How To Fix “Trust This Computer” Not Showing Up with an iPhone

When you “Trust this Computer” via your iPhone it allows your phone data to sync, create backups, and more. Typically, when you connect your iPhone to your Mac or Windows computer for the first time, the “Trust This Computer” question will pop up. It also displays if you haven’t trusted your computer in the past.

If the alert hasn’t appeared on your phone, read on to learn some effective methods to fix it using your iPhone or iPad.

Restart Your iPhone

Restarting a device generally clears any temporary glitches. Forcing your iPhone to restart may just clear up this issue, too. Once you’ve disconnected your device from your computer, here’s how to restart your iPhone or iPad with “FaceID:”

1. Press then release the up-volume button.
   
2. Press then release the down-volume button.
   
3. Long-press the side button for around 10 seconds until the Apple logo displays.
   

To force restart your iPhone or iPad with “TouchID:”

• Long press the Home and sleep/wake buttons together for around 10 seconds.

Once your device has restarted:

1. Connect it to your computer again.
2. Unlock your device by entering the passcode.
3. Wait for the “Trust This Computer” message to display.
4. If it doesn’t display, continue through the following solutions.

Update Your iPhone

If an update is available, you can update your iPhone or iPad to see if that works. Here’s how to check for updates via a stable Wi-Fi connection:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
   
2. Choose “General,” then “Software Update,” to download and install the latest update if available.
   

Ensure Your Mac/Itunes for Windows Is Updated

The problem could be down to an outdated version of macOS or iTunes. Follow the steps below to update your Mac:

1. Access the Apple menu from the top left corner.
   
2. Select “System Preferences.”
   
3. Select the “Software Update” pane.
   
4. Now follow the regular steps to update to the latest macOS.
   

To update iTunes downloaded from the Apple Store:

1. Open iTunes.
   
2. Go to the “Help” menu, then “Check for Updates.”
   
3. Follow the usual process to update iTunes.

iTunes downloaded from the Microsoft store is updated automatically, whenever there is a new version. You can also visit the Microsoft Store to check for updates.

Reset Your Trust Settings

A further troubleshooter that has worked for some people in the past is to reset the trust setting on your iPhone. It’s part of the “Reset Location & Privacy Settings” and effectively puts the trust setting to the factory default. Follow these steps to reset this setting on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
   
2. Press “General,” “Reset,” then “Reset Location & Privacy.”
   
3. Type your passcode, then tap “Reset Settings” once more.
   
4. Now try connecting your iPhone or iPad to your computer again.

Reset the Network Settings

You could also reset the network settings on your device. However, this action will delete all current Wi-Fi passwords and networks, APN and VPN settings, and cellular settings. It sounds a bit extreme, but it has been known to fix this issue. Follow these steps on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open “Settings.”
   
2. Tap “General,” then “Reset.”
   
3. Press “Reset Network Settings,” then confirm.
   

If you have transferred iTunes for Windows from the Microsoft Store, make sure “iTunes Mobile Device Helper” is allowed as a Startup feature. Here’s how to do that on your Computer:

1. Press “Start.”
   
2. Choose “Settings.”
   
3. Select “Apps” then “Startup.”
   
4. Now ensure the “iTunes Mobile Device Helper” is enabled.
   

FAQ

How do I enable trust on my iPhone?

If you installed a profile comprising a certificate payload in iPadOS or iOS, the certificate isn’t entrusted for SSL. You’ll need to manually enable trust for SSL/TLS whenever you install a profile received or downloaded from the web. To turn on SSL/TLS trust for a certificate, follow these steps:

1. Launch the “Settings” app.

2. Navigate to “General,” “About,” then “Certificate Trust Settings.”

3. Beneath “Enable full trust for root certificates” activate trust for that certificate.

Apple advises using Apple Configurator or Mobile Device Management (MDM) to deploy certificates. The certificate payload will be automatically entrusted for SSL if installed using Configurator or MDM or to form an MDM enrollment profile.

Trust Between Your iPhone and Computer

Whenever your iPhone or iPad connects to your computer for the first time, it needs to know whether your computer can be trusted or not. Allowing your iPhone to trust your computer is required to access your phone’s data and access to the synch and backup features. If there is a problem, the message may not appear. There are several fixes you can try yourself to ensure trust between your iPhone or iPad and your Computer, from restarting your device to restarting its network settings.

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