The iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, and XR are a series of smartphones developed by Apple, released between 2014 and 2018. These devices were part of the iPhone lineup and featured various improvements and upgrades, including processor speed, camera capabilities, and storage options.
The iTunes error 0xE8000015 occurs when your iPhone is not recognized by the computer, indicated by the notification "iTunes could not connect to this iPhone because an unknown error occurred (0xE8000015)". To resolve this issue, you can try various solutions, which will be detailed in the article, to help your iPhone be recognized by iTunes, especially when connecting an iPhone 8 or iPhone 7 to a computer.
To fix the iTunes error, start with simple solutions and move on to more complex ones if needed. Try the easy fixes first, and if they don't work, proceed to the more involved solutions. If you're experiencing issues with iTunes not connecting to your iPhone, you may want to read a related article for more information.
If you're not a fan of the data syncing that comes with using iTunes, you can use an alternative introduced in Part 2 to transfer data between two iOS devices or between an iOS device and a computer.
Tip 1: Disable Restrictions on your iPhone
If you've made your iPhone inaccessible to iTunes by enabling Restrictions, you can resolve the iTunes error 0xE8000015 by going to Settings > General > Restrictions and disabling them on your iPhone.
Tip 2: Reset the Lockdown Folder
Deleting the Lockdown Folder on your computer can help fix the iTunes error 0xE8000015 by allowing iTunes to recreate the directory. This may resolve the issue.
On PC:
Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run command.
Step 2: Enter %ProgramData% and click OK.
Step 3: Locate and double-click the folder named Apple.
Step 4: Delete the Lockdown folder from your computer.
On Mac:
Step 1: To access the Terminal app on your Mac, go to Finder, click on "Go," and then select "Go to Folder" from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Enter /var/db/ lockdown and press the return button.
Step 3: To remove all items from the Lockdown folder, click on the folder to open it, select all the items within it (you can do this by pressing Ctrl+A on your keyboard), and then delete them by pressing the delete key or right-clicking and selecting "Delete" from the context menu. Alternatively, you can also right-click on the folder itself and select "Empty" to remove all its contents.
Tip 3: Check your iPhone under the USB Device Tree on Mac
This solution is for Mac users who encounter the iTunes error 0xE8000015 when connecting their iPhone 8 or iPhone 7 to their Mac. To resolve this issue, users should first try restarting their iPhone and Mac, then check if the Apple Mobile Device Support and Apple Application Support software are installed on their Mac.
Step 1: To view system information on a Mac, press and hold the Option key, then go to Apple > System Information or System Report. This will display detailed information about your Mac's hardware and software, including its processor, memory, and operating system.
Step 2: Under Hardware, choose USB.
Step 3: If your iPhone 8 or iPhone 7 is not showing under the USB Device Tree on your Mac, removing third-party security software may resolve the issue. However, if it still doesn't appear, you may need to contact Apple for further assistance.
Tip 4: Reinstall the Apple Mobile Device USB driver on PC
According to Apple, reinstalling the Apple Mobile Device USB driver can help iTunes recognize your iPhone. The process differs depending on where you downloaded iTunes, whether from the Microsoft Store or directly from Apple.
If you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft store:
Step 1: Disconnect your iPhone from your PC.
Step 2: Reconnect your iPhone to your computer, and close iTunes if it opens automatically.
Step 3: Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
Step 4: Find and expand the Portable Devices option.
Step 5: When you see your iPhone 8 or iPhone 7, right-click your iPhone name and choose Update driver.
Step 6: Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
Step 7: After updating the driver, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and ensure there are no other available updates.
Step 8: Run iTunes and see if the error 0xE8000015 still persists.
If you downloaded iTunes from Apple:
Step 1: Disconnect your iPhone from your PC.
Step 2: To reconnect your iPhone to your computer, first ensure that your iPhone is connected to the computer via a USB cable. If iTunes opens automatically, close it. Then, open iTunes on your computer and select your iPhone from the top left corner of the window. Click on "Restore iPhone" and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Step 3: To open the Run command, press the Windows key and the R key at the same time, which will open the Run dialog box.
Step 4: Then enter the following string and click OK.
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers
Step 5: To install the USB driver, right-click the usbaapl64.inf or usbaapl.inf file and select the "Install" option, ensuring the file has a .inf extension.
Step 6: Disconnect your iPhone from your PC and restart your computer.
Step 7: Reconnect your iPhone to your PC and run iTunes.
As an iPhone user, you may need an alternative to iTunes that allows you to transfer data to your iPhone without syncing. Qiling MobiMover, a reliable tool for iOS data transfer and file management, can be used as an iTunes alternative. It enables you to transfer data between two iOS devices (iPhone/iPad in iOS 8 or later) or between an iOS device and computer (Mac or PC), and also allows you to manage your iPhone content by deleting, editing, or adding items from your computer. The file types supported by MobiMover include various types, such as photos, videos, music, contacts, and more.
Photos: Camera Roll, Photo Library, Photo Stream, Photo Videos
Videos: Movies, TV shows, Music Videos
Audios: Music, Ringtones, Voice Memos, Audiobooks, Playlists
Others: Contacts, Notes, Messages, Voice Mails, Books, and Safari Bookmarks
With Qiling MobiMover, you can easily transfer photos, music, and back up your iPhone to a computer, making it a versatile tool for managing your iPhone's content. To back up your iPhone to a computer, simply follow the steps provided, and you'll be done within minutes. Whether you want to transfer photos from one iPhone to another, add music to your iPhone, or create a backup of your iPhone, MobiMover has got you covered.
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer running Windows, select the Backup Manager, and then select Backup to proceed.
Step 2. To back up all files from iPhone to computer, select the "Select All" option, choose a destination on the computer, and then click on "One-Click Backup" to initiate the backup process.
Step 3. MobiMover will start immediately to back up iPhone files to your computer without requiring iTunes. It will finish the process once it's completed.