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My iPhone 11 Pro Max has stopped letting me download photographs, I have recenctly taken, to my iMac (2010 Version). I have never had trouble doing this in the past, but now Photos is telling me that they cannot be added to the photo library "because they may be an unrecognisable file format or the file may not contain valid data". My software is all up to date, including OS 16. Is the update the issue here? your help would be much appreciated.
iPhone 11 Pro Max
After iOS 16 upgrade many uses reported here that they can no longer download there photos from the iPhone on any system version older than macOS 10.15 Catalina. You will have to wait for a bug fix in iOS 16 to make the iPhone again compatible with older versions of iOS.
For the time being, try to download the new photos using Air Drop or iCloud Photos.
After iOS 16 upgrade many uses reported here that they can no longer download there photos from the iPhone on any system version older than macOS 10.15 Catalina. You will have to wait for a bug fix in iOS 16 to make the iPhone again compatible with older versions of iOS.
For the time being, try to download the new photos using Air Drop or iCloud Photos.
Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.
NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following;
• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed
• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)
• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically
• Disables user-installed fonts
• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files
NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will assure a good boot into Safe Mode.
Check your iPhone to see what format is set for photos and videos. If it's the high efficiency format your 2010 probably isn't upgraded systemwide to High Sierra so it can handle the HEIF and HEVC formats.
If the iPhone is set for high efficiency set it to the mose compatible setting, i.e. back to jpeg, and you'll be able to handle them from then on. Or upgrade to High Sierra, macOS 13.
For those already taken in the high efficiency format you can download them to a folder on the Desktop and convert them to spec with a converter app from the App Store.
Thank you Old Toad. I changed the format as suggested, took a couple more photos but the issue remained and they would not download.
I have owned the iPhone 11 Pro Max since it came out and have never had problems downloading photographs despite it being on the higher settings all that time. This is a very recent issue and I am suspecting the timing is the same as OS16 coming in.
I have tried your suggestion of High Sierra macOS13 (I already have High Sierra 10.13.6) but this does not appear available to me anywhere that I can find.
I know my old Mac is considered obsolete by Apple, but it suits me perfectly and I prefer it to the new stuff.
Thanks again.
Any news in this regard? I have the exact same issue and it started exactly with the update to ios 16. I can tell this is the issue source as my wife didnt update yet and can download the pictures fine. Reason why it has to be related to the ios and not to the old mac is the fact that my iphone cant download the pics even to a brand new win 11 machine. Guess what? My wife can. Very disappointing apple!
Hi Duxnobis,
As I suspected, the issue was the 16.0.1 and this was fully resolved in the very next update. All photos now importing as they should. All I can suggest, if you haven’t already done so, is to update your phone with the latest software. Good luck.
Thanks again but this didn't work either. Most likely requires a bug fix for OS16 and I'll just need to wait.
Photos not downloading
