Home Sharing not showing photo's

I see this questions is a couple years old but the problem still persists. I have a fix. Its an annoying fix, but it will fix it, (at least temporarily). I have 5 AppleTV units on our home, spanning from ATV2 to the current model. All of them have this problem. (yes, I keep everything up today) In some cases my Apple TV's will not find the computer(s) at all for home sharing, but more often than that its usually the photos that disappear... I have 4 Mac computers of varying age and it also happens with all computers/iTunes libraries at some point. The problem is frequent but random. Usually every other day or so. I use this function a lot. I play a music playlist and watch our photo album slide shows while I work out, so I encounter this often. THE FIX: Go on iTunes on the computer. Go to File> Homesharing> Choose Photos to Share with Apple TV> Uncheck the photo library (then close it). Then Go to File (again)> Turn off Homesharing. The QUIT iTunes. Reopen iTunes, do this in reverse to turn hit all back on. File>Turn on Homesharing (login). then, File> Homesharing> Choose photo library to share (check the photo library).... This fixes it for me every time. Its a huge hassle but it will get it back up and running.

Hi rmtz,

Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.

It sounds like your photos don't always load on your Apple TV with Home Sharing. I know it can be annoying when issues persist for some time.

Since you see the same behavior with two different model Apple TVs, I'd look at the elements that have stayed constant in this situation.

For a good place to start, try these steps from Get help with Home Sharing:

Wake your Mac or PC and open iTunes

Make sure that the computer you want to share or stream content from is on and awake, and that iTunes is open. If iTunes is already open, quit and reopen it.

If you're using a Mac with an Apple TV, you can set your Apple TV to wake your Mac for services like Home Sharing. On your Mac, go to System Preferences > Energy Saver. Select Wake for Wi-Fi network access. Learn more about Wake on Demand.

Check for software updates

• Install any available updates for your Mac or PC.
• Make sure any computers used for Home Sharing have the latest version of iTunes.
• Check that your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch has the latest version of iOS.

Check your network connection

For Home Sharing, all of your devices need to be on the same home network.

• If you have more than one router, make sure that all of your devices are connected to the same router.
• If you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), keep all devices on that VPN, or disconnect all devices from the VPN.
• If you have a guest network, make sure that all of your devices are on the same guest network.

Restart and update your router

1. Turn off your router, then turn it back on. Check the router's manual for help.
2. If you're using an AirPort or Time Capsule, check for firmware updates. If you're using a different router, contact the manufacturer for help.

While your router is off, you won't be able to use Internet services like Voice over IP (VoIP) for phone calls, and you might need to reset your other routers.

Check settings for ports and firewalls

1. If you're using a Mac, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and select Firewall. If your firewall is blocking all incoming connections or allowing only essential services, click Firewall Options and edit your settings.
2. If you're using a PC, or you have another firewall set up on your computer or router, make sure TCP port 3689 and UDP port 5342 aren't closed or blocked. Get help with third-party security software.
3. Try to stream your shared iTunes content from a different computer, or to a different device.
4. Try to connect your devices to a different home network.
5. Contact your Internet service provider or router manufacturer for help.

Learn more about TCP and UDP ports.

If the behavior continues, these questions may help lead to some additional troubleshooting steps:

1. Are your photos stored on a Mac or PC?
2. What application do you use to manage the photos on your computer?

Sincerely.

Hi RMTZ and Apple Community Specialist.

I too had this problem. I solved it by:

• logging into my SurfBoard router and adding an allowance for port 5353 on UDP protocol, and 'enabling' this change.

• restart my router/cable modem

• restarted every Apple device in my house

• using iTunes, logged out of Home Sharing on my iMac

• using Settings, logged out of Home Sharing on my Apple TV

• re-enabled Home Sharing on my iMac

• re-enabled Home Sharing on my Apple TV

Of course, being careful to use the same AppleID in all cases.

Hope this helps,

Rennie