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User profile for user: jollygreenzz
jollygreenzz Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

Unable to Download Older Photos from iMessages

Hello all,


I was trying to go through some older photos earlier that were sent to me through iMessage. When I go to try and download them, I click the "save shared photo" button (attached picture below) at the bottom of the screen. When I do this, a popup appears with "preparing..." and a circular download indicator that never moves. However, no matter how long I wait, even hours at a time, the photos never download. The time stamp for ALL of these older, shared photos is "January 1, 1 08:27", seen within the attached picture. Seems rather odd as this is not a normal time stamp.


Is anyone else having this issue? I really want to be able to keep these photos that are years old.


Please advise, Apple.


Best,


iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 16

Posted on Jan 15, 2023 8:33 PM

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1 reply
User profile for user: OrigamiFan1
OrigamiFan1
User level: Community Specialist

Jan 17, 2023 1:25 PM in response to jollygreenzz

Hi jollygreenzz,


Regarding saving the photo are you able to view and save it directly from the Shared with You section in the Photos app? Test using the steps below found in the article here: View photos and videos shared with you on iPhone


"In the Photos app, the For You screen showing the Shared with You photo collections.

  1. Tap For You, then scroll down to Shared with You.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Tap a photo to view it in full screen, save it to your library, share it, or delete it.
    • Tap See All to view all photos shared with you.
    • Tap the name of the person who shared the photo, then reply to them using the Messages app.

You can also tap Library, then tap All Photos to see photos and videos shared with you in Messages. These photos and videos have a chat bubble in the bottom-left corner of the thumbnail. Tap the thumbnail to share the photo or video, save it to your library, or delete it. To hide photos and videos shared with you in Messages, tap . . . , then tap Your Photos Only."


You can also test saving the photo by using the Share button , rather than the "Save Shared Photo" option.



If the issue continues or you're still unable to save for some reason, take a screenshot and edit the photo to save to your Photos album.


Take a screenshot on your iPhone - Apple Support

Edit photos and videos on iPhone - Apple Support



Cheers.

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Unable to Download Older Photos from iMessages

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