Re: "messages not showing pictures after 18.6, iPhone 13: .... many of my images in messages are missing and replaced by some sort of icon which shows the image size and type"
Sometimes our usual ways of doing things just change to Apple's latest default method:
Apple Support's online article for iOS18:
Share content in Messages on iPhone - Apple Support
Eg: says:
"When someone shares content with you, you can find it in a "Shared with You" section in the corresponding apps. Apps that support Shared with You include Photos, Music, News, and more."
and
"Find all the content someone shared with you
- Go to the Messages app
on your iPhone. - Open the conversation whose content you want to see.
- Tap the name of the person or group you’re communicating with at the top of a conversation.
- Scroll down to the Shared with You section.
Note: Content only appears in Shared with You if the person who sent it is in your contacts.
You can find a Shared with You section in Photos, Safari, Music, Podcasts, and other supported apps."
___________________________________________
Re: I have never had this problem before......perhaps someone else has a reliable fix for this?
If, instead of viewing shared message-photos in the Photos app, you want to turn the automatic "shared with you" feature off:
Another article: Manage Shared with You settings on Apple devices - Apple Support
Eg: says:
"If you want to turn Shared with You on or off within the Music, Apple TV, News, Photos, Podcasts or Safari apps, you can adjust your settings.
- On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Messages > Shared with You, then turn off Automatic Sharing or turn off Shared with You for a specific app"
