Unable to access photos on iPhone from PC following iOS 26.2 update

Slinky

I've had a software update today, it did ask something about optimising storage or similar, as I don't have a lot of free space on my phone. Now when trying to access photos to upload on MSE, there's just 6 random folders with a random image in each of them, not the several thousand photos I have on my phone.

Can anybody advise please?

MyRealNameToo

how are you trying to post photos here? Using the MSE app or via Safari? 

Presumably you see all your photos if you go into the Photos App -> Library?

If you've just turned on optimise storage it can take a while for that process to run, in the past found phones can get hot/battery drain when doing it but all photos were there during the process, maybe a bit sluggish in the response time etc but it was a while back so processors have improved. It's only a one time hit, once the process is done it goes back to normal. 

If your using the app then go into Settings->Privacy->Photos and check the app has full access rights. If you are using Safari then its done on a site by sight basis not via settings

Slinky

MyRealNameToo said:

how are you trying to post photos here? Using the MSE app or via Safari? 

Presumably you see all your photos if you go into the Photos App -> Library?

If you've just turned on optimise storage it can take a while for that process to run, in the past found phones can get hot/battery drain when doing it but all photos were there during the process, maybe a bit sluggish in the response time etc but it was a while back so processors have improved. It's only a one time hit, once the process is done it goes back to normal. 

If your using the app then go into Settings->Privacy->Photos and check the app has full access rights. If you are using Safari then its done on a site by sight basis not via settings

I'm using Firefox from my PC which uses Windows 11, I click on the add photo icon above the message box on here, browse to find the iPhone on my network which I've hooked up to my PC, click on Internal Storage, and then I usually find my photos which are automatically filed by month. There's just 6 random folders showing, which each have 1 photo in.

Slinky

Looking at icloud storage it says I've got 46.2gb of photos. My phone says 3.42MB!

MyRealNameToo

Presumably you have the HEIC codec on your computer? In Settings->photos->Transfer to Mac or PC is set to automatic or original?

Do you see all your photos if you go into the phone? 

There should be disparity between the phone and the iCloud if optimisation is turned on but not that much difference. I have little photos on mine and wife's isnt to hand but 3.42mb isnt enough even if its just holding the thumbnails for all the photos. Presumably if you go into the settings the synch this phone to iCloud is on for Photos?

Slinky

I can see all my photos on my phone, but I think I must be looking at what is stored on icloud.

Not entirely sure what's gone on but I've downloaded iphone for windows onto my pc and can access what's stored in the cloud via that route. Somewhat annoyingly it looks like the photos come up in number order so things could be a bit awkward to find. 

PHK

If you've turned on Optimise Photos Storage then the full resolution files are saved in iCloud. Small thumbnails only are saved on the phone.