There could be several reasons why you can’t see your old photos on iCloud. Let’s explore some possible explanations and solutions:
1. Syncing turned off: It’s possible that the sync feature for Photos on your iPhone was disabled at some point. To check if this is the case, go to your iPhone Settings app, tap on your Apple ID, then go to iCloud. Look for the Photos toggle and make sure it is turned on. If it was off, turn it on and wait for the photos stored in iCloud to appear in your iPhone Photos app.
2. Deleted photos: If you recently deleted some photos from your iPhone, they might also have been removed from your iCloud Photo Library. By default, when you delete a photo from your iPhone, it gets deleted from iCloud as well. However, if you have the “Recently Deleted” album enabled, you might be able to recover those photos within a certain time frame (usually 30 days). Open your Photos app, go to the Albums tab, and look for the “Recently Deleted” album. If your photos are there, you can select and recover them.
3. Storage optimization enabled: Another possibility is that you have the “Optimize iPhone Storage” feature enabled. This option, available in the Photos settings, allows your device to store lower-resolution versions of your photos while keeping the original, high-resolution versions in iCloud. This can save storage space on your iPhone, but it means that you won’t see the original, full-resolution photos unless you specifically open them. To disable this feature and download the full-resolution versions to your device, go to Settings > Photos and disable “Optimize iPhone Storage.” Keep in mind that this might require more storage space on your device.
4. Slow or interrupted internet connection: If your internet connection is slow or keeps getting interrupted, it could prevent your iPhone from syncing with iCloud and downloading your photos. Make sure you have a stable and fast internet connection, preferably Wi-Fi, and try again. You can also try toggling Airplane mode on and off to reset your network settings.
5. iCloud Photo Library not enabled: If you never enabled iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone, your photos won’t be automatically synced to iCloud. To enable it, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos, and toggle on “iCloud Photo Library.” This will upload all your photos to iCloud and allow you to access them on other devices.
6. iCloud storage full: If you have reached your iCloud storage limit, iCloud may stop syncing your photos. Check your iCloud storage status by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. If you are running out of space, you can either upgrade your iCloud storage plan or delete unnecessary files to free up space.
Remember, these are just some possible reasons why you can’t see your old photos on iCloud. It’s always a good idea to double-check your settings and connectivity before assuming there is a more significant issue. If you continue to experience difficulties, you may want to contact Apple Support for further assistance.