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You are here: Home / Not working? / iPhone Keeps Connecting and Disconnecting From Mac, Fix

iPhone Keeps Connecting and Disconnecting From Mac, Fix

Last updated on July 21, 2019 By Serhat Kurt 78 Comments

This article explains how you can troubleshoot when your iPhone (or iPad) repetitively keeps connecting and disconnecting when you plug it into your Mac. This can be frustrating because, for example, if you experience this problem, you may be unable to charge your iOS device when you plug your charging cable into a USB port on your Mac.

Please try each step until your issue is resolved.

See also: iTunes Not Recognizing Your iPhone or iPad? 

iPhone Disconnecting From Mac

1-The first thing you should check is your charging, USB cable for sings of damage. Try using a different cable. Try using a different USB port on your computer. Try unplugging and then replugging.

Also check  the charging port on the bottom of your iPhone or iPad. Remove any debris. You may want to use a can of compressed air.

If you are using a defective, damaged, or non Apple-certified cable, you may see the “Accessory Not Supported” error.

2-Restart your iOS device and restart your Mac.

3-Ensure that you have the latest version of iOS.

4-Force restart your device. Here is how:

Different iPad and iPhone models require different steps to do this:

  • Face ID iPad Models: press and release the volume up button and then press and release the volume down button and then press and hold the Top button until your iPad restarts.
  • iPhone 8 and later models: press and release the volume up button and then volume down button. Then press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo.
  • iPhone 7 models: press and hold the Side and Volume Down buttons together until you see the Apple logo.
  • Home button iPad models and iPhone 6s and earlier models: press and hold the Side and Home buttons together until you see the Apple logo.

5-Disconnect your device from your Mac. And, on your iPhone or iPad, tap:

  • Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Location & Privacy.

Reset location and privacy

And now connect your device to your Mac with your USB cable.

This will reset your location settings to the factory default. You will need to regrant permission for apps to use your location again.

6-Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. And then open the Activity Monitor app (Applications > Utilities), or you can use Spotlight.

When you open the App, enter usbd in the search field. And the force quit the process by clicking the X sign.

Activity Monitor

You can also do the same thing via Terminal. Here is how:

  • Open the Terminal app (Applications > Utilities). And the enter the following command:
  • sudo killall -STOP -c usbd
  • Hit enter

7-Try resetting NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac. Here is how:

  • Unplug your device
  • Turn off your Mac
  • And turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Option, Command, P, and R keys together. Keep holding them for about 20 seconds. When you hear a start up sound then you can release the keys.
  • And your Mac will restart.

Please note that, as stated above, if you are having this problem with your iPad, the same tips will still help you fix this problem.

If none of the tips help you, then you may want to contact Apple. Apple offers live chat support. You may also reserve a Genius Bar appointment.

Filed Under: Not working? Tagged With: Disconnect, iPhone

Comments

  1. Natale says

    December 26, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    THANK YOU!!!! I wish Apple was aware of this fix. I just spent 20 minutes with them to have them say I need to bring my laptop in for repair.

    Reply
  2. Juliy V. Chirkov says

    December 26, 2020 at 8:32 am

    thanks a lot!

    “sudo killall -STOP -c usbd” does the trick

    Reply
  3. Manny says

    December 26, 2020 at 5:22 am

    Both Activity monitor -> X usbd and sudo killall -STOP -c usbd worked for me. Had this problem for about a year and now problem FIXED thanks to you!!!

    Reply
  4. Walid says

    December 3, 2020 at 10:10 am

    Thanks, the killall command worked!

    Reply
  5. Rickardo says

    November 17, 2020 at 6:03 pm

    Killing usbd worked for me also, this has been bugging me for ages, thanks very much 🙂

    Reply
  6. hsjoos says

    October 14, 2020 at 9:02 am

    Thanks 😊

    Activity monitor: kill usbd worked for me. 👍

    .. but in my case the problem comes back after a while and I had to kill usbd process again!

    Reply
  7. CHRISTIAN ALMEIDA says

    September 30, 2020 at 3:02 pm

    Reset Location and Privacy worked for me!

    Reply
  8. S says

    September 16, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    [email protected] USBd as well!
    thanks a lot!!!

    Reply
  9. martin says

    August 23, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    Genius!
    You are awesome!
    6. Activity monitor…X usbd worked for me.

    Thanks a million!

    Reply
  10. GP says

    August 17, 2020 at 1:37 am

    sudo killall -STOP -c usbd worked. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 1, 2020 at 5:38 am

      Sudo did it!!!! Thank you!

      Reply
  11. Surendra Nath Sahoo says

    July 21, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    sudo killall usbd
    &
    sudo killall -STOP -c usbd

    Worked.Thanks

    Reply
    • George says

      August 14, 2020 at 1:42 pm

      Worked for me too! Thanks X 500!

      Reply
      • Pankaj Prakash says

        August 20, 2020 at 6:44 am

        Worked for me too 🙂

        Reply
  12. janchip says

    July 21, 2020 at 2:42 am

    It’s worked for me, but after restart the Mac, comes back again.
    Not for charge, but in TV app folder cannot appear the iPhone, or just for seconds 🙁

    Reply
  13. Pennie says

    July 18, 2020 at 11:46 am

    USBD really worked! I have been searching the solutions for 1.5 years. Thank you so much! I don’t mind repeating the same action as long as my iphone can be connected to the laptop.

    Reply
  14. Sami says

    July 18, 2020 at 1:03 am

    Super worked! Terminal command thank you!

    Reply
  15. julie says

    July 7, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    Yes! terminal command worked. thank you so much

    Reply
  16. B says

    July 4, 2020 at 11:56 am

    number 6 solved it for when i need to sync my iphone with laptop. Rest of the time i charge it from the socket

    Reply
  17. tonipet says

    June 28, 2020 at 5:36 am

    USBD worked for me (but after I force restart my phone, resetting location and privacy setting, and resetting PRAM on my Mac). Thanks, however, does this mean I have to force quit USBD when I’m plugging my phone again?

    Reply
  18. Akanksha says

    June 25, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    Thanks you, it worked.

    Reply
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