Backup from iCloud didn't import photos to photo app properly, getting "!" and low res

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Backup from iCloud didn't import photos to photo app properly, getting "!" and low res

I need some help with a backup/restore issue.

I backed up my iPhone 16 Pro Max to iCloud before going to the Apple Store to pick up my new iPhone 17 Pro Max. When I got home, I restored the 17 Pro Max using that backup.

Now, in the Photos app, a lot of my pictures show a “!” and the message:

“Unable to load photo. An error occurred while loading a higher quality version of this photo.”

I have a ton of photos, and it seems like they’re stuck. I’ve tried Googling, TikTok, and ChatGPT for fixes but haven’t had any luck.

Has anyone run into this before or know how to resolve it?

PS Apple, please quit changing the photos app. This version is worse than the last one. A photos app shouldn't be this complicated. Scrap it all and go back to the drawing board and keep it simple. I'm so frustrated, and I even consider myself a very capable tech-savvy person.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Posted on Sep 22, 2025 2:01 PM

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Answer 1

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Richard.Taylor

Level 6

16,969 points

Sep 23, 2025 7:58 AM in response to Lane Fielder

Lane Fielder wrote: …I backed up my iPhone 16 Pro Max to iCloud before going to the Apple Store to pick up my new iPhone 17 Pro Max. When I got home, I restored the 17 Pro Max using that backup.

I'm not sure what you mean by "backed up my iPhone 16". On your 16, did you use iCloud Photos? By "backup," do you mean that you used Settings>[name]>iCloud>iCloud Backup, or something else. If you use iCloud Photos, iCloud backup doesn't separately include Photos. Or do you mean you backed up to a computer? "Back Up" can mean lots of different things. What did you actually do?

Now, in the Photos app, a lot of my pictures show a “!”

Did you use Optimize Storage on your 16? Are you using Optimize on your 17? If so, the phone will need good wifi to download your pictures.

PS Apple, please quit changing the photos app.

You're not talking to Apple here. Folks who read these posts are just users like you. Some of us hang around here from time to time in case our experience may help someone. Apple engineers don’t read the stuff, here.

If you would like to make suggestions to Apple, go here:

Feedback - Photos - Apple

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