Last updated on 2021-06-10, by Yuson Zou

[2021] How to Fix iTunes Error 3194?

As a popular music app, iTunes has been the music supply for many people. Despite its powerful features of music listening, some people report "iTunes error 3194" when they want to update or upgrade their devices like iPad or iPhone. What is the cause of the error and how to fix it? If you are reading this, it means you are having the same problem. This article is everything you want to know about iTunes error 3194 and the ways to fix it.

Part 1: What is iTunes Error 3194?

It's frustrating when you encounter iTunes Error 3194, but before moving on to the solutions, let's define iTunes Error 3194 first. Based on Apple's support service, the error occurs "when your computer can not communicate with Apple's software update server." It's one of the common iTunes errors that pop up to warn you that there is something wrong with the connection or protocol in the upgrade/restore of your Apple device. It's also likely the warning when you are not eligible to upgrade to a particular version of iOS.

Part 2: Same Codes as iTunes Error 3194

iTunes error 3194 is one of the most often seen errors that indicate the communication issue. Additionally, you might encounter some error codes or warning suggesting the same problem when connecting to Apple's update server, and these codes/warning could be:

• - Error 17
• - Error 1639
• - Errors 3000-3020
• - Errors 3100-3999
• - This device isn't eligible for the requested build

The error codes above might pop up when you update or restore your iOS device. If you get one of these messages, just apply the same solutions to iTunes error 3194 to fix it.

Part 3: Why does iTunes Error 3194 Appear?

So why is this happening, the iTunes error 3194, and all these communication-related issues when you update or restore your device? This is because iTunes will need to check the server that used to activate iOS for verification, to see if you are eligible for a particular update. Not able to connect to them means there's something wrong with the iOS software. The iOS has been modified or the version of iOS is no longer supported, mostly because the hosts file has been modified for some reasons.

More specifically, the hosts file on your device has been modified which causes the iOS software issue. iTunes will need to use the host file to communicate with Apple's update server for further verification. Besides that, the host file could have been modified when you jailbreak your phone with a third-party program. These programs will need to modify the hosts file to free the iPhone from some limitations. Thus the modification of the host file results in the blocking when iTunes communicates with Apple's iOS update/restore server thus triggers iTunes error 3194.

Part 4: Solutions to Fix iTunes Error 3194

Now you know the possible causes for the iTunes error 3194 and the codes that suggest the same issue, it's time to fix them! Here are a few ways that might help you out.

Try another computer

You may try another computer to restore or update your iOS. This step is to rule out if the iTunes error 3194 is specific to one computer when communicating with the update server. If it still occurs, go for the next solution.

Upgrade iTunes

Apple support suggests that you should update your iTunes to the latest version when you see iTunes error 3194. This is a simple and quick fix, and it's worth a try. It's useful when the old version of iTunes is blocking the connection. To update your iTunes, simply follow the steps below:

• - Open Apple Store.
• - Click "Updates" on top of the Apple Store.
• - Click "Install" to update to the latest version if applicable.