If your iOS device (iPhone, iPad or iPod) isn’t recognized in iTunes on a Mac or PC, you may see this error message:
“This iPhone (or iPad etc) cannot be used because the Apple Mobile Device Service is not started.”
Fix:
The first thing you may do is to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS). If your problem continues after restarting the Apple Mobile Device Service, you may need to remove and reinstall AMDS and iTunes. Here is how:
How to Restart Apple Mobile Device Service:
Windows
Disconnect your iPad, iPhone or iPod and close iTunes.
Open “Services”. Windows XP -> Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services; Windows Vista / 7 -> Start > Search > type Services > Services; Windows 8 -> Open Charms to search> type Services > Select View local services.
Select Apple Mobile Device.
Click “Stop the service” then click “Start the service”.
How to remove and reinstall the Apple Mobile Device Service:
Windows
Launch Control Panel (Start > Control Panel) and remove (in this order) iTunes (iPod Updater if you have it), Apple Software Update, Apple Mobile Device Support, Bonjour, and Apple Application Support. Uninstall them in this order. Do not restart your computer until you removed them all. After you removed iTunes and related components, restart your computer and download and install the latest version of iTunes. Note that installing iTunes will also install AMDS.
Mac OS X
Finder > Applications and move the iTunes icon to the Trash. Select Go > Go to Folder and enter /System/Library/Extensions and click Go, find AppleMobileDevice.text and drag it into the Trash Bin. Again select Go > Go to Folder and enter /Library/Receipts/ and click Go and find AppleMobileDeviceSupport.pkg and move it to the Trash. Restart your computer. Empty your trash (Finder > Empty Trash) and restart your computer again. Now download and install the latest version of iTunes. If you see: “iTunes” can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by Mac OS X.
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
Same problem with Windows 10 no success. I have tried so many different options nothing seems to work. Everything was working 3 weeks ago then something updated so I went to an earlier recovery point but it still won’t work
Except that when manually starting the mobile device service doesn’t work (error) and installing the latest iTunes isn’t compatible with XP. Apple killed off XP versions and even installing on manually it still won’t start the service. This is coming from a fresh install on an XP machine that will not take Windows 7
I have been working to try and resolve this problem on a Windows 7 Home 64-bit desktop for a couple months. I have removed iTunes, run CCleaner to clean up the left overs. Run the iTunes 12 installer as “Administrator”, Rebooted between removing and reinstalling. Nothing seems to help. The install never completes properly. AMDS will not start. iTunes will not load because the Apple Mobile Device Service will not start. My user is a local administrator of the operating system. I have tried to start the service using a local account instead of the local service account. Nothing works. Have not been able to find anything on the support forums, Apple, Microsoft or any of the various other help sites that has a solution that works.
Russ, I have the exact same problem on my Windows 7 and have tried the same things.
I tried pinging some of the Apple services that one Apple site said were needed. I can ping some, some I can’t. I examined my Symantec firewall and was not able to see that any were blocked, and tracert shows the packets are leaving my computer. My guess is not all the Apple servers are used today.
I like my Ipad and my 6 plus, but Apple sure isn’t any help. I suppose if I were to go to the Apple store, they would either tell me to do the things I’ve already done.
I suspect there is some other application in the TCPIP stack that is intercepting packets before they get to the services, but this is a wild guess.
I have reinstalled iTunes several times following your instructions, with no success. The error message is always, AMDS will not start. When I go into Services, then click on AMDS to stop, the only command highlighted is START. It doesn’t give you the option to stop the service, just start which it won’t.
I don’t even have a Windows Vista option or Windows 8… I don’t even have the Apple Mobile Device Service option…
This method worked perfectly for me. Thanks very much!!!
Device on
Same here Winodw 7 32 BIt
Same problem on windows 8, no success.
Same problem with Windows 10 no success. I have tried so many different options nothing seems to work. Everything was working 3 weeks ago then something updated so I went to an earlier recovery point but it still won’t work
Except that when manually starting the mobile device service doesn’t work (error) and installing the latest iTunes isn’t compatible with XP. Apple killed off XP versions and even installing on manually it still won’t start the service. This is coming from a fresh install on an XP machine that will not take Windows 7
I have been working to try and resolve this problem on a Windows 7 Home 64-bit desktop for a couple months. I have removed iTunes, run CCleaner to clean up the left overs. Run the iTunes 12 installer as “Administrator”, Rebooted between removing and reinstalling. Nothing seems to help. The install never completes properly. AMDS will not start. iTunes will not load because the Apple Mobile Device Service will not start. My user is a local administrator of the operating system. I have tried to start the service using a local account instead of the local service account. Nothing works. Have not been able to find anything on the support forums, Apple, Microsoft or any of the various other help sites that has a solution that works.
Any ideas
Russ, I have the exact same problem on my Windows 7 and have tried the same things.
I tried pinging some of the Apple services that one Apple site said were needed. I can ping some, some I can’t. I examined my Symantec firewall and was not able to see that any were blocked, and tracert shows the packets are leaving my computer. My guess is not all the Apple servers are used today.
I like my Ipad and my 6 plus, but Apple sure isn’t any help. I suppose if I were to go to the Apple store, they would either tell me to do the things I’ve already done.
I suspect there is some other application in the TCPIP stack that is intercepting packets before they get to the services, but this is a wild guess.
Have tried the exact same thing. Cannot get it running for nothing. Still searching for an answer, very time consuming.
Same problem here with Windows 7. I even bypassed my firewall. I’ve tried everything, beyond what is reasonable.
I have reinstalled iTunes several times following your instructions, with no success. The error message is always, AMDS will not start. When I go into Services, then click on AMDS to stop, the only command highlighted is START. It doesn’t give you the option to stop the service, just start which it won’t.
Any thoughts?