How iTunes and iCloud Work on iOS Devices
iTunes and iCloud serve different functions on iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad. As Apple explains, “iTunes syncs content from your computer to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. iCloud backs up your device daily over Wi-Fi and syncs your photos, videos, documents, notes, contacts, calendars, and more across your devices.” [1]
Specifically, iTunes is used to sync media content between your computer and iOS devices. This includes music, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and more. iTunes will transfer purchased content from your iTunes library to your iPhone or iPad. It also syncs any playlists you have created on your computer to your iOS devices.
iCloud, on the other hand, is focused on wireless backup and syncing over Wi-Fi and cellular data. It backs up your settings, app data, messages, photos and other content from your iOS device to the cloud automatically. This provides a way to restore your data in case your device is lost, damaged or needs to be replaced. However, iCloud does not sync purchased iTunes content or playlists from your computer.
So in summary, playlists are only transferred from a computer to an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch via iTunes. iCloud does not handle playlist syncing between devices. If playlists are missing from your iPad, this indicates they were not properly synced from the computer through iTunes.
Enable Syncing in iTunes
One of the most common reasons playlists do not sync from an iPhone to an iPad is because syncing has not been properly enabled in iTunes. To sync playlists between devices, you first need to connect both your iPhone and iPad to your computer running iTunes.
Once both devices are recognized by iTunes, you can enable syncing by going to the preferences for each device. Click on the device icon for your iPhone, then go to the Music section and check the box for “Sync Music” and select “Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres”. This will allow you to choose which playlists and music to sync from your iPhone to your iPad.
Make sure to also go to your iPad device preferences, click on Music, and check “Sync Music” here as well. Then select which playlists or music you want to sync onto your iPad from your iPhone library. Once syncing is enabled and properly configured for both devices, the playlists from your iPhone should transfer over when you sync.
For more help enabling playlist syncing in iTunes, refer to Apple’s guide on syncing music between devices.
Check iCloud Settings on iPad
One of the most common reasons for music libraries not syncing properly between iPhone and iPad is incorrect iCloud settings on the iPad. To check your iCloud settings on your iPad:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud
- Ensure the Music option is enabled under Apps Using iCloud.
With iCloud Music Library enabled in your iCloud settings, your music library from your iPhone and other iOS devices should automatically stay in sync. If you had this setting disabled, be sure to re-enable it and give your devices some time to sync up via iCloud. Access your music library on all your devices
If after enabling Music in your iCloud settings your playlists and music libraries still do not match between devices, you may need to restart your devices or re-enable music syncing in iTunes. Contact Apple support if problems persist.
Update to Latest iOS Versions
One potential cause of playlists not syncing properly between iPhone and iPad is outdated iOS software. Apple regularly releases updates to iOS to fix bugs and improve performance. Older iOS versions may contain syncing bugs that are addressed in the newest software updates.
To ensure both devices are running the most optimal iOS version, check for any available updates and install the latest iOS release on both iPhone and iPad. Keeping your devices updated provides the best chance for smooth syncing between them.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update on each device to check for the newest iOS version. Tap “Download and Install” to update your device. You may need to connect to power and WiFi during the process.
Once both iPhone and iPad are updated to the latest iOS software, try syncing your Apple Music playlists again. Upgrading can often resolve intermittent bugs and get music syncing properly across all devices.
[1]
Restart and Reconnect Devices
Oftentimes, restarting and fully powering off both your iPhone and iPad can help resolve syncing issues after updating to the latest iOS versions. After installing any new iOS updates, it’s recommended to reboot both devices by holding down the power button and swiping to power off. Once fully powered down, turn your devices back on and reconnect them to iTunes or WiFi to retry syncing your playlists.
Restarting erases any temporary glitches and clears the RAM memory, ensuring a fresh start. It also allows the latest iOS versions to fully load up after being installed. After restarting both your iPhone and iPad, reconnect them and retry syncing your playlists in iTunes or via iCloud. The full reboot often resolves many software quirks that can disrupt proper playlist syncing across devices.
If your playlists still fail to sync after restarting, you may need to disable and re-enable music syncing in iTunes on your computer or check that iCloud Music Library is enabled on both devices. Restarting and reconnecting is one of the simplest fixes to rule out before trying more involved troubleshooting. Allow some time after restarting for your playlists to sync from your iPhone onto your iPad as expected [1].
