Just have a brand new MacBook Air M1 with BIG SUR and a brand new Iphone 11. I can't import the photos from my iPhone to Photos. After "unlock it" the photos app remains with the "please unlock your phone message". Please help.

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Just have a brand new MacBook Air M1 with BIG SUR and a brand new Iphone 11. I can't import the photos from my iPhone to Photos. After "unlock it" the photos app remains with the "please unlock your phone message". Please help.

Hello,

Just have a brand new MacBook Air M1 with BIG SUR and a brand new Iphone 11. I can't import the photos from my iPhone to Photos. After "unlock it" the photos app remains with the "please unlock your phone message". After restart it now a new message appears - Preparing to import from Iphone - but nothing happens. Can you help? Thanks.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.2

Posted on Apr 25, 2021 1:32 AM

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Answer 1

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Komandantte Author

Level 1

15 points

Apr 26, 2021 11:37 AM in response to léonie

Hi Leonie... problem solved... as strange as it may seem, I've changed the USBC to USB adapter (a Satechi) to another one (a Baseus), and guess what...in a few seconds all the photos appeared. The strangest thing is that the Iphone was connected directly to the Mac Air via Lightning - USBC, and the adapter was only for the hard disk. Now all is working fine.

But thank you for all your help and suggestions.

Cheers.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

197,751 points

Apr 25, 2021 4:17 AM in response to Komandantte

How many photos do you have on your iPhone? The "Preparing" can take several hours if you have 50000 or more photos on the iPhone like on my iPhone 11 Pro max. Just keep the iPhone connected to power and wait what will happen.

Are you using iCloud Photos on the iPhone? Then it would not make much sense to import directly from the iPhone but much better to download from iCloud and not from the iPhone - use iCloud Photos on the Mac as well. Otherwise you could only download the photos from the iPhone that are currently cached in full resolution on the iPhone, a random result, as not all photos may have been stored locally.

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Answer 3

Komandantte Author

Level 1

15 points

Apr 26, 2021 1:57 AM in response to léonie

Hi Leonie,

Thanks for your prompt answer/help. I have 547 photos and 38 videos to import. In the past never had this issue. Is the first time. I believe that Apple with such beautiful machines (loving my M1 Air ) and Iphones (loving my Iphone11), should make iPhotos App much better. Sometimes is not convenient (on the road) to acess internet and to get into "clouds". The old hard disk in those cases is always better. I'm going to try leaving it all morning (or more) to see if it gets there.

Thanks,

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

197,751 points

Apr 26, 2021 4:37 AM in response to Komandantte

When I am travelling abroad, I usually disable iCloud Photos on the iPhone, if there is no reliable and affordable internet available and are only keeping the most recent and new photos on the iPhone. Then the download from the iPhone using a wired connection will be very fast. It is just with fifty thousand photos on the iPhone that the "preparing" is painfully slow.

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Just have a brand new MacBook Air M1 with BIG SUR and a brand new Iphone 11. I can't import the photos from my iPhone to Photos. After "unlock it" the photos app remains with the "please unlock your phone message". Please help.

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