iPhone sync with iTunes stuck on "Waiting for items to copy"

I'm having a problem with iTunes where syncing my iPhone ends up seeming to basically finish, but it says "Waiting for items to copy" after everything else, and just stays there for... well, a very long time, if I let it. I'm not sure this is always the case, but at the moment, it's doing this while "Syncing Genius Data to [my iPhone] (Step 8 of 8)".

If I click the little x in iTunes, it then gets stuck on "Canceling sync", for an equally indefinite sort of period.

If I simply unplug the phone, everything seems to be synced and happy, but the next time I sync, it happens again.

I presume this is a bug of some sort on Apple's part, but it seems like people have found workarounds. I'm just having trouble tracking one down that

• is well described enough that I can actually follow it
• has enough detail that I can do it without losing data, i.e. tells me path names that I might want to copy first, or the like, before telling me to remove something. Note: see also the first point — I can't remove it if it's telling me to remove something that I don't know where it is!, and
• otherwise seems sane

3 Answers

I ran into the exact same issue. after three failed syncs, I did a factory reset of my ipod touch, rebooted the computer, checked for an update from Apple. There was actually an update (I'm not sure what the version number was) and after installing the update the issue was corrected.

PS: Similar question and issues I posted here, and have posted this answer there as well. I hope this helps other people who stop by.

The resolution lies in trying some of the following "hacks".

This has been a pain since the move to iOS 9.

There is not ultimate fix for this, but these are things I've found that helped in various combinations and order. I will update this answer with additional workarounds whenever I come across them.

• Sometimes its stuck at this place:
  iTunes 10.5 and IOS 5 sync hang at "Waiting for items to copy", possible fix

• At other times, this has helped:
  

• At times, while I was still connected to iTunes I'd go to AppStore and download the "Waiting" App from there, and other times that would not work.

• Certain times, the number of Waiting Apps/ Warnings would just slowly decrease each time I make iTunes sync with the phone.

  • A recent example was from 200 > 193 > 175 and so on..

There are some grave issues with Apple's iTunes Sync with iPhones and made even more grave with recent App Slicing and iCloud integration, we'll have to reply on Trial and Error some of the above on this.

And for a 64GB iPhone, given that neither the USB 2 speed connection or the WiFi speeds are good enough or fast enough to Backup and Restore the data (It took my iPhone 64 GB 12+ Hours to do a Restore from Backup and was still faulty), so when iPhone's can sync at USB 3 SuperSpeeds, we might have a better experience.

If you look at your device it may say something about wanting you to sign into the Apple store. Sign in while leaving everything plugged in and the problem might clear up.