Camera roll gone in Ios 18 on Iphone 16 ProMax

One month ago, I switched from an iPhone 12 Pro Max to an iPhone 16 Pro Max, IOS 18.


Since then, I haven’t had any photos appear in the Camera Roll—the small thumbnail in the lower-left corner of the Camera app—just a blank black space or in the ‘All Photos' choice top right.


This is an essential and primary way to view all photos in a timeline, which is very important.


I’ve seen in previous threads that many people are experiencing the same issue, with a lot of irrelevant advice suggesting the use of the Photos app, Cloud storage and downloading to computers. However, this is not what we want. We want immediate access to all photos without having to switch apps or navigate through countless Apple-generated albums, or opening another device.


Please restore thumbnail access in the Camera App !

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Posted on Jan 10, 2025 09:24 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 9, 2025 08:42 AM

Perhaps it wasn't called Camera Roll anymore but up until IOS 18 came out, we can see a folder that was only loaded with photos taken on the phone (aka a camera roll) but now all photos I take are intermingled with tons of photos I have taken and loaded onto my phone from my computer.

Similar questions

10 replies

Jan 10, 2025 11:50 AM in response to Solvej

The small thumbnail is just a link to the Photos app that opens with the image most recently taken, and that it is all it has ever been. Apple stopped calling it a “camera roll” several years ago.


I just tried what you described, and the result what it has always been; I can swipe through my recently taken photos IN THE PHOTOS APP after tapping that thumbnail.


But note that it is not now, and never has been, a “camera roll”, it has always been recent photos in the Photos app. The confusion may be that at one time Apple called the photo library the “camera roll”, but this is just a change in name, and not in the implementation.

Jan 10, 2025 11:36 AM in response to Jeff Donald

I have now done that and also looked at the official Iphone IOS 18 userguide that says:


View your photos

  1. Open Camera  on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the thumbnail image in the lower-left corner.
  3. Swipe left or right to see the photos you’ve taken recently.
  4. Tap the screen to show or hide the controls.
  5. Tap All Photos to see all your photos and videos saved in Photos.


Exactly this is what's not working and what I understand many have experienced.




Jan 10, 2025 12:12 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Yes, in the Camera app, the thumbnail shows no photos—only a black screen with the text “No Photos or Videos.”

The same issue occurs when accessing the “All Photos” option.


I’ve just updated to iOS 18.2.1 and tried again. Now, a photo just taken briefly appears in the thumbnail, and selecting “All Photos” successfully shows all recent photos.

However, when returning to the Camera app, the thumbnail is empty again.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Camera roll gone in Ios 18 on Iphone 16 ProMax

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