How to enable Wi-Fi sync with iTunes without a USB connection
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ssombra • October 20, 2014 at 7:06pm
I have a jailbroken iPhone with hardware issues that prevent it from being recognized by a computer via USB, though it still charges. Since I cannot plug it into iTunes to enable the 'Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi' option, is there a way to enable this setting directly on the device or via a jailbreak tweak?
Answers
0
iClarified • January 14, 2026 at 4:14am
Enabling Wi-Fi sync without an initial USB connection is challenging because iOS requires a trusted pairing record to establish a secure handshake with iTunes or Finder. However, on a jailbroken device, there are a few methods you can try to bypass this requirement.
One option is to look for the Wi-Fi Sync tweak in Cydia or Sileo. This legacy tweak was designed to force enable the synchronization feature without a physical cable. If that is unavailable for your iOS version, you can attempt to manually edit the preferences. Using a file manager like Filza, navigate to /var/mobile/Library/Preferences and locate the com.apple.atc.plist file. You can try to manually toggle the Wi-Fi sync keys if they exist, though this often requires the computer's unique identifier to be already known by the device.
Another advanced method involves manually placing a pairing record on the device. If you have another jailbroken device that is already paired with your computer, you can sometimes copy the pairing records located in /var/root/Library/Lockdown/pair_records/ to the same location on the faulty device. This may trick the computer into recognizing the device over the network. Please note that if the hardware failure involves the data lines on the logic board, the device may still struggle to maintain the connection protocol required for a full sync.
One option is to look for the Wi-Fi Sync tweak in Cydia or Sileo. This legacy tweak was designed to force enable the synchronization feature without a physical cable. If that is unavailable for your iOS version, you can attempt to manually edit the preferences. Using a file manager like Filza, navigate to /var/mobile/Library/Preferences and locate the com.apple.atc.plist file. You can try to manually toggle the Wi-Fi sync keys if they exist, though this often requires the computer's unique identifier to be already known by the device.
Another advanced method involves manually placing a pairing record on the device. If you have another jailbroken device that is already paired with your computer, you can sometimes copy the pairing records located in /var/root/Library/Lockdown/pair_records/ to the same location on the faulty device. This may trick the computer into recognizing the device over the network. Please note that if the hardware failure involves the data lines on the logic board, the device may still struggle to maintain the connection protocol required for a full sync.