Trust This Computer Not Showing Up? 8 Ways to Fix

Can’t see the “Trust This Computer” prompt when connecting your iPhone or iPad to your computer? You’re not alone. Without it, your device won’t sync, transfer files, or back up — leaving your data effectively locked on the device.

Normally, when you connect an iPhone to Mac or PC for the first time, it triggers a secure handshake between the two devices. This process creates a pairing record — stored both on your iPhone and in the computer’s system files — which tells the iPhone it can trust this computer in the future.

However, some users reported not seeing the Trust This Computer message. In this post, we’ll share several effective fixes to resolve this Trust This Computer not showing up issue.

Why is Trust This Computer Not Showing Up on iPhone?

If the “Trust This Computer” prompt doesn’t appear, your iPhone may have already trusted — or explicitly rejected — the connected computer. But that’s not the only reason. Here are the most common causes:

• Maybe you chose the Don’t Trust option when the prompt appeared.
• The USB connection might have some issues or even the USB/charging port itself.
• The iTunes version or your computer system could be outdated.
• A temporary glitch/bug/corrupted file on your iOS software.
• It could also be due to network problems or a poor internet connection.

Regardless of what the cause may be, Trust This Computer not showing up on iPhone is a serious issue that requires attention. Below are several solutions that can resolve it, so check them out.

How to Fix Trust This Computer Not Showing Up on iPhone?

1. Disconnect and Reconnect Your iPhone

One thing that can cause Trust This Computer to fail to show up is connecting your device to your computer while it’s booting up. It’s something that can easily happen and the best way to deal with it is to disconnect the iPhone/iPad and then connect it back again to your computer after it has finished booting up.

We would also recommend you reconnect it after you’ve launched iTunes on your computer too. If the Trust This Computer alert still doesn’t show up, check the next solution.

2. Restart The iPhone and Computer

Sometimes Trust This Computer not showing up can be due to temporary files or bugs on your iPhone or computer. Rebooting your iPhone and even the computer can help get rid of such files and bugs. This will allow the “Trust This Computer “alert to pop up once you reconnect them again.

3. Disable Personal Hotspot on iPhone

In some cases, having Personal Hotspot enabled on your iPhone can interfere with the USB connection between your device and computer. This may prevent the “Trust This Computer” prompt from appearing, especially if the system prioritizes network tethering over data sync.

To disable Personal Hotspot:

• Open Settings on your iPhone.
• Tap Personal Hotspot.
• Toggle Allow Others to Join to off.

After turning it off, reconnect your iPhone via USB and wait a few seconds. The trust prompt should now appear, allowing your computer to pair with the device correctly.

4. Reset Location & Privacy Settings

In case you trusted or untrusted a computer before, then you’ll have Trust This Computer not showing up because your iPhone will keep the record of that particular computer. Therefore, for the alert to show up again, you need to clear this record and you can do this by simply resetting your phone’s Location & Privacy settings.

This will get the trust settings to their factory default and make your iPhone trust the computer again, especially if it was a formerly trusted computer. Follow these steps to reset the Location & Privacy settings:

• Launch Settings, head to the General menu, and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
• Select Reset next and then hit the Reset Location & Privacy option.
• Now type in your iPhone passcode and tap Reset Settings when the next pop-up appears.

When done, get your iPhone and computer connected again to see if the “Trust This Computer” prompt will come up

5. Reset the Network Settings

As mentioned earlier, network-related issues like a poor internet signal can lead to Trust This Computer not showing up on iPhone. If that’s so, resetting the network settings can help fix this. Note that doing this will result in removing all your existing Wi-Fi networks and their passwords, as well as your cellular settings, and all the APN and VPN settings. Just follow these steps:

• Go to Settings, open the General option, and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
• Next, tap the Reset Network Settings option and then confirm.

6. Get Your iPhone Updated

The other way you can solve this is by updating your iPhone/iPad if there’s an update available. You can check for updates if you have a stable Wi-Fi connection by doing the following:

• Launch the Settings app and select the General option.
• Now click on Software Update. If there’s a new update available, you can Download and Install it.

7. Update iTunes or macOS System

An outdated macOS system or iTunes version can equally be the reason for iPhone Trust This Computer not showing up. Older versions of such software usually cause glitches and miscellaneous issues that might prevent “Trust This Computer” from showing up. A software update can solve this quite easily.

Update Mac System

• Go to the Apple menu (upper left corner).
• Select System Preferences from the menu. Then hit the Software Update pane.
• Now upgrade your macOS to the latest version using the usual steps.

Update iTunes from Microsoft Store

If you got the iTunes from the Microsoft Store, you can check for updates right from the Microsoft Store itself. Otherwise, iTunes downloaded from Microsoft Store usually gets updated automatically when there’s a new version released.

Update iTunes from Apple Store

If you installed iTunes from Apple’s website, open iTunes and click the Help menu. Click on Check for Updates and simply follow the usual steps to update iTunes.

8. Fix iOS System with 3rd-party Tool

If the reasons for iPhone Trust This Computer not showing up are iOS system issues, then the above methods may fail to fix it. The most effective method you can use is FoneGeek iOS System Recovery. This powerful tool is pretty reliable when it comes to fixing iOS system issues. It’s also able to update your iPhone’s iOS to the latest version. It as well has an intuitive interface that makes it very simple to use.

Follow these steps to resolve the Trust This Computer not showing up issue using FoneGeek iOS System Recovery:

• Start by downloading FoneGeek iOS System Recovery on your computer. Install it and once you open it, click on “Standard Repair”.

• With your iPhone connected to the computer through a lightning cable. If your iPhone isn’t detected by FoneGeek, then get into the Recovery/DFU mode.

• After the device gets detected, click “Download” to download an ideal firmware package for it.

• When the download finishes, begin the standard repair by clicking on “Fix Now”. Allow the process to finish. That’s it.

Conclusion

These solutions will no doubt fix the Trust This Computer not showing up on iPhone issue. Try them out and you’ll be able to have the Trust This Computer prompt showing up in no time. However, FoneGeek iOS System Recovery is what we would recommend the most. It’s a highly effective solution, especially if the cause behind trust this computer not showing up is an iOS system issue that can’t be resolved by any of the other solutions. It’s simple to use, works fast, and can resolve all kinds of other system issues along with updating your iPhone’s iOS version.

FAQs about iPhone Trust This Computer Popup

Q1. Will resetting my iPhone erase trust settings?

Yes. Resetting your iPhone or wiping it through Settings will remove all trust settings, and the prompt will reappear the next time you connect to a computer.

Q2. What if I accidentally clicked “Don’t Trust” — can I reverse it?

Yes. Reset your Location & Privacy settings to remove the rejected trust record, then reconnect to see the prompt again.

Q3. Can antivirus or security software block the trust process?

Yes. Some firewall or USB protection software may block iTunes or Apple Mobile Device services. Temporarily disable them and try reconnecting.