Interestingly, I have discovered my missing photos when I use my "Night Camera" app. For those who have this app, you should be able to view your missing photos by tapping on the icon on the bottom left of the Night Camera Screen. It does not solve the overall problem, but at least I am assured that my photos are still there - somewhere. Hopefully Apple are on to it, although my call to the support number earlier today would indicate a total lack on interest in the issue.
Hello All, New to the Forum. Had the same problem.
I went to Apple and according to an Apple Genius, apparently it's a OS/Software issue.
The long/short story:
So, I spoke to 1 Sales Assoc./genius and she didn't know anything about it. In fact she even went as far as to say (with pure confidence) it's not a real issue and that since it's just a problem found by users on "a forum" ie. this one, it's not an official problem. (In the back of my mind, I wanted to PROVE HER WRONG...and I did! 🙂
Next I showed her the issue and took a pic in the store and showed her the thumb nail of the pic just taken. Then I clicked the thumbnail to take it back to the Camera Roll, and to her surprise it didn't show the pic I had just taken.
I even took multiple pics and surprise surprise, the photos still weren't showing. Then, with humility, she then passed me on to a Higher Genius/Manager.
Lucky for us, the Manager was way more helpful. Basically it's a rare problem found by Apple, because most users don't reach the 10K mark with photos.
After some research he deduced it was a software issue found after the great 3.0 OS update. He said he would report the problem to the iPhone department. Hopefully the problem will be fixed with the next update.
************* ************* ************* (Please note: I have the iPhone 3G 16 GB and I use a PC. So I'm not sure how Mac users would do this. But I'm sure there's a way for Mac users to do this too, that's very similar to the solution below.)
Temporary SOLUTION:
...to have photos taken thru camera mode appear once again in camera roll.
* Basically it's a way to RESET your Camera Roll counter back to either photo0000 (or photo2000 in my case)
************* ************* *************
1. First extract the photos from your iPhone as if they were files.
Go to My Computer.
Right Click your iPhone/iPhone Camera.
Click Get Pictures.
In the wizard, select all photos.
Select Delete All Photos after extraction.
Then press Next and save all the photos you saved to your Computer/Hard Drive.
(Do Not Disconnect your iPhone form the USB yet. Step one will save your pictures and also clear out the Camera Roll. From my guess this process also resets the camera roll counter.)
2. Connect your iPhone to iTunes as if you were going to sync.
Under the Photos tab, un-check the photo albums that are synced to your iPhone.
Press Sync.
(With Step 1 and Step 2 completed, this will basically clear out all photos from your iPhone.)
Once Sync is completed, you will have no pics in your iPhone's photo section and camera roll.
3. Disconnect and take a photo.
Check camera roll and new photos taken should appear once again.
4. For further proof of the reset, go back to My Computer.
Right Click iPhone.
Click Open or Explore.
Drag the photo files from your iPhone to your Hard Drive, and you will see that the photo number will rolled back to a lower number.
(in my case it rolled back to Photo 2000, compared to Photo 10,000.)
And that's it. It worked for me, and I hope it works for you.
Con: You'll lose the Camera Roll photos.
But if you follow Step 1 at least you'll save them, and then you can just load them as an Album straight from your Hard Drive.
Thank you MM80 for your solution. It must be a "hit or miss" thing as I tried your suggestion, but to no avail. I think Apple need to get on to it and soon!
I've had my iPhone 3GS for almost 2 months. I can no longer see the pictures I take on the camera roll, and therefore most of my photo apps are useless. I don't have a personal computer, so I don't have iTunes to back up my system. I called Apple, and they've never heard of this problem before. I'll need to take my phone in for a repair, but I think I need to start saving again for a computer or a new phone. I'm quite chagrined, since the phone is so new. I used it mostly to take pics and email them.
I'm having the same problem--all photos img_1000 and higher are unviewable in the camera roll, but I am able to pull them off my phone onto iPhoto. Very frustrating, though, because none of the third-party applications can access the photos that are "invisible."
How many here have formally complained of this via any and all appropriate channels? I have not, yet, but will.
I only ask because of the Geniuses some here have found to be ignorant of this problem. I would have expected a Genius to quickly search a database to learn of this problem and perhaps be able to provide the bug report number and its status.
I have the pessimistic view that these forums are not suited for getting Apple's attention to fix legitimate bugs. That said, I will raise the issue in the iPhone forum at macthemes2.net, with the MacWarriors student group at the University of Illinois, and perhaps also with the online Mac press.
I think all we need to do is make some noise, and get more discussion going about this. Eventually the entire iPhone population will take their 10,000th photo and run into this problem. So if you'll excuse me, I've got the iPhone World to save! Farewell!
I've been reading through this, because this happened to my iPhone last night. although, I don't have a 3GS (as it seems everyone else does). I have an 8Gig 3G. so does this mean I've taken 10k pictures? lol awesome, but it ***** that I have to do this upload > sync > just to see them on my iPhone.
If someone knows where I can complain (AKA give my feedback) about this problem (other than the genius's, since they seem to know d!*k) please let me know. The end of summer is coming soon and I would be super ****** if AT&T released the MMS block and I can't even use it because of this bullmess.
I have a 3G, but mine is 16GB. I went to an Apple store yesterday in a mall, I didn't have an appointment (didn't know I was going until that morning) but I couldn't talk to anyone because all the appointments were filled. No available appointments on a Wed. What does that say about Apple products?
Apple hasn't said anything about this and it's getting ridiculous.
Folks, I've read this issue comes from 2007 at least, so it's not related to the iPhone model you have. It's very annoying, and not a satisfactory, official correction up to this day. Whatever we try is just a remedy to an issue that shouldn't be there in the first place, after all this time. I love my iPhone, but would like a definitive, official correction. Let's feedback at once, shall we??
JJ
You're right, it's not related to the model. I bought my iPhone on June 30, 2007, so obviously I have one of the first models and I had this issue.
As I posted earlier in this thread, I downloaded the demo only of PhoneView and deleted some files from my iPhone and it solved the problem for me, at least temporarily. If you haven't tried that yet, look earlier in this thread. I believe I posted a link to instructions on how to do it.
Thank you. Yes, I'm sure PhoneView works. I purchased the full version some time ago and sometimes I've used it to pull photos and messages from my iPhone. It's really a very useful app. The problem is (and I'll post this issue on another forum to ask for help and other guidance), my Mac was stolen and haven't synced my iPhone since then. Obviously don't have access to my iPhoneView to try any suggested remedy.
So, in the meantime I get another mac, my only contact with my old apps and everything I had on my mini, is what was left on my iPhone at the time of the theft. And can't use it fully these days because of this awful issue!
I read lots of articles in the tech blogs and in Mac magazines like MacWorld about every single bug on the iPhone, no matter how widespread or not is the issue. Why no one of them has written or comment anything about this OLD bug? I think it's time to call their attention too. We seem to be here complaining in circles with each other and that's it.
