How to Fix iTunes Error Code 3194?
iTunes is a device management, media-player and radio broadcaster application that has been developed by Apple. The application can be used to back up your iPhone’s data and many more things. Even though this is a great feature, there are still some issues with it that various users face from time to time. One of them is the error code 3194. This error often appears while trying to update your iOS to a newer version. The error is usually caused by your internet connection, a jailbroken iOS, etc.
This issue is very common and you don’t have to worry about it as we are going to help you resolve the issue. In this article, we will be going through the causes of the error message and then providing a list of solutions that you can apply to have your issue fixed.
What causes the iTunes error 3194?
This error is caused because iTunes is not able to connect to Apple servers to download and install the updates or when you are restoring your iOS device to a previous state. Some of the common causes of this behavior are:
- Having a bad internet connection: If your internet connectivity is not properly working, then you are likely going to get this error because iTunes will not be able to complete the upgrade or restoration process on your iOS device without a working internet connection.
- Blockades on the network: If there are any blockades on your network or you are behind a proxy then maybe some of the incoming connections are blocked and iTunes is not able to connect to Apple servers because of the blocking of the incoming/outgoing connections or ports that are used by the iTunes app. These blockages can also be caused by antivirus software or having a strict firewall policy set up on your computer or your network.
- Having a jailbroken iOS: If your iOS has been jailbroken or you have tweaked something with its firmware then you may be getting this error due to it. The problem with jailbreaking is that sometimes, it might block connectivity with the Apple servers on your device due to which you won’t be able to do an upgrade or restore your device. Also, if you are using an outdated version of iOS, then you will more likely get this error.
- Having apple domains/IP addresses blacklisted in the hosts file: If you are using iTunes on Windows or Mac, then it is a possibility that your hosts file might have been modified by some malware or virus which has added the apple’s domain/IP address to the blacklist of the hosts file. Once a domain/IP address has been added to blacklist in the hosts file, then your computer won’t be able to connect to that domain or IP address. Another possibility is that if you have jailbroken your iOS device, then it might have added the apple’s domain/IP address in the blacklist of the hosts file which in turns block access to apple servers on your device and your device wouldn’t be able to perform a restore or upgrade.
There are these solutions listed below that you can try to get rid of this error. As solutions vary from cause to cause of the problem so all of them won’t work for you but one or the other will so be sure to try all of these solutions and see which works for you.
Solution 1: Remove connectivity blockades by disabling firewall/antivirus software
The first thing you can do is to temporarily disable any firewall or antivirus software that you might have installed on your device. Many times, certain antivirus software blocks incoming/outgoing connections due to security reasons and the chances are that it has blocked the connectivity of iTunes with its servers. So, you need to disable your antivirus software (if you have installed any) on your device and disable the firewall for some time and see if you can get rid of the error on iTunes.
Solution 2: Try using a different network connection
Sometimes, your computer is not able to reach certain domains or IP addresses. The workaround here is to try using iTunes from another computer and update or restore your iOS device using it. This helps to figure out if there are any connectivity problems with your computer due to which iTunes might not be able to connect to its servers. If you can update/restore using another computer with iTunes, then it means your computer has some network issues which needs to resolve. The same case is with a network connection. If the network connection that you are using have a proxy or strict firewall set up, then iTunes might not be able to access its servers anymore and you will likely end up having a broken or not working iTunes app on your system.
Solution 3: Update your iTunes app
Sometimes, an outdated iTunes application might be the cause of this issue. If you have not updated your iTunes application for a while now. Consider updating it on your device, and see if the error gets resolved for you. An outdated iTunes app might well be the cause of this issue. The remedy is to download the latest iTunes app for your device and install it.
To update iTunes, just open it up, go to Help and select Check for updates.
Solution 4: Use correct firmware for your device
This error can also arise if you are using any other firmware on your iOS device instead of the one provided by Apple itself or the firmware made by Apple’s developers. If you are one of those guys who like to tweak things out and play with your device, then you might have installed an unofficial firmware on your Apple device which might be causing this error. So, if you are, revert to the original firmware for your device and see if you can get rid of this error.
Solution 5: Reset your iOS device remotely
If all of the above solutions don’t work for you, then you can try resetting your iOS device from iCloud and then try to apply the update/restore task. To reset your iOS device from iCloud, do the following:
- Login into your iCloud account using the iCloud website or from another iOS device.
- Once logged in, go the section “Find my iPhone”. A map will be opened which will tell you the location of your device.
- Now select the iOS device that you want to perform upgrade/restore. (To do that click on All Devices in the top menu and choose your device).
Finding iPhone - Afterward, click on the Erase button in iOS’s device’s card. This will start the process of factory resetting your iOS device. It might take a while and after that, the iOS device that you have selected will be reset to the factory default settings.
- Next, see if you can perform the upgrade/restore task with your iTunes.
If your iOS device had been modified and its settings tweaked, then resetting it will hopefully get rid of this error for you.
