Still can't import photos from iPhone to Photo App on MacBook Pro

Hi svenincobham,

Have you had a solution to the problem?

I have exactly the same issue but the other way around, my iMac upgraded to Sonoma and now it doesn't import pictures from my iPhone. And me too I am an Apple user for more than 30 years, so not the first time.

HELP NEEDED HERE TOO PLEASE.

sammitneupane wrote:

So, what I believe is "iCloud Photos" only supports .jpeg files and no other file types (.heic, IMG123.MOV). It doesn't allow you to upload the photos,

Defiunitely not. iCloud Photos supports the HEIC format as well as JPEG, also many RAW formats. I also am having many videos in MOV container format, encoded with the HEVC codec or mp4 videos encoded H.264.

The most common reasons, when you can no longer import directly from your iPhone to Photos on a Mac are

1. mixing methods of syncing: if iCloud Photos is enabled on your iPhone (it may have become enabled by a system upgrade without you noticing it), Photos cannot download the item that have been "optimised" on the iPhone and are only in iCloud.
2. Keeping the Photos Library on your Mac in an unsupported location. If your Photos Library is stored on an external drive with an incompatible file system format or in a synced folder Photos on Sonoma may no longer be able to import items to the library.

So you may want to checking the iCloud Settings on for Photos on your iPhone. If the iPhone is syncing with iCloud Photos, download the new photos from iCloud, not from the iPhone. Otherwise you may get random results.

And check the file system format of the drive where you are keeping your Photos Library. The file system format should be MacOS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. The external drive needs a wired connection, it must not be a network share. It must not have any backup software installed or must not have been used for Time Machine backups.

If your Photos Library is on iCloud Drive (or in your Document folder or desktop syncing with iCloud) drag the library back to the Pictures folder. See: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

Guys, encountered similar issue that's why I searched in threads like these to solve the problem. Well, I found the solution! It seems to be a bug in iOS 17 and iOS 17.5.1 upgrade and a quick restart for both units solved the problem. No, Apple's silence didn't help. Good luck to us!

So, what I believe is "iCloud Photos" only supports .jpeg files and no other file types (.heic, IMG123.MOV). It doesn't allow you to upload the photos, neither on the iCloud Photos, or even if you import the pictures from Image Capture->download in on your Mac->and drag it to the Photos library. Gives you error: unrecognizable file format

Stupid reason!!

Have you tried using Image Capture to download the photos to a folder on the Desktop and import from there?

The only way to truly sync photos between devices so they are both able to edit, add, delete and otherwise manipulate is to use iCloud Photos Library.

Same issue. I can see photos on my Mac but they will not import. Help!

I'm not using iCloud and I can no longer back up my photos to my iMac.