Disable and Re-Enable Music Syncing
One solution to resync your playlists between devices is to turn the music syncing feature off and then back on again in both iTunes and the iOS settings. To do this:
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Open iTunes on your computer and go to the Summary screen for your iPhone or iPad. Uncheck the “Sync Music” option.
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On your iOS device, open Settings > Music and turn off “Sync Library.”
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With sync turned off on both ends, you can then re-enable it by going back and checking “Sync Music” in iTunes and enabling “Sync Library” in your iOS device’s Music settings.
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Once you re-enable syncing, iTunes will sync again and your playlists should appear on your iPad. Allow some time for the full music library and playlists to sync across devices. For more detailed troubleshooting on resyncing music, refer to Apple’s support article.
Turning syncing off and back on again can help reset the connection and force a fresh sync of music content between iTunes and your iOS devices.
Authorize Computers in iTunes
One potential solution is to de-authorize and then re-authorize the computer in iTunes to access playlists and other iTunes content. When an iPhone or iPad is connected to a new computer for the first time, it needs to be authorized to access purchased content 1. If you’ve connected your iPhone or iPad to multiple computers over time, one of them may no longer be properly authorized.
To fix this, open iTunes on the computer and go to Account > Authorizations. De-authorize the computer, then authorize it again. You will need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm. This refreshes the authorization allowing access to playlists. After re-authorizing, disconnect then reconnect your iPhone or iPad and try syncing the playlists again 2. If the playlists still do not transfer, there may be another underlying issue.
Factory Reset iPad
Before factory resetting your iPad, it is important to back up your data first. You can back up your iPad data to iCloud or to your computer using iTunes (Apple Support – Back up your iPad). Backing up ensures you have a copy of your data like photos, messages, contacts and more in case anything goes wrong during the reset process.
To factory reset your iPad and erase all content and settings:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset
- Tap “Erase All Content and Settings” – this will erase all data and settings and reset everything back to factory defaults (Apple Support – Return iPad settings to defaults)
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Tap “Erase iPad” to confirm and reset the iPad
This will wipe the iPad clean and restore it back to original factory settings, which could potentially fix issues caused by corrupted settings or files. Just be sure to have a backup first before factory resetting your device.
Contact Apple Support
If you are still unable to get your iPhone playlists to sync to your iPad after trying the troubleshooting steps above, you may need to contact Apple support for further assistance.
Apple’s customer service can help troubleshoot iCloud and iTunes syncing issues between devices. They have more advanced tools and access than regular users for diagnosing problems.
You can contact Apple support by phone, chat, email, or scheduling an appointment at an Apple store. Phone support is available 24/7. When contacting support, make sure to have your Apple ID and devices available to provide any details needed. Describe the playlist syncing issues you are experiencing between your iPhone and iPad.
The Apple support team can walk through checking your iCloud settings, iTunes sync status, iOS versions, etc. to try and determine why your iPad is not syncing the playlists from your iPhone. They can also check if there are any underlying software bugs triggering the problem. If needed, they can advise resetting, restoring or reformatting your devices to re-enable a proper sync connection.
Apple’s customer service aims to fully solve iPhone to iPad sync problems. Persisting with their troubleshooting steps often identifies difficult to find issues. If the problem remains unresolved after Apple’s diagnosis, they can initiate further software engineering investigations and contact you with any solutions.
For additional help getting your playlists and music library to sync properly between devices, contact Apple support: https://support.apple.com/contact
Use a Third Party App
If you want the ability to wirelessly sync playlists and other iTunes content between your iPhone and iPad, using a third party app like iTransfer is an option. Apps like iTransfer provide a cable-free way to sync iTunes media over WiFi.
With iTransfer, you can quickly transfer playlists from your iPhone to your iPad without needing to plug either device into your computer. The app handles the wireless syncing automatically once you connect both devices to the same WiFi network.
This allows you to seamlessly keep playlists and iTunes libraries in sync across iOS devices. It also avoids issues caused by syncing through iTunes on a computer. Using a dedicated wireless sync app provides more convenience and control over syncing your music libraries.