iPad iPad Wifi Sync Issue

[legaleye3000]

I'm on iPadOS 13.4.1 and macOS 10.15.4. Recently, when I go to Finder, click on my iPad, then "sync", my iPad AND IPHONE (even though I wasn't doing anything with my iPhone) will disappear from Finder.

I can sync with a cable. I've been wifi syncing since the option first showed up years ago. The wifi sync option is checked off. Any ideas? Thank you!

 

[papbot]

Wifi sync has always been inconsistent for me ever since iTunes but it has gotten considerably worse with the change to Finder. As you mentioned devices frequently disappear from the sidebar when I click Sync or just don’t appear in the first place. I have 4 ios devices that I backup and sync this way, it’s rare that all 4 appear or remain in the sidebar once I start a sync or backup. Even when they do I’ll often get a message that the connection failed and the backup or sync couldn’t be completed. In those instances I just keep repeating the effort and it will eventually complete properly.

With other instances I have to relaunch Finder by going to the force quit menu. If none of that works then it’s either a restart of the computer or the device or both to get everything completed. I only go through this once a week so as to have a local, secondary backup to the iCloud backups but the iCloud backups are far more reliable and easy to perform.

 

[legaleye3000]

BUMP - This still occurs after updating to iOS 13.5 and macOS 10.15.5. I'm thinking its something with the computer because it occurs when trying to sync both my iPad and my iPhone with my mac. Thank you.

 

[steve62388]

@papbot is right. Wi-Fi sync has been flaky for many years over many versions of iOS and macOS. I gave up and transitioned to iCloud backup with the occasional wired sync to my Mac when I get around to it.

 

[legaleye3000]

For example, if I download a movie and want to sync it over, I've been using wifi sync for years with no problems. This just started...