Top 11 Ways to Fix and Recover Photos Disappeared from iPhone after Update

- Excerpted from discussion.apple.com

Recently, one of my readers complained that his photos disappeared from his iPhone after the update to iOS 16/15. That isn't the only case. If you have searched online, you will find so many similar experiences from other iOS users, such as:

"I updated my iPhone and lost my photos/pictures. How to recover lost photos on iPhone after an update?"

"I lost all my photos when I updated my iPhone. How do I recover photos after an update?"

"The new iPhone update deleted my photos..."

"iPhone updates, but photos are gone..."

Well, if you are suffering this tough moment, refer to the eleven smart tricks given below to fix and recover the lost photos after iOS 16/15 update without trouble.

Part 1. Why Did My Photos Disappear on My iPhone after Update?
Part 2. How to Fix the iPhone Photos Disappeared after Update Issue?
Part 3. The Best Way to Recover Photos Disappeared from iPhone after Update without Data Loss

Part 1. Why Did My Photos Disappear on My iPhone after Update?

You may get curious about the connection between missing photos and iOS updates. Why did I lose all photos after iPhone update? The culprit may lie below.

• Accidental deletion.
• Intentional deletion.
• Poor network connection.
• System glitches.
• There is a compatibility issue between the photos folder and the new iOS version.
• You have signed in with a different Apple account.
• Software update failure.
• Full internal storage space.
• You have turned off the Photo Stream option in Camera Roll.
• The photos are hidden.
• You have restored your iPhone from iTunes or iCloud backup.
• Invalid Date and Time.
• Other unknown reasons.

Is it possible to recover the deleted photos from your iPhone after an update? Yes, but it is only possible before new data overwrites them. The fact is that the disappeared photos are not immediately removed from your iPhone but changed from the Allocated to Unallocated category in the iOS database, and you cannot view them.

Fortunately, with the help of some useful data recovery software, you can easily get them back to your iPhone. Read the following part to fix the issue and recover the photos that disappeared from iPhone after an update.

See more: How to Transfer Photos from SD Card to iPhone in 4 Useful Ways [Ultimate Guide]

Part 2. How to Fix the iPhone Photos Disappeared after Update Issue?

Don't worry if you are stuck in the problem. Follow the quick solutions below to fix the iPhone photos that disappeared after the update issue.

Trick 1. Restart Your iPhone

When you updated your iPhone and lost photos, the very first thing to try is restarting your iPhone. In most cases, the simplest operation can fix many minor system bugs or glitches.

For iPhone 11/12 versions:

Press and hold the Side + either of the Volume buttons simultaneously > release all keys when the power slider appears on the screen > pull the slider to power off your iPhone > press and hold the Side button for a while until the Apple logo shows on the screen.

For iPhone 8 and below versions:

Press and hold the Power button until the power menu appears > drag the power slider to turn off your iPhone > press and hold the Power button again to reboot your iPhone > release the button when the Apple logo displays.

Trick 2. Check iCloud Photos Syncing Settings

Ensure that you have enabled the iCloud Photos Library option on your iPhone: Go to Settings > tap your name > choose iCloud > make sure that you have turned on the iCloud Photos Library option.

See also: Want to get your contacts from iCloud to an iPhone? You might need these methods.

Trick 3. Find Photos in the Recently Deleted Folder

If you accidentally deleted the iPhone photos from the Photos app, you can check whether they are in the Recently Deleted folder. Most of the time, the deleted pictures and videos will temporarily store there for 30 days before permanent removal.

Or, they may have been cleared out forever. To find the photos, open the Photos app > Albums > Recently Deleted album. If there are photos, select the images you want to restore and hit the Recover button.

Trick 4. Reset the Apple ID

Open the iPhone's Settings > tap your name > choose the Sign out option to log it out. After a while, sign in with the same Apple ID credentials to see whether the lost photos returned.

Trick 5. Enable the Cellular Data

Trying to access the iCloud photos via the cellular data? You will need to check the cellular data settings. Go to iCloud Photos settings and tap the Cellular Data option to ensure that you have switched on the cellular data.

Trick 6. Manage iCloud Storage

The insufficient iCloud storage is one factor that leads to the photos disappearing from iPhone after the update issue. For that, open Settings > tap your name > choose iCloud > tap iCloud Storage > click the Manage Storage option to check how much space is left in iCloud.

If not enough, delete some old and unimportant backups from the iCloud storage, and the disappeared photos may show up properly.

