How To Sync Your iPhone and iPad Using iTunes

Q: I recently got an iPad Air and I don’t know how to sync it with my other devices. Can anybody help?

A: You cannot sync your iPhone and iPad with other devices. You can sync your smartphone with say, your laptop or desktop, but you cannot sync your iPhone and iPad specifically with other devices such as non-iOS smartphones and tablets.

At the same time, you cannot sync your iPhone and iPad to each other. You can sync your iPhone and iPad with iTunes, however. To do this, you need only enable Wi-Fi syncing on your iPhone and iPad, then connect it to your computer via USB cable.

To sync your iPhone and iPad with iTunes over Wi-Fi, perform the following steps:

Step 1: Go to settings on your iPhone and iPad.

Step 2: Visit the General tab, then scroll down to “iTunes Wi-Fi Sync.”

Step 3: You will arrive at a page where you are told to connect your iPhone or iPad to iTunes. Follow the instructions.

Step 4: Next, plug your iPhone or iPad into a laptop or PC via USB cable, and select the iTunes icon on your desktop.

Step 5: Once you’re in iTunes, select the “iPhone” or “iPad” designation on the top right. You will arrive at a page of choices. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and, under the options menu, select “sync with this iPad/iPhone over Wi-Fi.” Make sure you check the box, then click “apply” at the bottom right of the page.

Step 6: At this point, iTunes will backup your content, then copy your diagnostics information, transfer your purchases, and copy them in iTunes. Leave your iPad connected via USB cable and wait until the transfer is over. I repeat: do not disconnect your iPad until step 5 of 5 has been completed at iTunes.

If you want to manually backup your content only on iTunes, feel free to do so. Just know, however, that your content will backup over Wi-Fi on iTunes if you select the box. Just deselect it if you decide later you do not want your content to backup automatically.