When it comes to errors on your iPhone, you’re usually in good hands. This is because many Apple’s devices display clear error messages, like “This Accessory May Not Be Supported.” As such, diagnosing an issue is straightforward, but resolving it could take a while.
This post is going to look at how you can solve the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” error. However, we won’t look at some of the most simple fixes. We’ll explain why next.
What You Should Have Already Tried in Order to Fix the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” Error
For the uninitiated, the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” error appears when you’ve connected a device such as headphones or a smartwatch to your iPhone. Often, it’s a wired device, although wireless accessories also cause the error.
If you’re unfortunate enough to get this error, Apple has a dedicated knowledge base article containing some simple steps to try. As such, we don’t go into these here. We also don’t talk about other very simple fixes, such as:
- Updating your device
- Turning your phone off and on
- Cleaning the accessory connections
- Swapping your cables
Instead, we look at three methods of fixing the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” error that you may not have considered.
How to Fix the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” Error on iPhone
The three methods below aren’t linear. As such, you’re free to pick and choose a solution based on what you have already ascertained about the error.
1. Enable “Airplane Mode”
First, we have a simple method. Airplane Mode cuts all connections that can affect you when on flights. As such, it’s a quick fix you can implement.
To begin, swipe down from the top of your device and click the Airplane icon.
Next, turn the device off, wait a minute, and restart the device. You may have to try various implementations of this to get things up and running again. For example, try toggling Airplane Mode after a period of time upon reboot.
However, Airplane Mode doesn’t disable Bluetooth by default. As such, there’s a separate fix for that.
2. Reset Your Bluetooth Connection
Your Bluetooth could be a cause of the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” error. However, if you’re trying this with a wired accessory, it is likely not going to be the cause. If you’re struggling with a Bluetooth accessory, though, this step could help.
First, head to “Settings -> Bluetooth” on your iPhone.
While you could simply turn Bluetooth off, you’ll likely get a better result if you forget your networks. For each connection, tap the Info (i) icon and click “Forget This Device.”
When the list is clear, reboot your iPhone and re-add the Bluetooth connection.
3. Change or Reset Your Settings
Our final step is similar to the Bluetooth method. However, here we reset all of the iPhone settings.
To do this, head to “Settings -> General -> Reset.”
First, try “Reset Network Settings.” Note that this will clear all of your Internet passwords, so you’ll want these at hand before pressing ahead.
Next, reboot your phone and see if the issue persists. If so, you may have to “Reset All Settings” and reboot your phone a final time. However, this is a last resort, as it will wipe practically every customization you’ve made to the phone. As such, make a clean backup of your phone before continuing.
Summing Up
Resolving the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” error on iPhone will need you to go through a lot of triage steps in order to determine the real issue. For example, cleaning the connections, hard-rebooting the device, and more will all be necessary to hone in on the problem. From there, digging into the deeper network settings is likely going to be worthwhile.
If you’re undaunted by the error and still want to use quality accessories, we’ve talked about this in a previous article. Have you ever had the “This Accessory May Not Be Supported” error, and if so, how did you fix it? Let us know in the comments section below!
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