iPhone X: Is not recognized as removable disk

In order to transfer data from your computer to your iPhone with or without iTunes, it must be displayed on the PC. However, if your iPhone X is not recognized as a removable disk, it is important to solve the problem before you can proceed.

What to do if iPhone X is not recognized as a removable drive?

Connect your iPhone X via Lightning cable to a USB slot on your computer, it should be recognized as a removable drive. Only then can you also transfer data such as music and pictures. However, if you have problems, sometimes very simple steps can help.

1. First you should check whether the cables are plugged in correctly.
2. Then look at your iPhone X screen. This is where the home screen should be displayed. If you see a message instead, tap "Trust" to have your computer recognize iPhone X as a removable drive.
3. Test if another USB slot on your computer is working.
4. Reboot your iPhone X and also your PC. This will fix small software bugs that can cause your iPhone X to not be recognized as a removable drive.

Update software

For your iPhone X to be recognized as a removable drive, all software must be up to date.

1. Check if there is a pending Windows update and install it.
2. On your iPhone X, navigate to "System Update" in Settings and perform pending updates here as well.
3. Now connect the iPhone to the PC again. Right-click the Windows icon at the bottom left and select "Device Manager". Then right-click your iPhone under "Portable Devices" and click "Update Drivers."