Unable to find storage location for recent iPhone 12 photos

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Unable to find storage location for recent iPhone 12 photos

Hello, I am going crazy trying to figure out how to download my photos from my iPhone 12 to my PC. I used to always just be able to plug my phone in and the computer would automatically download the new photos to the directory I chose. The last time I did it was about a year ago. This time when I plug it in it does not find any new photos, in fact, the newest photos it can find is from 2024, which was before my last download. When I go to photos on my iPhone and go to Library there are over 23,000 photos, including all the ones I have taken in 2026. However, when I open Photos on my PC and select Apple iPhone under External Devices on the left hand side of the screen, the newest photos it will find are from 2024. When I log into my iCloud account the latest photos there are also 2024. I turned the synch off to iCloud since I only have 5GB of space and so it is insufficient but I have lots of physical space on my iPhone. I tried turning synch on again to see if that solved my problem but it won't let me as it says I have too much data for my iCloud account. So where are the recent photos from 2025 and 2026 stored? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

iPhone 12, iOS 26

Posted on Mar 6, 2026 9:19 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 6, 2026 9:33 AM in response to jp_fizzer

There is no longer direct access to the photos storage from Windows Explorer.

You must install the Apple Devices App and use Microsoft's Photos app to transfer the photos.

click here ➜ Import Photos from iPhone to your Windows PC - Apple Support

and here ➜ Import photos and videos from iPhone to Windows PC - Microsoft Support

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Answer 2

jp_fizzer Author

Level 1

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Mar 6, 2026 1:17 PM in response to jp_fizzer

I just tried downloading iMazing and it detects all of my photos, including the new ones that Microsoft Photos does not. However, it will only allow me to download the first 50 under the trial version. Does anybody know another good program for downloading all the photos from my iPhone that is free? Or is there any suggestion for what I need to do to get Microsoft Photos to discover all the photos on my phone?

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Answer 3

jp_fizzer Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 6, 2026 12:52 PM in response to Phil0124

Hello, I actually am trying to use the Microsoft Photos app. When I open the app on the left hand side there is "External Devices" and under that it says "Apple iPhone". When I click on the "Apple iPhone" it brings up around 5,000 items, not the full 23,000 that are on the phone and they all seem to be WhatsApp images, none of them seem to be photos that I actually took with my phone.

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