Photos app: Stuck at "Downloading original photo"

[chris4565]

Hi,

I just noticed a bug in the Photos app. When I take a photo with my iPhone it gets uploaded properly and I also see it in the Photos app on my MacBook Pro but at the bottom it tells me "1 original photo downloading" (don’t know the exact translation). This message stays there for quite some time even when I have the MacBook Pro plugged in. The strange thing: Even when I take multiple photos with my iPhone it does NOT say something like "5 original photos downloading". Instead the app still only mentions 1 photo.

Anyone else also encountering this behavior?

Tested it also with my father's MacBook and his iPhone and there the original photos get downloaded instantly (right after the photo appears in the app it mentions "Up to date" at the bottom.

Best wishes
Chris

 

[melymel96]

Hi,

I just noticed a bug in the Photos app. When I take a photo with my iPhone it gets uploaded properly and I also see it in the Photos app on my MacBook Pro but at the bottom it tells me "1 original photo downloading" (don’t know the exact translation). This message stays there for quite some time even when I have the MacBook Pro plugged in. The strange thing: Even when I take multiple photos with my iPhone it does NOT say something like "5 original photos downloading". Instead the app still only mentions 1 photo.

Anyone else also encountering this behavior?

Tested it also with my father's MacBook and his iPhone and there the original photos get downloaded instantly (right after the photo appears in the app it mentions "Up to date" at the bottom.

Best wishes
Chris

Having all sorts of issues with Photo app. Did a clean install of Catalina and it wont download originals to my Mac.

 

[zorinlynx]

I'm also having issues with downloading originals, there's 19 left to download and it's been that way for a few hours.

At least we're not alone so it should get fixed.

 

[justice4all77]

Same issue here, had to log out/in to my iCloud due to the update Apple ID bug, and now my library just says "updating" with no progress whatsoever. New photos aren't showing up since Catalina update. Something is super broken!

 

[chris4565]

When I came back to my MacBook today after a few hours the library says that it's up to date but when I shoot a new photo with my iPhone the downloading message comes back.

 

[coldwaves]

Having all sorts of issues with Photo app. Did a clean install of Catalina and it wont download originals to my Mac.

When I did a clean install of Catalina, I also have downloading original stuck there for a while. I just left the computer on wifi and close the lid. The next morning, it seems to finish downloading all original photo and also finished curating photos. Maybe it is worth a try.

 

[chris4565]

I just left the computer on wifi and close the lid. The next morning, it seems to finish downloading all original photo and also finished curating photos.

Yup, that also worked for me when I was having the same problem (curation seemed stuck at around 20%). I thought that you had to keep the app open or minimized and the MacBook awake but it turned out that closing the lid and just letting it rest did the job ?

 

[coldwaves]

Yup, that also worked for me when I was having the same problem (curation seemed stuck at around 20%). I thought that you had to keep the app open or minimized and the MacBook awake but it turned out that closing the lid and just letting it rest did the job ?

I initially had the same thought as you. But on iPhone, it specifically suggest that the user keep the phone in charger and on wifi, curation will occur once the phone is locked. So I thought maybe doing a similar thing on the Mac will work. I can understand the logic of such design as it is trying to only do these things when the computer is not being actively used.

 

[MandiMac]

Same here when taking pictures on iPhone, iPad just won't download the newest originals. Currently at 4 originals missing after logging out and in again of iCloud, even deleting all the pics on the iPad previously. Nasty.

 

[MandiMac]

Just for info: iOS 13.2 fixed that for me

 

[chemistry76]

Since updating to Catalina, mine will not download new pictures to Photos either. I have to selected to store all original photos on my 2018 MBA. It's currently stuck at "Downlading 141 Originals". I've tried switching it to Optimize photo storage and then back to download all originals. I've tried pausing and unpausing the download. Nothing seems to work.

 

[MakeTheMostOfLife]

Got the same issue. Had to force photos to DL originals to computer by exporting the entire library in sections. It had to DL to export. That worked well, but now I have the same issue as people here. Have 100s of gigs space and new photos shot on the phone show up in Mac photos, but it won't download the original automatically.

Did anyone get a solution by now?

