How to Fix iPhone Photos Not Loading (2023)

iPhones are known for their superb camera and image quality. All captured images through its camera are stored in the Photos app. However, some iPhone users have experienced their iPhone photos not loading.

iPhone Photos Not Loading

Images not loading on iPhone can be annoying, especially when trying to find a particular photo you took a while ago. This guide will show you the most common reasons for the iPhone loading picture issue and how to fix images not loading on iPhone. Read on to learn more.

 

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“Why are My Photos Not Loading?” — Most Common Reasons

There are various reasons for the photos not showing up on iPhone Camera Roll problem. From your iPhone’s settings, insufficient memory to internet problems, your images cannot load properly. Here are the most common reasons why the photos on your iPhone are not loading:

  • The Optimize Storage Option is Enabled – If you’ve decided to save memory space on your iPhone, the most effective way to do this is by enabling the Optimize Storage feature. However, this automatically saves your images to your iCloud storage and stores thumbnails or previews on the Photos app. This can lead to some photos being inaccessible.
  • Insufficient Memory or Storage – When you’ve saved too many photos, files, and apps on your iPhone, you might have trouble viewing the latest photos on the app. You may also experience the iPhone Storage Not Loading Error.
  • Unstable Internet Connection – Another problem that might cause the iPhone photos not loading issue is an unstable internet connection. Try connecting to a more stable Wi-Fi and see if you can see more images on the Photos app.

 

How to Fix iPhone Photos Not Loading

Below are steps to help you fix the iPhone photos not loading problem. Remember to review each fix and see which one is the most effective for your iPhone:

 

Fix #1: Turn Off the Optimize Storage Feature on Your iPhone

The Optimize Storage feature is one of the main causes when you’re unable to view your latest iPhone photos. While it helps keep your iPhone’s memory under control, your files and images will all be saved on your iCloud storage. To view your photos, you’ll need to access your iCloud account first, which can be a hassle.

To turn off the Optimize Storage feature on your iPhone, follow these steps:

  1. Turn on your iPhone, navigate to Settings, and select your Apple ID below the search bar.
  2. Select iCloud > Photos and make sure that the Download and Keep Originals option is checked instead of Optimize iPhone Storage.
  3. Also, ensure that the Sync this iPhone option is toggled to On.
  4. Check if you can now view your recent photos from the Photos app.

 

Fix #2: Connect to a Stable Internet Connection

Once your photos are stored on iCloud, you must have a stable internet connection. This way, you can quickly access all the saved images on your cloud storage. If your Wi-Fi is still unstable, try power cycling your Wi-Fi router or contacting your ISP to fix it.

 

Fix #3: Try Deleting Old Photos and Unused Apps on Your iPhone

If you haven’t managed to clean out your iPhone’s storage yet—like deleting old photos and uninstalling unused apps—it might cause issues with the Photos app and other apps on your iPhone.

To delete old photos and unused apps on your iPhone, proceed to these steps:

  1. Navigate to Settings > General and choose iPhone Storage.
  2. You will now see how your iPhone’s storage is being used. To quickly free up storage without deleting essential data, set the Offload Unused Apps option to Enable.
  3. To uninstall an app,  select an app from the list and choose Delete App.
  4. To delete old images from the Photos app, open the app and tap Select on the top-right part of the screen. Choose all the photos you want to delete and tap the Trash icon on the bottom-right corner.

As well as deleting files, you can transfer them to your laptop. If you have a Mac this is easy, but it may not work first time on a PC. Please read our guide if you are copying files from your iPhone to a PC and you get the “A device attached to the system is not functioning” error.

 

Fix #4: Access All Images via Your iCloud Account

If you still cannot access your saved images via the Photos app, the last resort that you can take is to view these photos from your iCloud account. Fortunately, you can access the iCloud website using any browser or operating system. However, you must have a valid iCloud account and actively sync your photos and videos to your iCloud storage.

To access your images via your iCloud account, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your default browser on your computer, laptop, or smartphone and access iCloud’s official website.
  2. Log in to your account and select the Photos app to view your saved photos.
  3. You can also download your selected photos by choosing the Download button.
  4. Once your photos have been downloaded, you can move them to your desired device.

 

Final Thoughts

iPhones are well known for their excellent image quality. However, you might have trouble accessing your recently taken photos; various factors, including insufficient iPhone memory, and an unstable internet connection, can cause this.

Hopefully, this guide helps you fix the iPhone photos not loading problem on your device. If these fixes were ineffective, try contacting Apple Support for more help.