Photos stopped loading into Photo Legacy or Photos app

Question

My photos taken with my Iphone have stopped loading into the photos or Photo Legacy app on my PC. Stopped in November.

Answer 1

Hello Judy Stock, thanks for posting this in the community.

To check the issue, first confirm how you are transferring the photos, either through iCloud or by using a USB cable?

Make sure your iPhone is unlocked and tap “Trust this computer” when you connect it. On your iPhone, open Settings, go to Photos, scroll down, and change “Transfer to Mac or PC” to “Keep Originals,” because using “Automatic” can prevent the Windows Photos apps from detecting new photos. On your PC, install the latest Windows updates and reinstall iTunes for Windows from Apple’s website so the Apple Mobile Device Support drivers are correctly installed, as the Photos apps depend on these drivers to read your iPhone. If the issue continues, restart both your iPhone and PC, then check whether your photos are stored only in iCloud. If they are, download them to your iPhone first or import them through the iCloud for Windows app instead of using a cable.

Kind regards,

John Oli

Answer 2

Check how the photos are getting from the iPhone to the PC, then re‑enable the connection method. There are three common paths covered in the context: direct USB import, OneDrive camera upload, and iCloud Photos.

1. Verify direct USB import from iPhone If photos used to appear after connecting the iPhone with a cable and importing:

• Connect the iPhone to the PC with a USB cable.
• On the iPhone, when prompted, select Trust or Allow so the PC can access photos.
• Make sure the photos are actually stored on the device, not only in iCloud. If they are only in iCloud, use iCloud for Windows instead (see step 3).
• On the PC, open Photos Legacy.
• Select Import > From a connected device, then follow the prompts to import the new photos.

If iCloud is enabled on the iPhone and photos are only in iCloud, use iCloud for Windows as described in step 3 instead of USB import.

2. If using OneDrive camera upload to feed Photos/Photos Legacy If photos used to appear automatically via OneDrive:

• On the PC, open Photos Legacy.
• Confirm it is connected to the OneDrive account (signed in) so OneDrive content syncs to the app.
• On the iPhone, open the OneDrive app.
• In OneDrive settings on the phone, ensure Camera Upload is turned On so new photos and videos automatically upload to OneDrive.
• After upload completes, the new photos should appear automatically in Photos/Photos Legacy on the PC when OneDrive is connected.

3. If using iCloud Photos with the new Photos app If photos used to appear via iCloud integration:

• On the PC, open the Photos app (the new one, not Photos Legacy).
• In the left navigation, select iCloud Photos. If prompted, go to the Microsoft Store and install iCloud for Windows.
• Open iCloud for Windows, sign in with the Apple ID used on the iPhone.
• In iCloud for Windows, make sure Photos is checked so iCloud Photos syncs to the PC.
• Return to the Photos app and select the iCloud Photos tab; new iPhone photos stored in iCloud should appear there.

4. If nothing appears in either app

• Confirm which method was in use before November (USB import, OneDrive camera upload, or iCloud Photos) and re‑enable that specific path as above.
• If photos are HEIF/HEVC and fail to open after import, install the HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft Store as described in the context so the Photos app can view them.

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References:

• Import photos and videos from phone to PC
• What is Photos Legacy?
• Manage photos and videos with Microsoft Photos app
• Photos app Video Editor error: Can’t view this file type
• Get help with Microsoft Photos app