 

[David Leathem]

I've been trying to download 90,891 originals from iCloud into Photos for the last 3 days. It just sits there saying it is downloading but nothing is happening. Deeply frustrating...

 

[Alicia1]

Add me to the list with the same issue I thought it was my 16" MacBook Pro so I did a clean install and have just noticed my MacBook is doing the same thing. grrrrrrr

 

[bpran]

any solutions yet ?

 

[Super Spartan]

Hi,

I just noticed a bug in the Photos app. When I take a photo with my iPhone it gets uploaded properly and I also see it in the Photos app on my MacBook Pro but at the bottom it tells me "1 original photo downloading" (don’t know the exact translation). This message stays there for quite some time even when I have the MacBook Pro plugged in. The strange thing: Even when I take multiple photos with my iPhone it does NOT say something like "5 original photos downloading". Instead the app still only mentions 1 photo.

Anyone else also encountering this behavior?

Tested it also with my father's MacBook and his iPhone and there the original photos get downloaded instantly (right after the photo appears in the app it mentions "Up to date" at the bottom.

Best wishes
Chris

Just did a clean install of Catalina 10.15.2 on my MBP 16 and I had the same issue. I just left the laptop on overnight (with the help of an app called Amphetamine to prevent sleep) and when I woke up it finished and also said Photo Curation Completed.

Just give it more time.

 

[chris4565]

Just a quick update: I don't have this issue anymore. I guess some update between October and January must have fixed this for me ?

 

[UltimateSyn]

I am now having this issue... 'Downloading 23,928 Originals'

 

[2499723]

My Photos app is exhibiting the same problem: stuck at 'Downloading 23,619 Originals'. I've logged out and back into iCloud on the Mac and even created a new Photos library. Nothing seems to work.

 

[MakeTheMostOfLife]

My Photos app is exhibiting the same problem: stuck at 'Downloading 23,619 Originals'. I've logged out and back into iCloud on the Mac and even created a new Photos library. Nothing seems to work.

I managed to solve it by selecting the entire library and then -> export originals.

This then forces photos to DL the originals.

If you don’t have HD space then can do the export in sections

 

[WilliamDu]

One more nail in the Catalina coffin.

 

[bertan]

Select all your photos. Right Click (or control Click) and select "Play Slideshow". It will force to download. Solved.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Yeah that notice saying: Downloading Originals is more of a placeholder that says: "I'm working on something - I won't tell you what it is... but it's something and it may take 5 minutes, it may take a day... Just let me do whatever I'm doing because I know best. If you try to fix it, you'll just mess things up."

That's how I take it. Usually it goes away when it wants to. <cough>.

I've got 60k photos and almost 1.8k videos - 84.4GB. Original download to my Mac, optimize photos on my iPad and iPhone. Been doing this for over a year now.

 

[UltimateSyn]

I managed to solve it by selecting the entire library and then -> export originals.

This then forces photos to DL the originals.

If you don’t have HD space then can do the export in sections

Yup, forgot to check back in a few weeks ago and mention that this worked. Thank you.

Yeah that notice saying: Downloading Originals is more of a placeholder that says: "I'm working on something - I won't tell you what it is... but it's something and it may take 5 minutes, it may take a day... Just let me do whatever I'm doing because I know best. If you try to fix it, you'll just mess things up."

That's how I take it. Usually it goes away when it wants to. <cough>.

I've got 60k photos and almost 1.8k videos - 84.4GB. Original download to my Mac, optimize photos on my iPad and iPhone. Been doing this for over a year now.

The issue we’re describing is no progress being made on those downloads no matter how much time passes. The number does not decrease and no photos are actually being downloaded. Updating a library of downloaded originals seems to work fine, but if for some reason the whole library is deleted (say, in my case, you turned iCloud photos off then on again) it will not redownload the large library of originals unless you force it to by exporting your library.

 

[2499723]

Thanks all. Yeah, exporting all photos at least forced the download (115GB). Unfortunately, any time I add new photos to my library, I have to repeat this process either by clicking on each photo or exporting those that have recently been added to the library. Additionally, some of the most recent photos don’t sync, because they’re behind the download queue. Oh well... just a further annoyance.