Trick 7. Unhide Your Photos

If you hide the photos on your iPhone, you will only see them in the Hidden album. To make them appear in the Photos app, you can unhide the photos on your iPhone by these steps: Open the Photos app > Albums > tap Hidden under Utilities > choose the photos you want to unhide.

Next, press the Share icon and select the Unhide option.

Trick 8. Set Date & Time

In random cases, the miscommunication with Apple servers will also result in the problem. To fix this issue, you can adjust the Data and Time correctly by opening the Date and Time settings and setting from Set Automatically to Time Zone and the Location.

Trick 9. Restore Photos from iCloud Backup

You can directly restore the disappeared photos from the previous iCloud backup file. Note that this method may erase all the existing data and settings on your iPhone.

1. Open the iPhone's Settings > General > Reset > tap the Erase All Content and Settings option.
2. After erasure, your iPhone will automatically restart. Follow the on-screen directory to set up your device until you reach the Apps & Data screen.
3. Pick the Restore from the iCloud Backup option from the Apps & Data screen and sign in with your Apple ID and password to confirm the operation.
4. Choose the most relevant backup file from the list and hit the Restore button.

Trick 10. Restore Photos from iTunes Backup

Suppose that you had backed up your iPhone with iTunes before photos disappeared from your iPhone after an update. In that case, you can get back the missing photos from a previous iTunes backup file. However, the syncing process will also cover the existing data on your iPhone. To do this:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer via a USB cable and open the latest version of iTunes if it does not launch automatically.
2. Tap the Trust option on your iPhone if asked.
3. When the computer recognizes your iPhone, tap the iPhone icon from the top left corner of the iTunes window and tap the Restore Backups button under Summary.
4. Select one backup file from the pop-up window and hit the Restore button.

See also: Want to recover deleted photos from the recently deleted album? Follow this guide and you will make it.

Part 3. The Best Way to Recover Photos Disappeared from iPhone after Update without Data Loss

If nothing works, turning to the professional iPhone data recovery software - Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery is a wise way to recover the disappeared photos on your iPhone. With this program, you can recover the deleted data from iPhone itself or the previous iTunes backup file without data loss.

The highlights of Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery:

* Two modes to recover the deleted iPhone data without erasing data.

* Recover from iOS Device mode allows you to recover the deleted and existing contacts, messages, and other files from the iPhone to a computer and back up the existing notes, calendars, camera roll, photos, reminders, books, videos, music, etc., to the computer.

* Recover from iTunes Backup File mode enables you to restore the deleted photos, notes, contacts, messages, message attachments, calendars, voice memos, camera roll, and other files from the iTunes backup file to the computer.

* Preview all scanned-out content and choose the wanted items to recover or back up.

* Keep the original file format and quality without damages.

* Support all iPhone models, including iPhone 14/13/12 Pro Max/12 Pro/12/12 mini/SE/11 Pro Max/11 Pro/11/XS Max/XS/XR/X/8/8 Plus/7 Plus/7/6S Plus/6S/6 Plus/6, etc.

How to restore iPhone pictures after update selectively?

1. Install the program on your computer. After that, launch it and choose the iOS Recovery module > Recover from iTunes Backup File tap on the left panel.

2. It will automatically scan the default iTunes backup location on your computer and display the backup record. Please choose a backup file from the list and tap the Start Scan button.

Note: If you cannot find the wanted file, please click the Select button below to pick the iTunes backup file from the customized folders.

3. Tick off Photos and Camera Roll on the interface and hit the Start Scan button again at the lower-right corner. After scanning, it will display all data in different categories. Choose Photos or Camera Roll from the left panel, preview all the thumbnails, and check the desired pictures to restore.

Finally, hit the Recover to Computer button to save them to the computer.

Further reading:

Photos Disappeared from Android Phone? Here's How to Get Them Back

iPhone Calendar Disappeared: How to Recover Calendar App & Events on iPhone 14/13/12/11/11 Pro?

Final Verdict

Updating your iPhone to the latest version allows you to enjoy better system performance and new features, but it also brings about inevitable glitches each time. If the photos disappeared from iPhone after an update, try to fix it with the given tricks above.

Or, you can also directly restore the disappeared photos via Coolmuster iPhone Data Recovery, which enables you to select the desired photos to restore and won't cause further data loss. Moreover, we will assist you anytime you get into trouble.

Related Articles:

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