For new Mac users who want to sync their iPhone with their computer but are unsure how to do it without iTunes, there is good news. Although the classic method is no longer available, there is now a much simpler way to perform the same procedure. And if you use iCloud, the process is even easier.
Finder integrates the interface
Previously, syncing an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a Mac required the use of iTunes. However, over time, Apple products have become more autonomous, and this autonomy is evident when it comes to syncing files and items between a device and a computer. In the past, iTunes was used to backup photos, videos, music, applications, contacts, and more. Now, Finder and iCloud offer the same backup features in a more automatic way.
When you connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable for syncing, the device appears in Finder as an external device. If it’s an iPhone, it will appear as “iPhone of (your name).” Clicking on the device will bring up the syncing interface, which closely resembles the classic iTunes interface.
Within this menu, we can find several essential elements to synchronize the content of our iPhone with our Mac. We can update the system software or restore the iPhone. Additionally, we can check what occupies the storage space and see a list of available categories that can be synchronized individually:
- Music
- Movies (purchased or rented through the iTunes Store)
- TV Shows (purchased or rented through the iTunes Store)
- Books (purchased through Apple Books)
- Photos
- Files (data from certain applications)
- Information (calendar, contacts, etc.)
When we synchronize our iPhone with a computer, we often begin by backing up our photos and music. However, when using iCloud, these elements are synchronized differently and appear separately in Finder. Additionally, there are alternative Mac applications available to copy iPhone photos to the computer.
When it comes to music, if we have enabled iCloud Music Library (Settings > Music), it will be synchronized through iCloud. This means that we do not need to connect the iPhone to the Mac every time we want to add or remove music. As for photos, the same applies – they will be saved in the cloud if we use iCloud. However, there is an app called Image Capture that allows us to copy photos and videos from the iPhone to the computer, regardless of whether we use iCloud or not.
In the Files category, only certain data from specific apps will be available. If we want to use the Files app on the iPhone to sync items with the Mac, we can use tools like AirDrop. The Finder is mainly used for carrying out heavy iOS updates or restoring the iPhone.