Why Are Photos Not Showing Up in Photos App on Mac

Sofia Albert updated on Jul 31, 2024 to iOS Questions and Answers

I rely heavily on Photos for storing and managing my memories. But when I log in, some photos are not showing up in Photos. How do I fix photos not showing up in Photos app on Mac?

Photos not showing up in the Photos app often arise due to a variety of reasons, ranging from software incompatibilities to incorrect settings or even hardware issues.

Here are some reasons why photos are not showing up in Photos app on Mac.

  • iCloud Photo Library is not set up or enabled correctly on your iPhone and Mac.
  • The "Optimize Storage" feature may cause only low-resolution versions of photos to be stored on your Mac, while full-resolution photos are stored in iCloud.
  • If you sync photos through methods other than iCloud (such as AirDrop, iTunes sync, etc.), syncing may be incomplete or fail.
  • iPhone may be set to capture photos in HEIF format, which may not be fully supported by older Mac OS versions.
  • Photos app or macOS system may have a bug or need to be updated.

You should check your iCloud Photo Library settings and turn off Optimize Storage. In Settings > Camera on your iPhone, change the Format option to Best Compatibility. While the Photos app is usually updated with macOS updates, it's still important to make sure you have the latest version of macOS.

Let's discover ideal tools and software that can help in transferring photos from iPhone to Mac. EaseUS MobiMover is a reliable tool for data transfer and backup. With EaseUS MobiMover, you can easily transfer photos from iPhone to Mac/Windows. You can selectively transfer your iPhone photos to Mac or transfer the whole photo album. The transfer speed is fast and is not interrupted by the Internet. You can also transfer other files, like videos, music, notes, messages, contacts, and more to your Mac.        

Related Article: How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac