10.3.1 iPhone 7 - deleted 3 years of pictures?

[lizd]

Updated my software last night on my iPhone 7 - had the software downloaded, updated before I went to bed. Noticed this morning some issues with a picture, and then went into camera roll - over three years of pictures are gone. Last picture / date is from September 2014, but also even more pictures are missing from before this time period (like the start of my pictures - I have kept pictures from my first iPhone, transferring over as I upgrade iPhones). In Camera Roll and Collections I have a loading wheel and it says "Restoring" but I don't see anything happening or restoring. I have a recent backup on my iTunes, but I'm worried about plugging in the iPhone and losing even more. Any ideas/advice/solutions would be enormously appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Shirasaki]

Give it even more time to see if there is anything wrong?
Also have you opened iCloud Photo Library?

 

[Chazzle]

Updated my software last night on my iPhone 7 - had the software downloaded, updated before I went to bed. Noticed this morning some issues with a picture, and then went into camera roll - over three years of pictures are gone. Last picture / date is from September 2014, but also even more pictures are missing from before this time period (like the start of my pictures - I have kept pictures from my first iPhone, transferring over as I upgrade iPhones). In Camera Roll and Collections I have a loading wheel and it says "Restoring" but I don't see anything happening or restoring. I have a recent backup on my iTunes, but I'm worried about plugging in the iPhone and losing even more. Any ideas/advice/solutions would be enormously appreciated.

Thanks!

Sounds like your photos are being stored in iCloud Photo Library and haven't had enough time to sync to your phone. I would plug your phone into a power source and be sure connect to a reliable wifi network and give it some time. The photos should show up. If not, lemme know as there are a few things you can try.

 

[zorinlynx]

Are you using iCloud Photo Library?

If yes:

Give it time, plugged into WiFi. It may have to do a resync. Also make sure that you're still logged into iCloud and that iCloud Photo Library is turned ON. You should make sure you have a full copy of your photo library on your computer in addition to iCloud, and back that up separately. Don't trust the cloud completely.

If not:

Again, give it time. The photo library database likely got corrupted and is being rebuilt. I've seen this happen before; all your photos should eventually come back though it may take a while.

You REALLY SHOULD use photo importing software to import ALL the photos on your phone to your computer to keep them safe there (outside an iTunes backup, where you can't access them directly). Having your photos just on your phone and depending on iTunes backups is asking for trouble.