How to Fix iTunes Error 3194

Unlike Android devices, upgrading and restoring iPhones are much easier and quicker, thanks to apps like iTunes that let you easily get the task done for your device. iTunes helps you create backups of your device, restore the backups, update your operating system version, and restore your phone when it does not work the way it is supposed to.

Sometimes, while restoring your iPhone using the iTunes app, you might come across error code 3194 on iTunes. When it happens, you will find that it does not let you proceed with restoring your device. If this has happened to you too and you are looking for a resolution, this guide will be of tremendous help to you.

The guide shows some of the methods you can use to fix the “Could not be restored an unknown error occurred 3194” iTunes error on your computer. You should then be able to successfully restore your iPhone with the app.

Part 1. How to Fix: iTunes Error 3194 with 5 Tips

The main reason why you have the iTunes error 3194 is that the app is facing difficulties connecting to the Internet. Because of that, it cannot help you download the new firmware or let you restore your phone.

However, after applying the following fixes, you should be able to get rid of that issue and be able to update and restore your devices without an issue.

Tip 1. Update the Version of iTunes on Your Computer

One of the primary reasons most users face issues with the iTunes app is because they use an older version of the app. These older versions often have issues and bugs in them, which are rectified in the newer versions.

For instance, when they find a bug in, say version 10 of the app, version 11 then comes with that bug already fixed. What it basically means is keeping your app up to date should resolve most issues you face with it on your computer. Updating iTunes on a computer is pretty easy and it can be done using two ways.

Download the Latest Version of iTunes and Install It – In this method, you download the latest version of the app and replace the older version of the app on your computer with it.

Step 1. Head over to the iTunes download page.

Step 2. Download the app to your computer.

Step 3. Install the app.

Updating iTunes using Apple Software Update – When you install iTunes on your computer, it installs a utility called Apple Software Update as well. It can be used to update any Apple software on your computer.

Step 1. Search for Apple Software Update on your computer and open it.

Step 2. Soon as it opens, it will automatically search for available updates.

Step 3. If an update is available, you should be able to install it.

Tip 2. Fix the Hosts File on Your Computer

If you have been using a Windows PC for quite some time, you have likely heard of this file called hosts file. It is basically a configuration that defines whether or not your computer should be able to connect to a website. It may be that there is a misconfiguration in the app that is preventing iTunes from connecting to the Apple servers. If that is the case, you can fix it by removing the Apple server fields from the file on your computer.

Step 1. Close the iTunes app if it is already open on your computer.

Step 2. Head over to the following path and open the file named hosts.

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

Step 3. When the file opens, ensure there are no entries that restrict connections to any Apple servers. If you find any such line, remove it and save the file.

Tip 3. Ensure the Internet Works on Your Computer

It goes without saying but the Internet connection you have on your computer must be working. If it does not work, obviously the iTunes app is not going to be able to establish a connection with the Apple servers. You want to make sure your connection works and that websites can be accessed from your machine.

You can quickly check the status of your Internet by opening a web browser and trying to access a website such as Google. If it opens, your Internet works. However, if it does not open, you may want to use the troubleshoot program on your computer to fix it.

Step 1. Launch the Settings app and click on Update & Security.

Step 2. Click on Troubleshoot in the left sidebar, choose Internet Connections on the right-side, and select Run the troubleshooter.

Step 3. The troubleshooter should help you fix the issue.

Tip 4. Turn Off Your Firewall While Restoring the iPhone

If you do not already know, the purpose of a firewall is to secure your computer from any Internet and network threats. Sometimes, a firewall can detect iTunes’ connection to the Apple servers as a malicious action. In that case, it will block the connection rendering iTunes’ tasks useless.

It is pretty easy to fix that as you can disable the firewall on your computer temporarily while you use iTunes. You can then turn it back on when you have finished restoring your iPhone.  The following is how you fix the error code 3194 on iTunes by turning off the firewall.

Step 1. Open Control Panel on your computer.

Step 2. Click on System and Security and then choose Windows Defender Firewall.

Step 3. Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off in the left sidebar.

Step 4. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall in both sections on the following screen and hit OK.

Tip 5. Disable Your Antivirus Software

Most antivirus software usually works well and they only detect the actual viruses as viruses. However, sometimes, some antivirus software end-up detecting good apps as viruses. In these cases, your iTunes could also be the victim of such software.

To fix it, you can disable the software while you use the iTunes app on your computer. How you can turn off the software depends on what software you use, but you should be able to find the option to do it on the main interface of whatever antivirus you use.

Tip 6. Fix iTunes Error 3194 with One-Stop Solution

Whenever you are faced with iTunes Error 3194, you can turn to our one-stop solution: AnyFix—iOS System Recovery tool. We recommend this tool to you since it is very easy for users to operate. Besides, it can also address other  iOS/iPadOS/tvOS/iTunes issues in minutes without data loss such as more than 130 sorts of system issues for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch/Apple TV and  more than 200 sorts of iTunes errors.

Now you can seek to download AnyFix on your computer so as to address iTunes error with a few clicks:

Step 1. Launch AnyFix on your computer and connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable. Then you need to click iTunes Repair mode on the AnyFix homepage.

Step 2. Since the the main reason why you have the iTunes error 3194 is that the app is facing difficulties connecting to the Internet, you are expected to tap iTunes Connection/Backup/Restore Errors and kick Fix Now under iTunes Repair mode.

Step 3. Then AnyFix will scan your components and fix your issues. After a few minutes, you will see the completed page as follows.

Part 2. How to Restore iPhone with PhoneRescue

In most cases, the above methods should get the issue fixed for you. However, if you have not had luck with any of them, you might want to consider using a third-party app to do your task.

There are now many third-party apps letting you restore your iOS devices. PhoneRescue allows you to quickly, easily, and efficiently restore your iPhone without the need for iTunes. If you are interested in learning how the software works and how it can be used, the following should be helpful to you.

Step 1. Download and install PhoneRescue on your computer.

Step 2. Plug-in your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.

Step 3. Launch the app and click on the option that says Recover from Backup.

Step 4. You will see the backups you can restore on your iPhone. Choose the one you want to restore and hit the arrow icon at the bottom.

Step 5. You will then even be able to select the data to be restored. Make your selection and click on the restore icon at the bottom.

Your iPhone will be restored with your chosen backup. That should work even if you have the iTunes error 3194 on your computer.

Conclusion

Relying on all of your iPhone tasks solely on iTunes can sometimes be a bad decision. If you are frustrated by the error code 3194 on iTunes, there are a few ways to fix the issue and an alternate method to using if you cannot fix the iTunes app.