How come I do not see my pictures taken before 2016?

Are you using iCloud Photos? If yes, are you seeing your older photos still at www.icloud.com in the Photos.app on that web page? To check your iCloud web page, use a web browser on a computer. The iPhone will show you only the much less useful mobile version of your iCloud web page by default. If you don't have a computer, you can force the iPhone to show the Desktop version of the web page:

To switch to the Desktop version of a page on the iPhone, see: Browse the web using Safari on iPhone - Apple Support

"Change text size, display, and website settings

Use the View menu to increase or decrease the text size, switch to Reader view, specify privacy restrictions, and more.

To open the View menu, tap https://help.apple.com/assets/60DCD49E882CDF5DF9628F1F/60DCD4A5882CDF5DF9628F68/en_US/e67d445a8b49ad8cb9bf76fca2175d5a.png" height="30" width="44 on the left side of the search field, then do any of the following:

• Change the font size: Tap the large A to increase the font size or tap the small A to decrease it.
• View the webpage without ads or navigation menus: Tap Show Reader View (if available).
• Hide the search field: Tap Hide Toolbar (tap the top of the screen to get it back).
• View the desktop version of the webpage: Tap Request Desktop Website (if available).
• Set display and privacy controls for each time you visit this website: Tap Website Settings."

If the older photos are no longer in iCloud, they may have become deleted at some time on any of your devices syncing with iCloud and the deletion will have synced to all your devices. But if the photos are still in iCloud, they may not yet have synced to your iPhone. How much free storage is on your iPhone?

Hi Minky19,

Welcome to the Apple Community.

Apple support have an article online that may help you.

If you're missing photos or videos in the Photos app:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205912

or try

Photos Support

https://support.apple.com/photos

Hope this helps you :)