since upgrading to ios 26 I cannot transfer video files from PC to iPhone using Apple Devices App. It just ignores the "include Video" option. But does still copy live video .mov files. Is this a problem with Apple Devices or IOS 26?
iPhone 16 Pro Max
williamfromdenbighshire wrote:
Update: I have now solved the problem, which I believe is related to the Apple Devices App not being configured to allow .MOV files to be transferred from PC to iPhone (even though they are iPhone Created, not manipulated, MOV Files).
I managed to fix the problem by completely removing the Apple Devices App, Music App and TV App from my PC. I then carried out a full reboot of my PC and Phone. Downloaded the latest version of iTunes and once I had plugged in my phone, clicked on the phone icon at the top, to my surprise, the whole old options became available again (sync, backup, music etc.) - which I didnt think was possible, as I could not find it - when Apple Devices was still loaded.
I then Deleted the "iPod Photo Cashe" from my Photos Drive on my PC. When I selected to sync my selected photos again. After a full backup it loaded all the Video Files back to my iPhone. The same as it had been doing before I switched to Apple Devices (instead of iTunes).
Thanks for the update. Make sure to post that also to Apple's feedback page above. "Apple Devices App" is not very new so I'd expect its teething problems were fixed by now.
I only occasionally peek to the Windows side via VMware Fusion to use Windows 10 Home, Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro VMs to test things but that might not be a real-world Windows scenario.
Syncing also from the Mac to iPhone/iPad via USB has always been more or less flaky. Sometimes I have had to delete the "iPod Photo Cache" to get it to work. My recent syncs have been OK, though, knock on wood (Sequoia 15.7.2, iPadOS 26.1).
williamfromdenbighshire wrote:
Update: I have now solved the problem, which I believe is related to the Apple Devices App not being configured to allow .MOV files to be transferred from PC to iPhone (even though they are iPhone Created, not manipulated, MOV Files).
I managed to fix the problem by completely removing the Apple Devices App, Music App and TV App from my PC. I then carried out a full reboot of my PC and Phone. Downloaded the latest version of iTunes and once I had plugged in my phone, clicked on the phone icon at the top, to my surprise, the whole old options became available again (sync, backup, music etc.) - which I didnt think was possible, as I could not find it - when Apple Devices was still loaded.
I then Deleted the "iPod Photo Cashe" from my Photos Drive on my PC. When I selected to sync my selected photos again. After a full backup it loaded all the Video Files back to my iPhone. The same as it had been doing before I switched to Apple Devices (instead of iTunes).
Thanks for the update. Make sure to post that also to Apple's feedback page above. "Apple Devices App" is not very new so I'd expect its teething problems were fixed by now.
I only occasionally peek to the Windows side via VMware Fusion to use Windows 10 Home, Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro VMs to test things but that might not be a real-world Windows scenario.
Syncing also from the Mac to iPhone/iPad via USB has always been more or less flaky. Sometimes I have had to delete the "iPod Photo Cache" to get it to work. My recent syncs have been OK, though, knock on wood (Sequoia 15.7.2, iPadOS 26.1).
Are they plain vanilla iPhone movies? (Sorry but I don't have matching gear so I can't test this myself).
Not movies using some incompatible codec like VP9 (Google Photos converts movies to VP9 with its "Storage saver" option? Or ffmpeg encoded movies where there is H.265 with Codec ID hev1 instead hvc1? You can check those details with MediaInfo (I believe there is a Windows version of it).
Update: I have now solved the problem, which I believe is related to the Apple Devices App not being configured to allow .MOV files to be transferred from PC to iPhone (even though they are iPhone Created, not manipulated, MOV Files).
I managed to fix the problem by completely removing the Apple Devices App, Music App and TV App from my PC. I then carried out a full reboot of my PC and Phone. Downloaded the latest version of iTunes and once I had plugged in my phone, clicked on the phone icon at the top, to my surprise, the whole old options became available again (sync, backup, music etc.) - which I didnt think was possible, as I could not find it - when Apple Devices was still loaded.
I then Deleted the "iPod Photo Cashe" from my Photos Drive on my PC. When I selected to sync my selected photos again. After a full backup it loaded all the Video Files back to my iPhone. The same as it had been doing before I switched to Apple Devices (instead of iTunes).
Thanks to everyone who tried to help.
A Lesson learnt, stay with what you know works...lol
williamfromdenbighshire wrote: …downloaded - to sort out throw away ones etc,
How do you do that-- in Explorer or using some app. (I'm Mac only, so my thinking here is pretty limited.) The thing is all movies with the .mov extension aren't the same. I loaded some movies to my Mac from old backups, and I'd get maybe 10 copies of some of them coming from different backups. I'd be lucky if one of the ten worked. I had about 5 different video players hunting for the one that could play a movie and then export it in a compatible format. It can be crazy. Obviously these movies had once been compatible with the iPhone, but it's chancy after any off-phone manipulation. That's why Matti asked about "plain vanilla iPhone movies." The iPhone has become quite picky about formats. Videos can be an easy way to imbed secret crazy stuff.
You might try loading them into the VLC app and trying different exports. Matti has more experience at this than I do, though.
Send feedback to Apple (Apple does not read these user forums):
And maybe also to:
https://feedbackassistant.apple.com
As I explained earlier these are .MOV files that are taken on the iPhone, so should be fully compatible- just the Apple Devices App does not copy them from PC back to iPhone (Using Apple Devices for Windows).
The .MOV files are videos taken on my, or my wife's, iphone, downloaded - to sort out throw away ones etc, then when I try to backloaded to the iPhone using the Apple Devices App (where they should appear in the "From My Mac" folders) - photos transfer but not Video, except live photo video clips.
Used to work fine in iTunes and before IOS 26!
Another piece of information, partly related, is Once you go over to Apple Devices from iTunes, there is no going back.... locked out of iTunes photo, music etc transfer ability...
williamfromdenbighshire wrote: should be fully compatible-
Of course, they were compatible.But you said that you moved them out of the Photos environment and manipulated them. Hence, my suggestions.
Unable to copy .MOV files from PC to iPhone
