iOS 18 and iTunes compatibility

[macstatic]

Which iTunes version (Mac) is compatible with iOS 18?

More specifically, I'm on a Mac running MacOS 10.14.6 Mojave with iTunes 12.9.5.5 which I use to backup and sync between the Mac and iOS devices.
Prior to upgrading from iOS 16.x I'd like to ensure that I won't lose that compatibility. Does anyone know, or know where I can find info about iTunes/iOS version compatibility?

 

[NoBoMac]

Guessing ok. Per iPhone 16 requirements, assuming anything on iOS 18 will be similar:

• Syncing to a Mac or PC requires:
• macOS Catalina 10.15 or later using the Finder
• macOS High Sierra 10.13 through macOS Mojave 10.14.6 using iTunes 12.8 or later

Haven't used iTunes in ages, so can't speak from experience.

 

[Grumpus]

I sync an iPhone 13 mini running IOS 18.3.2 using iTunes 12.9.5.5 on Mojave with no problems. For newer IOS devices, you might need to install some updated software to allow iTunes to recognize the device. You should be prompted to do this automatically if needed, but @bogdanw occasionally posts links to the required packages.

 

[bogdanw]

New MobileDeviceOnDemand.pkg & CoreTypes.pkg links https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/itunes-software-updates.2416893/post-33834813

 

[drak22]

On Windows, Apple updated iTunes yesterday, but it's not compatible with iOS 18.4. However, in September, they updated it with compatibility for the iPhone 16. I don't understand the logic behind Apple's move regarding iTunes.

 

[macstatic]

On Windows, Apple updated iTunes yesterday, but it's not compatible with iOS 18.4. However, in September, they updated it with compatibility for the iPhone 16. I don't understand the logic behind Apple's move regarding iTunes.

I'm confused, as @Grumpus just said that it does work.
Did iTunes on your PC work with your iPhone prior to iOS 18.4 (i.e. 18.3)?
Maybe this is an iTunes Windows issue, separate from the Mac version, or maybe it's specific to iOS 18.4 regardless iTunes on the Mac or Windows platform.

I sync an iPhone 13 mini running IOS 18.3.2 using iTunes 12.9.5.5 on Mojave with no problems. For newer IOS devices, you might need to install some updated software to allow iTunes to recognize the device. You should be prompted to do this automatically if needed, but @bogdanw occasionally posts links to the required packages.

This sounds good, although I worry if what @drak22 said about the Windows version of iTunes.

I'm asking all these questions because of a wakeup call I got when updating an iOS device only to result me being forced to upgrade my MacOS version as well. The forced MacOS upgrade brought along many unneeded headaches which, had I known about it prior, I wouldn't have upgraded the iPad's iOS version, or at least given myself time to plan everything (I run lots of software which is dependant on older MacOS versions -I was happily running MacOS 10.9 Mavericks at the time).

Now, I got an explanation that from iOS 12.3 and onwards Apple started updating portions of MacOS needed by iTunes instead of updating iTunes itself, so by iOS 13 I would need MacOS 10.11 (El Capitan).
So in my ignorance I don't know if this forced MacOS upgrade could happen again. After having upgraded to MacOS 10.11 I did experience being asked (when the iPad was plugged into the Mac via USB) to accept a minor update in order to connect the iPad. Is this the updates you're referring to @bogdanw (and his reply) refers to: the update-files to be manually downloaded in case MacOS doesn't request it?

As far as I understand, current MacOS versions don't use iTunes any longer for sync/file transfers, so this might also mean there will be an end to iTunes/iOS compatibility? In addition, at least for the Mac platform, iTunes upgrades appears to follow the OS itself, and not something you can download on its own, meaning I'm way behind as I still use MacOS 10.14 Mojave.
I wish there was a website or something you could simply look up iTunes version and iOS version compatibility.... countless searches haven't found anything like that yet.

 

[Grumpus]

This sounds good, although I worry if what @drak22 said about the Windows version of iTunes.

I haven't tested the latest Windows version of iTunes, sorry.

Is this the updates you're referring to @bogdanw (and his reply) refers to: the update-files to be manually downloaded in case MacOS doesn't request it?

Yes.

iTunes 12.9.5 seems to work with IOS 18.4 on my iPhone 13 mini. After updating the phone and plugging it in, the popup saying A software update is required to connect appeared and I clicked the Install button. The download and installation progress boxes unhelpfully appeared behind the iTunes window, but aside from that minor confusion the install completed and iTunes recognized the iPhone. I tested things by creating a new playlist and syncing it to the phone and it appeared in the Music app as expected.

As far as I understand, current MacOS versions don't use iTunes any longer for sync/file transfers, so this might also mean there will be an end to iTunes/iOS compatibility?

Yes, things could fail with any future release of IOS or with any new IOS device. I've honestly been surprised that Apple has continued to push out the updated MobileDeviceOnDemand and CoreTypes packages - that might not last forever. I've clung to iTunes mainly because syncing my non-IOS iPods using Finder on newer versions of macOS has been problematic.

 

[BrianFoster]

Which iTunes version (Mac) is compatible with iOS 18?

More specifically, I'm on a Mac running MacOS 10.14.6 Mojave with iTunes 12.9.5.5 which I use to backup and sync between the Mac and iOS devices.
Prior to upgrading from iOS 16.x I'd like to ensure that I won't lose that compatibility. Does anyone know, or know where I can find info about iTunes/iOS version compatibility?

