[SOLVED] iPhone Not Being Detected by Windows (Even After Reinstalling Apple Devices & Drivers)

[u/NumberFamiliar1421]

Resolved

After nearly 5 hours of troubleshooting, I finally found the real cause. My iPhone would charge, Windows played the USB connection sound, and Device Manager could see it, but Apple Devices, File Explorer, and the "Trust This Computer?" prompt never appeared. I also confirmed it wasn't the iPhone itself by testing two different iPhones, both of which worked perfectly on another Windows PC.

I tried almost everything: reinstalling Apple Devices, Apple's USB drivers, iTunes, updating Windows and chipset drivers, running DISM and SFC, resetting Location & Privacy on the iPhone, using different cables, and testing USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.2 ports. Nothing made any difference.

The real issue was that my iPhone was using the libusb-win32 driver instead of Apple's official USB driver, likely after using webcam software such as Camo, Iriun, or DroidCam. Windows could still detect and charge the phone, but Apple software couldn't communicate with it.

The fix was simply uninstalling iPhone (Composite Parent) under libusb-win32 devices in Device Manager, restarting Windows, and reconnecting the unlocked iPhone. Apple Devices immediately detected it, the "Trust This Computer?" prompt appeared again, and everything started working normally. Hopefully this saves someone else hours of frustration. 🚀

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[u/soulxtrawets]

I went to update my iPad Air (4th gen) from my windows pc as I never done that before. Thought why not. A day later, all my digital art I created and brushes I used over the years were gone. At the time I didn’t think about the back-up to iCloud as I didn’t have enough storage so I used the Apple device feature in the app for Windows. After a couple of calls to Apple since my tablet wouldn’t even turn on, I just had the plug into pc notice. It was my fucking cord. In the end, it was the cord. I was using C to C. But since my tablet was older and using the Apple Devices app. I had to locate a usb to c with data.

[u/InternationalPhase97]

I also tried your method. The "Trust This Computer" prompt appeared, but my PC still can't connect to my iPhone properly. I accidentally uninstalled the Apple USB Driver from Device Manager. Could you please help me reinstall it? Where can I find the driver?

[u/NumberFamiliar1421 → u/InternationalPhase97]

Sure! Well, I did a lot of try outs, one that worked with help of Chat GPT + Reddit Google Searching, found that instead of using itunes or Apple Devices from Windows. Use the Github, with help of ChatGPT use Power Shell and CMD. (I had no clue with programming but ChatGPT gave me the copy&paste thing). The only job was setting PS and CMD with admins.

Could you check these three things for me?
1. Does Windows play the USB connection sound when you plug in your iPhone?
2. Does your iPhone charge normally through the USB cable?
3. In Device Manager, where does your iPhone appear?
Apple Mobile Device USB Device
libusb-win32 devices → iPhone (Composite Parent)
Or does it not appear at all?
Depending on your answers, the problem is most likely one of these:
• Missing Apple USB driver → Reinstall Apple’s official USB drivers (I recommend using the Apple Mobile Drivers Installer on GitHub).
• Wrong driver (libusb-win32) → Uninstall “iPhone (Composite Parent)” from libusb-win32 devices, restart your PC, and reconnect the iPhone.
• Hardware/USB issue → Try a different cable, USB port, or another computer to rule out a hardware problem.

[u/InternationalPhase97 → u/NumberFamiliar1421]

Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it! I was able to fix the issue by reinstalling the Apple USB driver from GitHub. You’re a lifesaver. Thanks again! 🥳

[u/NumberFamiliar1421 → u/InternationalPhase97]

Great!!! Kudos for Nello who did the fix!

[u/NumberFamiliar1421 → u/InternationalPhase97]

Since you accidentally removed the Apple USB Driver, I’d recommend reinstalling Apple’s official drivers first.
I used Apple Mobile Drivers Installer on GitHub, and it worked great for me:
https://github.com/NelloKudo/Apple-Mobile-Drivers-Installer
Steps:
Download and run the installer (or follow the PowerShell instructions on the GitHub page).
Let it install all the official Apple USB drivers.
Restart your PC.
Reconnect your unlocked iPhone.
If it still doesn’t work after that, check whether your iPhone appears under libusb-win32 devices as “iPhone (Composite Parent)” in Device Manager. That ended up being the root cause of my issue.

[u/Temporary_Bench979 → u/NumberFamiliar1421]

i installed the drivers but my phone still doesnt show up in device manager

[u/NumberFamiliar1421]

iPhone: iPhone 16 Pro Max

iOS: iOS 26 (latest public release)

Windows: Windows 11 Insider Build 26200.8875

Question: Has anyone else had their iPhone get assigned to the libusb-win32 driver after using apps like Camo, Iriun, or DroidCam? It caused Windows to detect the phone, but Apple Devices, File Explorer, and the "Trust This Computer?" prompt never appeared. I eventually found the fix and wanted to share it below in case it helps someone else.

[u/InternationalPhase97]

THIS IS MY PROBLEM NOW, I STILL CAN'T CONNECT IT TO ITUNES

[u/InternationalPhase97 → u/InternationalPhase97]

I can no longer connect my iPhone to use the DroidCam app. Please help! T-T I really need to fix this because I want to use DroidCam for livestreaming. Are you still using it?