Top 5 Ways to Fix iTunes Photos Not Showing [Easy & Free]

iTunes doesn't show photos? Well, this post will show you how to fix the “iTunes photos not showing” issue in 5 different ways. Read on to get them for free.

By @Zoey Last Updated September 30, 2024

iTunes is a service provided by Apple that users often use to update software, purchase services, and transfer data. However, some users have reported that they often encounter issues when using iTunes, such as the below-mentioned user case:

 

iPhone Photos Not Showing in iTunes

I have the latest version of iTunes 12.7.3 with Windows 7. My iPhone 6 with iOS 11.2.6 is detected when I plug it in. I can sync, do backups, and restore from backups. However, photos are not listed as items in the left pane under my device. Why is "Photos" not shown and how can it get it to show up? I did confirm that iTunes had backed up my photos and was able to restore them.

- Question from Apple Community

This is a common problem, don't worry too much! Here this post will show you the top 5 ways to help you fix the issue of “photos not showing in iTunes” effectively.

How to Fix iTunes Photos Not Showing - 5 Simple Ways

There are various reasons for “iTunes photos not showing up”, it could be a problem with your USB cable, with your iPhone settings, or your iTunes version, etc. So you can choose the solution that suits you depending on the situation you are experiencing.

Way 1. Check Your USB Cable

If there is something wrong with the connection between your iPhone and computer, you may meet “iTunes of iPhone photos not showing up”. Thus, you need to check if your USB cable is working properly.

You can disconnect your iPhone to the computer, then connect them again. If iTunes still cannot show your photos, you can turn to use another USB cable to try again.

Way 2. Restart or Update iTunes

If you meet the “sync photos not showing in iTunes” problem, you can try restarting iTunes first. It can solve most iTunes errors like “iPhone not syncing with iTunes”, “Apple Music not authorized”, etc. So you can exit iTunes and launch it again.

If restarting iTunes does not work, maybe you need to check if your iTunes has updated to the latest version. Just follow the easy steps to update your iTunes:

Step 1. Run the iTunes application and click Help on the top menu.

Step 2. Select Check for Updates. If the pop-up window appears and said a new update is ready, click Install and Agree Apple’s Terms and Conditions.

Step 3. After updating, restart your PC and connect your iPhone to your PC to see if photos are showing correctly.

Way 3. Give Computer Permission to Access iPhone

Another reason why iTunes doesn't show photos is that your computer is not permitted to access your iPhone. When you connect your iPhone to your computer, a pop-up window will ask if you trust this computer. If you click Don’t Trust, then your pictures will not show on iTunes.

If so, you can disconnect your iPhone and computer and connect them again. When you see such a window, remember to select the Trust option.

Way 4. Reinstall Apple’s Drivers on Windows

If the methods above cannot fix the issue you met, you may consider reinstalling Apple’s drivers on Windows. Follow the steps below to fix iTunes not showing photos by reinstalling Apple's drivers:

Step 1. Disconnect your iPhone and computer, then connect them again. If iTunes runs, close it first.

Step 2. Press the Windows and R keys to open the Run command. Type the command below:

%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers

Then press Enter.

Step 3. Find the file named "usbaapl64.inf" or "usbaapl.inf" and right-click on it to choose Install.

Step 4. After the above, disconnect your iPhone and computer. Restart the PC to connect the iPhone to the computer again.

Way 5. Change iPhone Settings

The problem with Location & Privacy settings on your iPhone can also cause “iTunes photos not showing up”. Some services on iPhone may change Location & Privacy settings without notification, which will have an impact on how your photos show up in iTunes. So you can follow these steps to reset the location and privacy settings on your iPhone:

⇒ Note: Some data on your iPhone may get lost if you use this method. So you’d better create a full iPhone backup in advance.

Step 1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2. Navigate to General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. Enter your password when it asks, and begin resetting.

Step 3. After resetting, connect your iPhone to your PC again to see if your photos can show in iTunes correctly.

Tip: Get an alternative to iTunes for iPhone photos

If you often use iTunes to transfer photos between your iPhone and computer and iTunes errors quite bothered you, here we provide a free alternative to iTunes - AOMEI FoneBackup, which can be the best data transfer software for iOS devices. With the help of it, you can transfer photos from iPhone to PC and view them on PC directly. AOMEI FoneBackup has lots of advantages compared to iTunes:

Many types of data are supported to transfer: In addition to photos, you can transfer contacts, messages, music, and transfer videos from iPhone to computer for free.
Support all iOS device models: The newest iPhone 16, and iPad Pro/Air/Mini are all supported in AOMEI FoneBackup.
Safe transfer process: You do not need to worry about your data security because AOMEI FoneBackup will not delete anything on your iPhone.
Transfer data at a higher speed: Your files will be transferred faster via AOMEI FoneBackup than transferring via iTunes.
Transfer selected files only: You can select files to transfer, which will save you much time and effort.

So, let’s see the easy steps to transfer photos from iPhone to PC via AOMEI FoneBackup:

Step 1. Download and install the AOMEI FoneBackup application on a PC, then run it and connect your iPhone to computer.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
Secure Download

Step 2. Choose iPhone to PC on the Phone Transfer page.

Step 3. Choose the Photos option and you can select the photos that need to be transferred.

Step 4. Select a storage path for your photos, then click on Start Transfer to transfer photos from iPhone to PC directly.

⇒ Note: You can also use AOMEI FoneBackup to backup your iPhone completely with the Full Backup feature easily, including apps (data files, preference), and Safari (history, bookmarks). system settings, as well as some common data like photos, contacts, text messages, music, video, etc.

Summary

Have you fixed the “iTunes photos not showing” error? Actually, you may encounter different kinds of errors in iTunes during transferring photos from iPhone to computer. But here we have introduced the best alternative - AOMEI FoneBackup. With it, you can try syncing iPhone without iTunes for free.