I also use MacOS 10.14.6 Mojave with iTunes 12.9.5.5 and just updated my iPhone to iOS 18.4. Prior to doing so, the MacOS had to download some updates, I assume core elements, to I assume the Library. Just allow the updates and then iTunes will download and update your iPhone to iOS 18.4.

 

[macstatic]

I also use MacOS 10.14.6 Mojave with iTunes 12.9.5.5 and just updated my iPhone to iOS 18.4. Prior to doing so, the MacOS had to download some updates, I assume core elements, to I assume the Library. Just allow the updates and then iTunes will download and update your iPhone to iOS 18.4.

Thanks to your confirmation I went ahead and updated an iPhone 11 (iOS 17.6.1) to the current 18.4, which worked out fine! 👍 👍👍

I first backed up the phone using iMazing (2.18.1) using a USB cable. I then tried to update the phone from iMazing itself, but was first asked to install some MacOS updates:

Unfortunately nothing happened after pressing "Yes" except iMazing quit. I tried it several times with the same result and waiting for a long time for something to happen.
So I decided to remove the USB cable to the Mac, turn on Wifi on the phone and (with the phone's charger plugged in) upgraded to iOS 18.4 from the "Settings" app. This worked perfectly, but took quite a while (I think something like 45 minutes).

Next, I plugged the updated phone into the USB cable attached to the Mac and the following alert popped up on the Mac (MacOS 10.14.6) after a couple of seconds (so apparently something went wrong with the upgrade in iMazing, where I waited for several minutes without any response):

By clicking on the "Learn more..." button a web page from Apple entitled If your Mac says that a software update is required to connect to iPhone or iPad popped up:

Interestingly it appears that unlike most other upgrades in MacOS, here the minimum requirements appear to have stopped at MacOS High Sierra (10.13) which is good news of course!

Next I pressed the "Install" button which started the Mac update:

When done I opened iTunes (still showing version 12.9.5.5 as before), and the phone showed up there just as before the iOS update. I also tried transferring some new PDFs etc. over to the iPhone and it worked perfectly.
Since this worked so well I'm considering if I should update my iPad Mini (5th gen) which is currently at iPadOS 16.7.2.

It's a pity there's no easy way to find out before each iOS update if it'll keep or break the iTunes Mac compatibility other than to ask if someone else has successfully gone ahead with it
Is there another way to find out if I'm good to go with the next iOS upgrade, or if this'll break the iTunes connection?

 

[BrianFoster]

Thanks to your confirmation I went ahead and updated an iPhone 11 (iOS 17.6.1) to the current 18.4, which worked out fine! 👍 👍👍

I first backed up the phone using iMazing (2.18.1) using a USB cable. I then tried to update the phone from iMazing itself, but was first asked to install some MacOS updates:
View attachment 2498809

Unfortunately nothing happened after pressing "Yes" except iMazing quit. I tried it several times with the same result and waiting for a long time for something to happen.
So I decided to remove the USB cable to the Mac, turn on Wifi on the phone and (with the phone's charger plugged in) upgraded to iOS 18.4 from the "Settings" app. This worked perfectly, but took quite a while (I think something like 45 minutes).

Next, I plugged the updated phone into the USB cable attached to the Mac and the following alert popped up on the Mac (MacOS 10.14.6) after a couple of seconds (so apparently something went wrong with the upgrade in iMazing, where I waited for several minutes without any response):
View attachment 2498816

By clicking on the "Learn more..." button a web page from Apple entitled If your Mac says that a software update is required to connect to iPhone or iPad popped up:

View attachment 2498820

Interestingly it appears that unlike most other upgrades in MacOS, here the minimum requirements appear to have stopped at MacOS High Sierra (10.13) which is good news of course!

Next I pressed the "Install" button which started the Mac update:
View attachment 2498827
View attachment 2498828
When done I opened iTunes (still showing version 12.9.5.5 as before), and the phone showed up there just as before the iOS update. I also tried transferring some new PDFs etc. over to the iPhone and it worked perfectly.
Since this worked so well I'm considering if I should update my iPad Mini (5th gen) which is currently at iPadOS 16.7.2.

It's a pity there's no easy way to find out before each iOS update if it'll keep or break the iTunes Mac compatibility other than to ask if someone else has successfully gone ahead with it
Is there another way to find out if I'm good to go with the next iOS upgrade, or if this'll break the iTunes connection?

You never mentioned iMazing before, which is a third party application, of course. I use WALT as a third party application to transfer some files, but I would not have tried updating through WALT. Had you updated straight through Apple's update process as I did and described, it would have been more straightforward, I think, than trying to use a third party application.

In the end, it all worked out for you, so that is what is important.

 

[macstatic]

You never mentioned iMazing before, which is a third party application, of course. I use WALT as a third party application to transfer some files, but I would not have tried updating through WALT. Had you updated straight through Apple's update process as I did and described, it would have been more straightforward, I think, than trying to use a third party application.

In the end, it all worked out for you, so that is what is important.

This is the first time I've attempted to use iMazing for iOS updates. I got it in order to make full backups for my iOS devices (which, as I understand it, iTunes only handles partially).
For previous iOS updates I've tried using iTunes, but I don't think that worked properly either, so I've used Wifi to upgrade directly from the iOS device. As far as I remember I haven't had any problems updating that way (I just make sure to plug the device to a charger to ensure it doesn't run out of power during the process).

I'm glad it worked out, and not least that I can continue using iTunes for syncing the calender/contacts and for transferring files.