Image Capture on Mac doesn't show last HEIC image

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Level 1

95 points

Image Capture on Mac doesn't show last HEIC image

[Image Capture]

I've noticed for some time (even now on latest macOS 26.1) that Image Capture refuses to show the last HEIC image captured on my iPhone 13 mini.

Image Capture Version 8.0 (1106)

iOS 18.6.2

macOS Tahoe 26.1

MacBook Air M2 (2022)

Lightning to USB-C/Thunderbolt cable

The behaviour has been evident for some time on earlier iOS and macOS versions.

The missing IMG_1009.HEIC should be between IMG_1008.MOV and IMG_E1010.JPG (the screenshot I just took to show the missing photo) ...

There should be the last photo I took (the piggybacked EPROMs in the EPROM reader), but it usually doesn't show up.

I usually have to try a few things to get it to magically appear: restart Photos on my phone and then re-plug my phone in via cable will sometimes work, otherwise I have jump through other hoops to get it on my Mac.

Image Capture will show that photo eventually, but it takes some coaxing - this seems to be a bug ... ?

MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

Posted on Nov 22, 2025 8:37 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 23, 2025 1:29 AM in response to Perapoika

The issue is that Image Capture NEVER shows recent HEIC photos ... I always have to jump through hoops to make them appear. Seems like a software fault.

Hei! I have never seen Image Capture to miss recent images or movies in my setups (my "camera roll" usually does not have many files because I quite often copy them to the Mac and empty it, if that matters).

How many such images are missing at maximum, just one or a few? Are they missing from the very end or near the end like now? Does it happen every time? Does it help if you close Camera.app (or all apps) by swiping it off, and then take a peek with Image Capture?

Do you have any 3rd party Camera apps on the iPhone that might intervene? Any virus apps or "cleaners" installed on the Mac (they often produce weird errors and are not recommended)?

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Answer 2

Nov 24, 2025 6:26 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

I think that I would get rid of the unused camera apps. Hopefully they don't leave anything behind.

On the Mac, the BlueHarvest thing might be a problem. I wonder why they want to keep it off the App store.

In any case, I think that you ought to make a new user and see if the same problem recurs with it.

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Answer 3

Nov 22, 2025 11:57 PM in response to Perapoika

Weird.

AFAIK that last IMG_E1010.JPG is the edited version of IMG_1010.JPG and there should be an invisible IMG_1010.AAE (that some workflows copy to the Mac). So I wonder where the original IMG_1010.JPG is? BTW do you shoot only .heic? If yes, I wonder why IMG_E1010.JPG is .jpg.

So it appears you have done edits in the iPhone, right? Maybe that intervenes with the issue you have having with lost 2nd last image? Is there any connection to that workflow?

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Answer 4

Perapoika Author

Level 1

95 points

Nov 23, 2025 11:00 AM in response to Matti Haveri

It's usually just the recent HEIC images. I use my iPhone to capture video & images for my YouTube channel videos ... capture the video & images, connect to my Mac and import, then edit the video in iMovie.

Normally it's just one of the images missing. Not necessarily the last one but it will sometimes be between two videos, e.g. IMG_1000.MOV, IMG_1001.HEIC and IMG_1003.MOV will be listed, but not IMG_1002.HEIC.

Interestingly when I took the screen shot on my phone to show the image that was missing on the Mac, the JPG/PNG files appeared instantly in Image Capture on the Mac, but the HEIC image remained missing until I restarted Photos on the phone and unplugged/plugged-in the phone.

I do have other camera apps on the phone but haven't used them in years, just the default Camera app.

I have BlueHarvest on my Mac to clean non-Mac disks ... ?

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Answer 5

Nov 24, 2025 7:45 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Matti Haveri wrote:

dot_clean -mn [folder path]

Ahh-- that's the only terminal command I use! (Of course, I have to look it up every time…)

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Answer 6

Perapoika Author

Level 1

95 points

Nov 23, 2025 12:26 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Moikka!

Ignore the E1010 ... it's not relevant to the issue ... it's the screen shot I took on my phone showing the missing IMG_1009.HEIC file to compare with the Image Capture display ... the HEIC file is on the phone, but Image Capture won't show it on the Mac.

Or maybe it shows the issue ... the IMG_1010.PNG and IMG_E1010.JPG show up straight away in Image Capture on the Mac ... but the problem remains ... IMG_1009.HEIC is missing ... until I restart Photos on my phone and unplug/replug my phone back in.

The issue is that Image Capture NEVER shows recent HEIC photos ... I always have to jump through hoops to make them appear. Seems like a software fault.

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Answer 7

Nov 24, 2025 7:24 AM in response to Perapoika

Perapoika wrote:

I have BlueHarvest on my Mac to clean non-Mac disks ... ?

By "cleaners" I meant those that are infamous for corrupting the system (CleanMyMac, Cleaner One, MacKeeper etc).

On the other hand AFAIK BlueHarvest is OK and is used to delete '._' dot files that carry some Mac-specific extended file attributes that Windows does not understand (and are usually not needed anyway).

Personally I get rid of dot files via dot_clean which is bundled in macOS. I do this on FAT formatted thumb drives before inserting them to a TV to display images and movies because otherwise my "smart" TV gets confused about those '._' dot files:

dot_clean -mn [folder path]

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Answer 8

Nov 23, 2025 7:42 AM in response to Perapoika

Have you tried a forced restart?

Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

This is different from a simple Power Off. I had to continue holding the button down past the "slide to power off" message, and then I released the button only after the Apple Logo appeared indicating a re-start.

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