iPhone will not sync with Photos app - iOS17.0.3 Ventura 13.6

Question

Level 1

4 points

iPhone will not sync with Photos app - iOS17.0.3 Ventura 13.6

This has been repeatedly asked elsewhere but still persists for me. When I connect my iPhone 11 (iOS 17.0.3) to my mac (Ventura 13.6, intel iMac), Photos will not import from my iPhone, instead being stuck at "Preparing to import from iPhone." Suggestions from other threads have not worked. I have:

1) turned on and off airplane mode.

2) reset privacy settings on the iPhone.

3) reset both the iPhone and Mac several times.

This started to happen for me after I upgraded my iOS to version 17, it did not happen before.

Any other ideas on how to get this working again? I do not like using iCloud, rather I like backing up my photos myself.

iPhone 11, iOS 17

Posted on Oct 14, 2023 10:53 AM

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Answer 1

Sheree_P

Community Specialist

Oct 16, 2023 12:31 PM in response to toddfle1

Hey toddfle1,

Do you experience the same issue when you transfer images in Image Capture or another photos app? This information will help us determine if it's system wide or specific to built in Photos app.

If you're able to import/transfer photos using Image Capture, reach out to Apple Support for assistance with the Photos app. You can reach out to them here: Get Support.

If you experience a similar issue when using Image Capture or another photos app, follow the steps below to see if they help.

Make sure there's enough available storage on the Mac.
Try a different USB port and cable if available. Also, if the USB cable is being connected to a USB hub, connect directly to Mac to see if that makes a difference.
Test in a different user account. This will help determine if the issue is isolated to your user account.

If you do not have a different user account to test, follow the steps here to temporarily create one: Add a user or group on Mac.

If you're unable to determine the cause, contact Apple Support by using the link we provided above.

Take care.

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Answer 2

toddfle1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 23, 2023 12:21 PM in response to Sheree_P

Thank you for the suggestions and I had forgotten about Image Capture. I did the following actions:

There is ample storage on my mac.
I did try a different USB port and in fact purchased a new USB/thunderbolt cable, connecting it directly to the mac.
I did create a separate account, and attempted using both Image Capture and Photos on the new account.
I also attempted to sync the iPhone with my spouse's MacBook Pro (i7 intel version, Ventura 13.6)

I continue to have the same issue with photos and image capture.

In Image capture, it states "Please wait. Preparing the Photo Library of "iPhone", never does bring up the photos, although the text does disappear.

Interestingly same thing on the MacBook pro.

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Answer 3

toddfle1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 16, 2023 10:10 AM in response to Neil22R

Thanks! I did follow these steps just to make sure. I did try a different cable and USB port, just to make sure something was not wrong with either. To be clear my iPhone is being recognized by my mac, it simply get's "stuck" when Photos opens up at the "Preparing to import from "iPhone" screen in Photos.

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Answer 4

toddfle1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 25, 2023 3:55 PM in response to toddfle1

Follow-up: This appears to be something with my specific iPhone 11. I plugged in my wife's iPhone (also an 11), and it synced fine, both in image capture and Photos. Her phone is also update to the most recent iOS (17). Please note that I did not have this problem with my phone until upgrading to iOS 17.

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Answer 5

Neil22R

Community Specialist

Oct 15, 2023 12:20 PM in response to toddfle1

Hi toddfle1,

Let's follow the steps in this resource which can help:

If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone or iPad

If the problem persists, Get Support

Cheers.

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iPhone will not sync with Photos app - iOS17.0.3 Ventura 13.6

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