Photos app keeps showing New Items to import from iPhone

Is your iPhone taking the photos in the space saving High Efficiency format, but you have set it to transfer the photos in a more compatible format? If the photos on your iPhone are HEIC images, but you import them as JPEGs, the HEIC photos still on the iPhone will always appear as new photos, because you imported converted versions. Make sure, the Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC on the iPhone are not set to "Most compatible", so you don not transfer converted versions. This would disable the duplicate detection, just like iCloud Photos on the iPhone would do.

HI again, cecilwin. We agree. It definitely seems to be a setting on your Mac. Let’s continue our investigation by determining exactly when this happens. First, test for this behavior in safe mode: Start up your Mac in safe mode. Next, see if this behavior persists in a second user account on your Mac. If you don't have one you can use, please follow these steps to make a test account that can be deleted later: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac.

Let us know if the photo importing is normal in those two conditions. We'll be waiting to hear back from you. Thanks!

Hello cecilwin,

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities. After reviewing your post, it sounds like your Mac is automatically importing from the Photos app when you connect your iPhone to it. We'd love to help. To make sure we’re fully understanding, the Mac starts syncing the photos from its Photos app onto your iPhone when you connect it via USB. Is that correct? Have you confirmed that iCloud is disabled on both devices?

Also, please take a look at this article: Overview to syncing your Mac and your devices. From the article, it explains what happens if you choose to automatically sync some content: “Automatically sync all content: This is the quickest and easiest option. Simply select the ‘Automatically sync when this [device] is connected’ checkbox in the General pane, then turn on syncing for each type of content you want to sync. Your Mac and iPhone or iPad update to matching content whenever you connect them.”

Please let us know if you have follow-up questions about this issue, or if the issue remains unresolved. Have a great day!

Thank you for the clarification, cecilwin. So you are wanting to sync your iPhone's photos to your Mac, but only the new ones. We can see where that would be ideal, to save time. This article explains how to transfer photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Check the "Import to your Mac" section. In the image shown, you will see a blue button that says: Import All New Items. That's what you want to click to select only the new content, not already existing in your Photos library.

We hope that helps to resolve that issue for you! Let us know if we can be of any assistance in the future. Take care.