Why Can’t I Open Pictures on My iPhone & How to Solve It?

July 11, 2024Ashley Mae

While the iPhone’s unique operating system and iCloud services have contributed greatly to its top-ranked position among smartphones worldwide, they can sometimes be difficult to handle. One problem that users may encounter is why can’t I open pictures on my iPhone. If you are currently struggling with the same problem, this article may help you out.

Why Cant I Open Pictures on My iPhone

Part 1. Common Reasons for Not Opening Pictures on iPhone

1. Pictures Failed to Display Due to File Format Issues

Without the help of third-party apps, iPhones and iPads support only the display of pictures in the formats PNG, JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, TIFF, and GIF. Supposing your pictures were received from other devices, downloaded from the network, or attained through exportation from any image processing software, there is a chance that they are in formats that aren’t supported by iPhone/iPad and thus can’t be opened.

2. Pictures Can’t Be Opened Due to iOS Problems

Those who already know the format of their files might still wonder, "Why can't I open HEIC photos on iPhone?” One possible reason is that the operating system of the iPhone is too old, hence not being able to support new formats. If your iOS is already the latest version, check the other points listed below.

3. Pictures Won’t Load for Storage or Memory Issues

Sometimes, you find that your iPhone will not open pictures in text messages or other apps; chances are the phone's storage is already full. The pictures won’t be loaded until there is spare room in your phone.

4. Images Can’t Display for Being Corrupted Files

If none of the reasons listed above seem to fit your case, then maybe you’ve encountered a corrupted file. That means your file has suffered from some kind of damage during transmission or exportation and can’t be operated normally. It would be difficult to solve this problem on your phone alone.

Part 2. How to Fix the Problem

Fix 1. Restarting the iPhon

Have you ever tried to turn your iPhone off and on again? If you've kept your devices running non-stop since not remembering when then some program errors may have secretly accumulated to the extent of being able to affect the normal use of the machine. Taking 1 minute to restart your device may just as easily send your problem away.

• For iPhones without a home button, long press the side button (the lock/unlock screen button) and the volume up button to turn the device off/on.

• For iPhones with the home button, long press the side button to turn the device off/on.

iPhone Restart Demonstration

Fix 2. Checking File Format

If you are not sure what kind of files you are trying to open, check the formats to see if they are supported to be opened on an iPhone.

Step 1.
Right-slide till App Library appears, type files in the search bar, and tap Files.
Step 2.
View your file in Files. The format of the file can be found following the dot in the file’s name. If you can't see the full name of the file, long-tap the icon and choose Get Info from the popped-out list.
View File Format on iPhonen

Check for the iOS version on your iPhone to see whether or not you've missed the latest update.

Fix 3. Updating iOS

Check for the version of iOS on your iPhone to see whether or not you’ve missed the latest update.

Step 1.
Find and Tap Settings. It has an icon that looks a lot like gray gears.

If you have trouble finding it, right-slide your screen until the App Library appears and search settings in the search bar.

Step 2.
In the Settings, find and choose General at the top of the fourth function block.

If you have trouble finding it among all the colorful icons, try searching Generals in the search bar presented at the top of the Settings menu.

Finding Settings And Generals
Step 3.
Tap Software Updates to see your iOS version and check for any available updates. Download and install the new version of iOS by pressing the button that says so.
Finding Software Updates

Fix 4. Clearing Storage

JPEG image won't open on iPhone? Make sure you have enough storage for them to load.

Step 1.
Find and tap Settings on your iPhone (see Fix3)
Step 2.
Go for General (See Fix3)
Step 3.
Find and Tap iPhone Storage in the fourth function block. Here, you can clearly see how much space has already been taken from your storage and how much is left.
Finding And Checking Storage

If you don't have enough space for downloading pictures, uninstall some infrequently used apps or delete some data to make room. Beware that if the data are important, store them elsewhere for backup or in the cloud before deleting them.

Part 3. Bonus for Your Format Conversion Needs

HEIC/HEIF is a unique format used by iPhone, allowing the pictures to preserve their high quality while taking up relatively small space. However, sometimes, opening HEIC/HEIF pictures on Android devices and PCs can be difficult. iPhone users who are fond of the older iOS may also have the same problem.

The solution recommended here is to use the Aiseesoft HEIC to JPG online converter to convert the file format. Here, you can find how amazing that Aiseesoft HEIC to JPG online converter is.

HEIC Converter

Downloads

Aiseesoft HEIC Converter – Best Alternative to Google Drive

  • High-quality conversion of picture formats from HEIC to JPG.
  • A free trial of up to 10 files for each user.
  • Supporting the conversion of any HEIC pictures up to 5MB.
  • Needs no installations.
  • Supporting high-speed batch conversion.
Free DownloadFor Windows

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Free DownloadFor macOS

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Heic to Jpg Converter Web

Follow the guide below, and convert HEIC to JPG online with just two steps!

Step 1.
Click the Add HEIC/HEIF Files button to add your files or drag them into the dash-lined box.
Step 2.
Wait for the conversion, then click the Download button and enjoy your high-quality converted pictures in the exported folder.

Part 4. FAQs about the pictures not opening on iPhone:

Why is my iPhone not opening pictures in messages?

Check if you have authorized the app to access your photos and whether you’ve updated your app to the latest version. If the problem still exists, read the article above and have a try.

How do I fix corrupted photos on my iPhone?

You could try recovering intact files from a previous backup. Check your iCloud data or any devices that may once have intact copies of your photos.

How to fix unable to load photo on iPhone?

Make sure the network you’ve connected to works well. If the problem still exists, read the article above and have a try.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered four common reasons for the question why can’t I open pictures on iPhone and four quick fixes that readers could adopt to try to solve their problems. As the problem may occur for several reasons, readers are advised to try all the fixes if they are not sure which reason causes the pictures not to show on iPhones. In bonus, the article presents Aiseesoft HEIC to JPG Converter as a useful tool for those who need to convert HEIC pictures to JPG. If you are interested in more useful tools, feel free to explore the site page and have free trials for all the products!

What do you think of this post?

Excellent

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (based on 362 votes)Follow Us on

Disqus IconLeave your comment and join our discussion
HEIC Converter box

Aiseesoft HEIC Converter is the professional software to convert iPhone/iPad/iPod photos from HEIC to JPG/PNG on Windows/Mac without compressing image quality.

Free DownloadFor Windows

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Free DownloadFor macOS

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Back to top