iPhone XS Photos Missing After iOS Update? Here’s How to Get Them Back

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If you recently updated your iPhone XS and noticed that your photos have suddenly gone missing, you’re not alone. This is a fairly common issue that can happen after an iOS update, and it’s usually fixable. Here’s how to track down and recover your missing pictures.

Check the Recently Deleted Folder First

Photos might’ve been accidentally removed or flagged for deletion during the update. Here’s how to recover them:

  1. Open the Photos app.
  2. Tap the Albums tab at the bottom.
  3. Scroll down to Recently Deleted under Other Albums.
  4. Tap Select, then choose the photos you want to recover.
  5. Tap Recover.

Also check the Hidden album:

  1. Open Photos > Albums > Hidden.
  2. Tap Select > Choose photos > Tap Share > Select Unhide.

Restart Your iPhone

If you haven’t restarted your phone since updating, there may be a temporary glitch:

To Soft Reset:

  1. Press and hold the Side button + Volume Up or Down.
  2. Slide to power off.
  3. After 30 seconds, turn your iPhone back on.

To Force Restart:

  1. Press and quickly release Volume Up.
  2. Press and quickly release Volume Down.
  3. Hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

Enable iCloud Photo Library

Sometimes iCloud Photos gets toggled off after an update:

  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos.
  2. Make sure iCloud Photos is turned ON.
  3. Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi so photos can sync back.

Give it a few minutes, then check your Photos app again.

Sign Out and Back Into iCloud

A fresh iCloud login can resolve sync errors:

  1. Go to Settings > [Your Name].
  2. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
  3. Enter your Apple ID password.
  4. Restart your iPhone.
  5. Sign back in through Settings.

Your iCloud data should begin syncing again, including photos.

Reset All Settings (Non-Destructive)

This won’t erase your data, but it’ll reset system preferences that could be blocking photo visibility:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
  2. Tap Reset > Reset All Settings.
  3. Enter your passcode to confirm.

Once your phone restarts, re-check the Photos app.

Still Missing Photos? Contact Apple

If you’ve tried all of the above and your photos are still nowhere to be found, reach out to Apple Support. There may be a sync delay, or it could be a rare iOS bug that Apple needs to patch in a future update.

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