Photos not syncing from MacOS Sequoia 15.5 to iPhone iOS 18.5

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RottenCider Author

Level 1

36 points

Photos not syncing from MacOS Sequoia 15.5 to iPhone iOS 18.5

MacBook Pro M1 MAX

Mac OS Sequoia 15.5 (24F74)

iPhone 15 Pro MAX

iOS 18.5 (22F76)

Just backed up iPhone to MacBook Pro for the first time.

Started by using the MacOS Photos app to import all photos.

Then using the Finder backed up the phone. During the process photos were removed from the iPhone.

Attempted to sync the iPhone to the MacBook Pro making sure that the CHECK BOX was selected for photos to be synced from the Photos Library.

No success.

Rebooted both the iPhone and the MacBook Pro.

Have attempted multiple times.

I need to get the photos back on the phone ASAP. I hope that someone can provide assistance.

I do not you iCloud and will not use iCloud.

Have had an iPhone since the early single digits and seems that the simplest of things are becoming the hardest to do.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Jun 2, 2025 8:37 AM

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Answer 1

RottenCider Author

Level 1

36 points

Jun 2, 2025 10:59 AM in response to den.thed

Thanks for the reply.

"To get Photos back on to your iPhone from the Photos App on your Mac

open the iPhone in Finder side bar and select the Photos tab

check Sync photos to your device from: "Photos"

select Sync All or Selected albums "

I HAD done exactly what you said multiple times with no success PRIOR to posting here.

As stated I have had iPhones since model 3 or 4 and have been doing it the same way.

Import photos from iPhone to Mac Photo app selecting delete photos after import.
Sync iPhone and Mac from (was iTunes in the past) the Finder make sure to select ALL PHOTOS from the Photos tab.

Always did it like that so that I could view photos on both devices and so that I could have a copy of my photos on two different devices.

FWIW the photos were formally on my old MacBook Pro in the Photos app. I moved the Photo App Library to the new MacBook Pro and opened it so that it could update itself to the new MacOS environment. I then imported the photos to the new MacBook Pro.

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Answer 2

den.thed

Level 10

86,428 points

Jun 2, 2025 10:31 AM in response to RottenCider

Hmm.. the Photos taken with your iPhone should not have been deleted from the iPhone,

unless the "Delete items after import" box in Photos on your iMac is checked.

or unless they were over-written buy syncing Photos a different Mac location, which would have given a warning.

To get Photos back on to your iPhone from the Photos App on your Mac

open the iPhone in Finder side bar and select the Photos tab

check Sync photos to your device from: "Photos"

select Sync All or Selected albums

(All of the Photos on my Mac do not fit on my iPhone so I use Selected and Last year)

you maybe able to select All photo depending on the size of the Photos Library on your Mac

then click Sync

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Answer 3

RottenCider Author

Level 1

36 points

Jun 2, 2025 12:19 PM in response to den.thed

The only problem with that is that, at least in the past, duplicates would be created on the next sync.

Furthermore it should have only removed the latest imports and not the entire library from the iPhone.

What are my options???

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Answer 4

den.thed

Level 10

86,428 points

Jun 2, 2025 1:58 PM in response to RottenCider

RottenCider wrote:

The only problem with that is that, at least in the past, duplicates would be created on the next sync.

Not if you only Import new photos from the iPhone or Digital camera into the Photos App on the Mac.

Furthermore it should have only removed the latest imports and not the entire library from the iPhone.

Syncing Photos from a different Library, different Mac or different location can wipe what's on the iPhone, but it should have given you a warning before that happened.

What are my options???

As mentioned above, sync All or sync Selected albums (for example the Last year) of the Photos that are in the Photos Library on your Mac back to the iPhone.

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Answer 5

RottenCider Author

Level 1

36 points

Jun 3, 2025 3:51 AM in response to den.thed

OKAY. So I have made progress with getting the photos back on the iPhone.

In the MacOS Photos app Setting... Library Location: user account > Pictures > Photos Library.photoslibrary

The Use as System Photo Library button was NOT set. The button was clickable and not grayed out.

After I did that I, for good measure, ejected the iPhone from the MacBook Pro and then reconnected it.

Then using the Finder iPhone Backup Utility under PHOTOS I deselected and reselected SYNC ALL PHOTOS.

I was then warned that it would erase all photos from the phone. Since there were no photos on the phone I proceeded.

Some time passed and when complete 10K+ photos were back on the phone.

The problem now is there are actually 12K+ photos in the MacOS Photos Library. How to I debug this problem and figure out how to get the rest of the photos on the iPhone. There is plenty of space on the phone.

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Answer 6

den.thed

Level 10

86,428 points

Jun 3, 2025 7:22 AM in response to RottenCider

RottenCider wrote:

OKAY. So I have made progress with getting the photos back on the iPhone.

I'm glad to hear that.

In the MacOS Photos app Setting... Library Location: user account > Pictures > Photos Library.photoslibrary

The Use as System Photo Library button was NOT set. The button was clickable and not grayed out.

That is most likely why the Photos were removed from the iPhone in the first place.

After I did that I, for good measure, ejected the iPhone from the MacBook Pro and then reconnected it.

Then using the Finder iPhone Backup Utility under PHOTOS I deselected and reselected SYNC ALL PHOTOS.

I was then warned that it would erase all photos from the phone. Since there were no photos on the phone I proceeded.

At this point, I'm not sure why you were not warned or if you just missed that warning the first time.

It is also a good idea to, not allow Photos Import on the Mac to remove the photos from the iPhone.

Some time passed and when complete 10K+ photos were back on the phone.

The problem now is there are actually 12K+ photos in the MacOS Photos Library. How to I debug this problem and figure out how to get the rest of the photos on the iPhone. There is plenty of space on the phone.

I have also noticed that some photos were missing on the first sync.

Disconnect and restart both the Mac and the iPhone.

Then reconnect and re-sync a second time to see if it picks up the remaining photos.

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Answer 7

den.thed

Level 10

86,428 points

Jun 2, 2025 12:11 PM in response to RottenCider

FWIW I keep "Delete items after import" for all of my devices iPhones and Digital cameras "unchecked" so that the Photos stay on those devices.

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