After updating to iOS 13, all photos previously sent and received through iMessage are gone. Has anyone else encountered this issue and found a solution?
iPhone XS
Just a suggestion which you may have already tried, but on my phone if I click on the info icon at the top and scroll to the bottom it says x number of images in iCloud and there is an option to download them. Hope this helps
I had to have my phone plugged in and connected to wifi before it would download from the cloud... it didn’t download every single picture, there are still lots on the cloud but one iMessage had 1490 photos and videos.. but I can download them if needed
Hello.
after upgrading to 13.2 this still did not work for me. Although! After upgrading and saw no change I did a factory reset and restored from iCloud. It seems I have now started to get more pictures in my info tab in different messages than before which was none. A handful have downloaded from the cloud spratically but still thousands are missing.
if anyone is having this issue you MUST call Apple support, reference this thread and escalate to a case manager. Apple does not read these forums and unless you open a support ticket it will not get fixed and go unnoticed.
Before crying and whining that you are switching to android open a support ticket with Apple support now.
This is the only way this is going to be fixed.
I had this issue and resolved it. Longer versions listed here in the thread.
TL;DR
Backed up first (as a CYA). Erased phone. Set up as new. Did not restore from backup. Signed into iCloud. Problem solved.
Download button doesn’t work, it appears it was added for decoration as Christmas is approaching.
The only known fix is to do a full backup in cloud and for safe measure to a computer then use the computer to do a full restore of the latest IOS (12.2.2 at the time of writing) then restore your backup.
this will force the indexing to work and will take about 24-48 hours. Your photos may not initially reappear when you set up the phone after the restore. give it time.
this still does not resolve the inaccurate storage display which shows significantly less on the iPhone storage then in iCloud storage.
Amen!! I put off doing a full restore in hopes for a fix that never came. The restore IS the fix. The fact that I was able to restore from a local backup and my pictures indexed properly, confirms I had some sort of problem with an OTA update when I set up my 11 Pro Max as new.
Everyone is entitled to complain but why complain when the fix is available. You’re likely not going to see it magically correct itself with more iOS updates because it’s only building upon the bug without a full restore being completed.
The data is not lost and will not be lost. Look at your iCloud Messages storage if you are concerned. If you have multiple GBs...the data is there and safe.
I am running 13.2.2
I’ll provide an update when and if photos finally finish. What’s weird is by doing a restore from iTunes it downloaded all photos in full immediately . Not sure why it had to re do what was already done in the cloud.
I have provided the fix above. Read up.
longstory short. If you haven’t already: use a computer to RESTORE to 13.2.2, load your backup back on the device and you must wait 12-24 hours for them to appear. Don’t go around clicking download and signing in and out. You must keep your phone connected to AC power and wifi during the first 12-24 hours. If you disconnect it will resume where it left off. It needs to
index. There is a bug in earlier versions of 13 that the indexing is broken and won’t work unless you restore your phone to the latest.
Read back a few pages to find the full instructions I posted to fix.
So... Two days after my full restore (which didn't fix the problem) Apple have released an update (13.3.3) which CLAIMS to fix the problem: "Addresses an issue where photos, links, and other attachments might not display in the Messages details view"
I've installed the update and so far no change. But I guess I'll give it 24-48 hours before deciding if it's a failure.
Hello,
I have said this too many times.
YOU MUST RESTORE TO THE LATEST IOS 13.2.3, IF YOU DO A OVER THE AIR UPDATE YOUR INDEXING PROBLEM WILL NOT BE FIXED.
YOU MUST RESTORE AND REINSTALL THE WHOLE 13.2.3 OS.
If you are a noob like the other guy who has been complaining for the past 14 pages about his lack of photos on the info tab but to afraid to restore in fear he is going to "lose" data and he cannot do a offline backup. Forget about it and write in your diary, I'm sick of hearing about crying and whining with no actions to actually try and remedy the issue. If you have your data in the cloud, RESTORE your device or do a offline backup.
That's it that's all.
Solution: RESTORE your ios, that's it. Wait 24 hours for data to download and indexing will start after all data is re-downloaded. This will take 2 days.
The fix that worked for me is that described by @JMpls on page 17.
Restoring from the cloud did NOT work for me.
Restoring from the local backup on my computer did.
iOS has never been so buggy. It's still plagued with little problems. But at least I got my message attachments back - finally.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250644536?answerId=251658658022#251658658022
Just spoke with a senior rep at apple. He stated it’s a known issue and they are working on a new update to resort photos that are lost in the “see all” as well as the links. He stated there is no short fix or work around for this. He said restoring it will not work. We have to wait until the new update is out and hopefully that fully restores everything. I know this isn’t good new but at least there is an answer right?
This is how I fixed mine:
Messages started coming in as well as photo thumbnails, links and other documents I had shared through iMessage.
Note that my restore messages/photos from iCloud took about 8-10 hours alone as oppose to the usual one hour or so it takes, so DO NOT interrupt the process as long as "Download Messages from iCloud" and "Upload Messages to iCloud" messages are showing at the bottom of Messages app.
I hope this works for you too - good luck.
OK... my latest update I tried a full back to pc and restored all via itunes and its fixed the broken info issue within imessgae and contacts
Still proves theres something breaks either when updating OTA or restoring OTA using wireless as opposed to itunes...
I finally got mine back by logging out and logging back in of everything that uses my iCloud, individually
I fixed this issue by “Transferring from my old phone” instead of “Uploading from iCloud backup” when I was given the option while Quick Starting my new iPhone.
Photos in iMessage disappeared after ios13 update
