iMessage not downloading pictures

Hello New_phone_who_dis3,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities! It sounds like you need help with downloading iMessage images.   

We can see why you’d want this taken care of, so let us help from here! Let’s start by reviewing the following article which may help: Share photos and videos on iPhone. If this process is not working as expected, we have a few suggestions that may help:

1. Restart your iPhone

2. Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

3. Close an app on your iPhone or iPod touch (close the Messages app and re-open it)

4. Sign in with your Apple ID (Make sure you are still signed in)

Please have a look and let us know if this helps! 

Cheers! 

Easy fix I just discovered. Simply tap on the top (the contact’s name) when you have the text message open that you want to see the pictures that won’t download. Under their name, towards the bottom click on “I message in download” and it will download all your photos associated with that contact.

I'm having the same problem. Even in photos, it'll say it's downloading and then never actually download. How useless. Looks like the only fix is to download all originals and disable storage optimization, but that negates the entire purpose of paying for icloud storage space. So what is it, Apple?

Hi, both my parents and I are having these issues too. I looked up on how to trouble shoot this issue and it seems like nothing has worked so far, is there any other way to troubleshoot this?

are there more than 4 apple users that have this issue, if so apple should look into figuring this out.

Nope that didn’t help. None of my pictures are showing in my message threads at all. Every single one of them makes you hit download and I don’t want to have to download every one of the photos. I have got plenty of phone storage left and iCloud storage and I’ve updated to the newest operating system 17.1. And the pictures are not opening. I see a lot of people had the same complaint and APPLE has not offered any Help.

This would be the least helpful response you can give. We know its an IOS 16 issue. when will it be fixed?

Having the same issue. The user who suggested downloading all images associated with each contact is the only solution I’ve found. Cumbersome.

It will be fixed when Meta fixes their software. Until then -

This seems to be a common issue right now, there are several posts about it on here. Some have fixed the problem by uninstalling and reinstalling Messenger.

If that doesn't work, you can try to contact Meta for help with this issue -

Here is a link to their help page.

https://facebook.com/help/?<https://m.facebook.com/help/?r> https://facebook.com/help/?%3Chttps://m.facebook.com/help/?r%3E

Yep, my iPhone XS is doing the same thing which just started with one of the recent updates. Absolutely hate it. No need for iCloud - just keep everything on the phone. I was thinking of upgrading to a new phone, but this isn't a phone problem, it's an Apple-initiated problem. Seems like they just want all of your data on their cloud so you can pay them more money for storage. What AI are they training with my images? My images taken with my phone should only be removed from my phone when I delete them not when they sync to the iCloud.

My son's phone is having this issue. We even transferred his Apple ID to a new/different phone and the problem persists. I'm glad I didn't get into upgrading to a 15 only to find out the problem STILL isn't fixed!

[Edited by Moderator]

Also, his email inbox says he has 13 messages, but nothing shows up there either. I just sent him one and it just spins when it's supposed to be downloading.

Seems like enough issues to switch to an android. This is 100% unacceptable. 3 of the 4 apps he uses don't work at all.

Same issue. Had it a few months back. Fixed it. Now it started happening again when I updated to IOS 17.1. Super annoying

No help.

Same issue for me. When will it be fixed??

It's definitely an Apple software update issue. My antique 2009 iMac running High Siera is working/syncing my images just fine in imessage just not on my iPhone running 17.1.2 Come on Apple.