Missing pictures and videos in Photos from specific timeperiod

since update to iOS17.4 my iPhone 12 has been unresponsive a few times.


This issue is about lost photos and videos. In particular all taken between Wednesday 13/03/2024 17:00 & Thursday 14/03/2024 13:00. 


In that timeperiod I did take photos and videos (few were sent through whatsapp, so they were effectively taken, and when downloaded now from out of WhatsApp they do appear in right time/spot in Photos).


when I do a ‘Search’ in Photos e.g. “Vatican city” (I was in the vatican at this time), it says “79 Photos”, but I only see like 10… “See All” also does not give me more pictures.


All photos taken in that timeperiod are nowhere to be found, not in ‘hidden’, not in ‘recently deletet’, not behind any ‘Filters’. They also did not re-appear after a restart. It is a complete gap in my Photos, like they were never even taken


My iCloud (Photos) Sync is/was enabled, I do/did have enough storage left, BackUps were/are on, …


I did a force restart on the iPhone somewhere in that timeperiod, due to phone being completely unresponsive (tap volume up, tap volume down, hold lock button till Apple logo appears). When the iPhone turned on, I did see some “error” lile ‘Mobile Data not able to…’ but phone functioned normal again afterwards.


Chances are that those files were not able to Sync to iCloud due to unresponsiveness of the iPhone and the later Netwerk error? Is there any way that these files can be recovered? they were taken/shot and were effectively in ‘Photos’ during a certain time (since I sent few through whatsapp), just did not sync? were ‘lost’ after reset?)


anyone else with this problem and possible solution?


I already had contact with Apple Support by Chat and Phone but they can’t really do anything other than try restore from their servers (this didn’t do anything, because photos were never uploaded to icloud I think)



iPhone 12

Posted on Mar 16, 2024 2:50 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on May 8, 2024 1:10 AM

Optimised storage is turned on, hope the fix will be available soon because I still can't see the photo's and video's pop up on my Photos app. I've used a demo version of https://macroplant.com/iexplorer to verify that the photos are stored in the DCIM directory

Similar questions

10 replies

Apr 23, 2024 9:59 PM in response to Kemagezien

Exactly the same problem…


Just lost 200 photos of my last Californian trip. Just unbelievable.


Please Apple give a solution to take the pictures. Of course the photo are not in iCloud, when you’re on travel you reduce the data transfer.


But I hope the pictures are still on the phone, and a next update or an intervention can fix the problem ?


May 23, 2024 12:04 PM in response to Kemagezien

me too. +1


iphone 11 pro

17.4.1


lost few pictures, which die not sync correctly to iCloud while on the go - as oniony sync via wifi connection.


phone got hot and was not responsive. So I restarted. Photos seem to be lost. Media library did not show them.


went home. Library back in sync over home wifi. No pictures shown as well. Seem to be lost.


called Apple support. Only idea was to update from 17.4.1 to 17.5.1 so I skipped 17.5


no pictures added to library.


browsed the web and this thread.


used iExplorer on old windows laptop Win7 (don’t ask) only one I had around next to experience Mac equipment - which does not give me was access to DCIM folders.


boom. Viola.


in DCIM folders I could locate b date/time the mitsingen images and videos.


what now Apple?


I am happy in the fist place that inward able to extract those almost lost images.


but how to add them back to the only graphical user interface „fotos“ app ok iOS?


any way to re create Messi library, collect mowing files from files system and sync them properly with iCloud?



Missing pictures and videos in Photos from specific timeperiod

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.