.
- You can select to add all the content for that type of media, or you can choose specific files that you want.
- Your available space will be shown at the bottom of the screen. As you add files to be synced, the bar will fill up.
3
Start the sync. Click the "Summary" tab, and then click Sync the bottom of the window. iTunes will begin copying the content you want synced to your device. Anything that was on the device that was not set to be synced will be deleted.
- You can monitor the progress of the sync in the display at the top of the iTunes window.
4
Disconnect the device. Once the sync is complete, right-click on your device in the left frame and select Eject. This will allow you to safely disconnect your device. If you don't select Eject before disconnecting, you run the risk of corrupting your data, though this risk is low.
5
Backup your device. iTunes allows you to create a backup of your iOS device, which is great in case something goes wrong in the future. To backup your device. select it in the left frame, click the Summary tab, and find the Backups section. Select where you want the backup file to be stored (on your computer or on iCloud) and then click Back Up Now.
- Backing up to iCloud will only backup up important settings. Backing up to your computer will perform a full backup.

Community Q&A

Question

iTunes won't find my iPhone?

Community Answer

No, it certainly won't.
Question

How do I connect to ITunes after my iPhone is locked?

Citylimits

Community Answer

You need to unlock your iPhone before you can connect it to your computer. This is a security measure to stop people from accessing your content without permission.