Top 10 Ways to Fix Device Is Unreachable Error for iPhone on Windows 10

While moving or copying any media files from iPhone such as photos and videos from your iPhone to Windows 10/8/7 laptops, you usually get an error 0x80070141 “The Device is unreachable.”

This data transferring process is delicate and frustrating simultaneously and adds to this error, which becomes annoying.

Usually, the images in our iPhone, iPad, etc., have an extension .HEIC, whereas for Windows, the standard extension for photos is .JPG, and hence it requires software called Codec to complete the transfer process.

Why are you getting an error message 0x80070141?

Taking a closer look at the error code and analyzing and reviewing the official documentation, the error can occur under the following circumstances:

Problematic USB Port

In case you have connected your iPhone to your Windows 10 PC using a USB, then the error “The Device is unreachable” may occur if there is a fault at the USB port at which the device is connected. You can solve this problem using a different USB port.

The file name or path name is large

Windows allows a name or path of the file to be 256 characters, and if the file you want to transfer has a name more extensive than that, then the 0x80070141 error can occur. If you shorten the title, then the error can be fixed.

A glitch in File Explorer

The file explorer in your iPhone might be glitching, which could lead to an unstable external storage device connection. Try to run hardware or device troubleshooting to fix the error.

Hotfix needs to be installed

A Windows 10 bug can be a cause for this error, and to fix this, Microsoft has released a hotfix. You can use the hotfix by updating your Windows 10 OS.

Fix for error 0x80070141 “The Device is unreachable”

The device is unreachable error can be caused by several factors as mentioned above. So to help to solve this error while transferring photos and videos and other media from iPhone to Windows 10, here are ten fixes that you can try.

• 1 – Check your mobile settings
• 2 – Connect your mobile to a USB 2.0 port
• 3 – Copy the file directly to your Windows PC
• 4 – Rename file or directories
• 5 – Try a different cable
• 6 – Set your mobile to work as a Media Device
• 7 – Reinstall your device
• 8 – Use the PhotoSync app
• 9 – Try connecting your mobile to a different USB port
• 10 – Copy file one by one
• 11 – Disable Image Conversion

Fix 1 – Check your mobile settings

Sometimes your phone configurations do not allow the transfer to go smoothly. It would be best if you turned on “My Phone Stream” and “iCloud Photo Sharing” to fix it.

To fix this error, here are some steps that you can follow:

Step 1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Open Phone & Camera option.

Step 3. Enable Photos Sharing feature and turn on the “My Photos Stream” and “iCloud Photos Streaming” features.

Fix 2 – Connect your mobile to a USB 2.0 port

If you have an older model of iPhone such as the iPhone 5S, it would not be compatible with the USB 3.0 ports in some Windows 10 laptops. In this case, you will need to buy USB 2.0 ports and try transferring your files using them.

However, USB 2.0 is significantly slower than USB 3.0 but will transfer the files smoothly without any annoying errors.

Fix 3 – Copy the file directly to your Windows PC

When you want to copy files from iPhone to a NAS drive, the “device is unreachable” error might occur.

As an alternative, you can copy files and transfer photos and videos to your computer directly and then transfer them to the NAS drive. This is a significantly longer process, but it is a good alternative.

Fix 4 – Rename file or directories

While using the Calibre app for accessing files, an error can occur. The reason is the long file path or name for the file you want to access.

Windows provides a limitation of 256 characters for file or path name and thus files more extensive than that will not be accessible.

As a solution, you can rename the file that you want to access or change the file path by moving to a different directory and then access them.

Fix 5 – Try a different cable

Sometimes, the USB you are using to attach the two devices might be damaged, generating an error while transferring media.

To fix the unreachable device error, we recommend you use a different cable. You can start by using the original USB cable that came with your iOS device. If the error persists, we suggest that you buy a new USB cable from the market.

Fix 6 – Set your mobile to work as a Media Device

In case you have an Android device and are trying to copy media from it, the current configurations of the device may connect your iPhone to the computer as a camera.

To fix this error, here are some steps that you can follow:

Step 1. Attach your device to a computer for the further steps to be visible.

Step 2. Open the Settings app on your phone.

Step 3. Go to the Storage section.

Step 4. Find the Connect as a Media Device option and tap it.

Try to transfer the files now. These steps will have fixed the error.

Fix 7 – Reinstall your device

It is possible that your iOS device isn’t installed correctly on your Windows 10 computer and thus needs to be reinstalled. To fix this error, here are some steps that you can follow:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer.

Step 2. Together press the Windows key and X key on your computer’s keyboard.

Step 3. Please navigate to the Device Manager menu and tap on it.

Step 4. Inside the Device Manager window, click the “Scan for hardware changes” icon. If the iPhone doesn’t reflect on the first scan, try rescanning until the device reflects.

Step 5. In addition to step 4, you can try to uninstall your iPhone from the Device Manager and then scan for hardware changes.

Step 6. Update the iTunes app on your device to the latest version.

Step 7. Restart your computer to reflect the changes and reconnect the iPhone.

Step 8. Set the computer as a trusted device so that this error doesn’t occur again.

Try to transfer the files again, and hopefully, it will happen without any trouble. If it doesn’t work, reconnect the device again.

Fix 8 – Use the PhotoSync app

Using the PhotoSync app is an effective method for transferring the files from your phone without getting the error message. PhotoSync app uses a Wi-Fi connection to share your files between devices.

However, this is just an alternative for transferring files between devices and is significantly slower because the files are being transferred using a wi-Fi connection rather than a USB connection.

Fix 9 – Try connecting your mobile to a different USB port

As your computer has multiple ports, it is possible that connecting your iPhone to other USB ports could solve the problem.

For doing this, disconnect your iPhone from the current port and then connect it to other ports and try transferring files using it. It is an unusual solution, but it works for many users. Make sure that you do this out.

Fix 10 – Copy file one by one

The “Device may be unreachable” error occurs while copying files or moving multiple files across devices at once.

As an alternative, you can try copying files one by one or a few files at a time. However, this is not viable if you need to copy or move a dozen or more files at once.

Fix 11 – Disable Image Conversion

The default extension for iPhone image files is .HEIC, whereas for Windows 10 is .JPG. Thus, while transferring files, the iOS device converts the picture format to be compatible with your computer.

This conversion could be a probable cause behind the device is unreachable error. You can follow the below-given steps to fix it:

Step 1. In your iPhone, go to Settings -> Photos tab.

Step 2. In the Photos menu, scroll down towards the bottom and find the “Keep Originals” option available in the “Transfer to Mac or PC” section.

The Keep Originals option will disable the image conversion option, and the images will be transferred as .HEIC, which is the default extension for iPhone, iPad, etc. You can try this by plugging your Mac or PC to your iPhone and then transfer the files from your iPhone.

You can view these files using the default photos viewer, or you can search for online tools to convert the HEIC files into JPG.

Check out our article on 4 Best Ways to Convert PNG to JPG on iPhone and iPad

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