What to know
- Trusted devices is a list of Apple devices you own that show up inside the Apple ID screen on your iPhone.
- This list can comprise iPhones, iPads, iPods, Apple Watches, Macs, and Apple TVs you’ve already signed in to using two-factor authentication.
- If you can’t see devices inside the trusted devices list, it could be because your iPhone isn’t connected to the internet or some of the devices are signed in to an Apple ID that’s different from the one you’re using on your main iPhone.
- Check out the fixes below to learn how you can fix this issue on your iPhone.
When you successfully sign in to your Apple account on a new device or web browser, this device is added to your Apple ID’s trusted devices list. This list hosts all the devices where your Apple account is signed in at the moment. Having trusted devices benefits users who have protected their Apple account with two-factor authentication, as the 6-digit verification code that’s required for authentication will show up on the screens of all the trusted devices you have added to your Apple account.
If have previously added a few devices to the list of your trusted devices but you can no longer see this device or view the list itself, the following post should help you fix the problem on your iPhone.
How to fix the Trusted Devices List not available issue on iPhone
You can check out the fixes listed below to solve the Trusted Devices list not available issue on your iPhone.
Fix 1: Learn how to access the Trusted Devices list on your iPhone
The first thing you can do when looking to resolve the Trusted Devices List not available issue is to learn how and where you can access this list on your iPhone. If you’re yet to learn where you can see the list of trusted devices signed into your Apple ID, then you can check out the following guide to proceed.
To view the list of trusted devices on your iPhone, go to Settings > your name (or Apple ID card) and scroll down to the bottom of the Apple ID screen. Here, you’ll see all the devices that you have already signed in to using two-factor authentication.
Any device that’s visible on this list is a “trusted device” and it’s a device that Apple knows is yours. Apple then uses it to verify your identity by displaying a verification code when you sign in on a different device or browser.
Fix 2: Check your iPhone’s wireless connections
If you can’t see the devices list inside the Apple ID screen but instead see a buffering icon at the bottom, it means that your iPhone isn’t connected to Apple servers, possibly because you haven’t connected it to a Wi-Fi or mobile network.
To instantly connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or Mobile Data, launch the Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner and then tapping on the Wi-Fi tile or Cellular Data tile depending on the wireless connection you want to enable.
You can also connect your iPhone to wireless networks by going to Settings > Wi-Fi or Mobile Service and turning on the respective toggles on either of those sections.
Fix 3: Restart your iPhone
If there’s nothing wrong with the internet connection that’s active on your iPhone, then the unavailability of the trusted devices list could be due to a temporary bug or a background services glitch which can easily solved with a quick restart of your iPhone. You can restart your iPhone by following these instructions:
- On iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, and 14 series): Press and hold the Side button and either of the Volume buttons until you see the Power-off slider screen. When the slider appears, drag it to the right to turn off your iPhone. After your iPhone is completely shut down, wait for 30 seconds and then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo shows.
- On iPhones with Touch ID (iPhone SE 2nd/3rd gen and iPhone 8): Press and hold the Side button until you see the Power-off slider screen. When the slider appears, drag it to the right to turn off your iPhone. After your iPhone is completely shut down, wait for 30 seconds and then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo shows.
After a successful restart, you can now check whether you’re able to view the trusted devices list inside iOS settings as explained in fix 1.
Fix 4: Update to the latest iOS version
If your iPhone still doesn’t show the trusted devices list inside the Apple ID screen, it’s possible that the software glitches aren’t temporary but are present in the current version of iOS installed on your iPhone. Fortunately, Apple rolls out regular iOS updates for iPhones that not only bring new features but also resolve ongoing issues and bugs in the existing software.
To fix the trusted devices list not available issue, you can thus update your iPhone to the latest available iOS version by going to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, tap on Download and Install to update your iPhone to the latest version.
Another thing to note is that the chance of you running into bugs and issues is higher if your iPhone runs on a public or developer beta version of iOS. In such cases, it’s best to switch switch to the stable channel for iOS updates. To do that, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and select Off.
Once beta updates have been disabled, you can check for a new update from the Software Update screen and install the latest update available to you.
Fix 5: Check if you’re signed into the correct Apple ID
If use multiple Apple ID accounts across a bunch of devices, then the trusted devices list on your iPhone will only show the devices which are signed to the same Apple ID as this iPhone. To check if you’re signed into the right account on other Apple devices, you can follow any of these instructions depending on the device you own:
- On iPhone, iPad, and iPod: Go to Settings > your name and check if the Apple ID username matches the one on your primary iPhone.
- On Mac: Go to Apple icon > System Preferences (or System Settings) > your name or Apple ID and check if the Apple ID username matches the one on your iPhone.
- On Apple Watch: Go to Settings > your name and check if the Apple ID username matches the one on your iPhone.
- On Apple TV: Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > your name and check if the Apple ID username matches the one on your iPhone.
Only devices that show the same Apple ID as the one displayed on your primary iPhone will be visible under the Trusted Devices list on your account.
Fix 6: Sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in
In case you find out that some of your Apple devices are logged into a different Apple ID account, separate from the one you’re currently signed in to on your primary iPhone, the trusted devices list won’t show such devices. To make them appear inside this list, you will need to remove the existing Apple ID from those devices and sign in on them using the current Apple ID that you primarily use.
To sign out of your Apple ID on Apple devices, follow these instructions depending on the device you own:
- On iPhone, iPad, and iPod: Go to Settings > your name and tap on Sign Out at the bottom of the Apple ID screen.
- On Mac: Go to Apple icon > System Preferences (or System Settings) > your name or Apple ID and click on Sign Out.
- On Apple Watch: Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings > Erase All to remove the existing account from the watch.
- On Apple TV: Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > your name > Remove User from Apple TV.
Once you’ve successfully signed out of the existing Apple ID account, you can sign in to the correct Apple ID, that you’re signed into on your primary iPhone. This will make sure that all of your Apple devices show up inside the trusted devices list on the iPhone.
Fix 7: Reset all iOS settings
If your iPhone still doesn’t show the trusted devices list inside settings, then the only action that’s left is to reset the entire settings on it. Resetting the iPhone may remove any temporary bugs in iOS that may have been caused in between system updates or issues with recently installed apps on your device. You can thus reset your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset all settings.
This may resolve the ongoing issue on your iPhone and once done, you can check Settings > your name to see whether the trusted devices now show up on your device.
Why can’t I see trusted devices on my iPhone?
Trusted devices can be an iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, or Mac that you’ve already signed in to using your Apple ID and two-factor authentication. This list is used by Apple to know that it’s you who’s trying to log in using your Apple account and not anyone else.
If you cannot view the trusted devices that are logged into your Apple account, it could be because:
- Your iPhone may not be connected to the internet. Since the Apple ID screen shows the devices you’re signed in to in real-time, lack of an internet connection would prevent the trusted devices list from showing anything.
- There may be some temporary glitches or bugs in the current version of iOS installed on your iPhone.
- All of your Apple devices aren’t signed into the same Apple ID; devices signed into a different Apple ID won’t show up inside the Trusted Devices list on your iPhone.
That’s all you need to know about fixing the Trusted Devices not available issue on an iPhone.
