Photos appearing on iPhone screen

[Ambrosia7177]

Hello. I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max with iOS 17.4.

At the beginning of the year, I noticed that photos on my phone start appearing as a screen-saver of sorts when my phone is idle - especially if it is plugged in.

I got a new car last December, and I have photos of my car in the Photos app so I can so it off to people.

One thing that freaks me out about iOS grabbing my photos and randomly displaying them on my phone, is that I don't want some stranger to see what car I drive, or even get my license plate number off of my iPhone.

Of course I could delete all photos, but then that sort of defeats the purpose of having an iPhone, right?

How can I disable this feature if that is even possible?

 

[Mike Boreham]

Sounds like you have your Wallpaper set to Photo Shuffle as in this article. Scrolldown to section headed:

"Rotate multiple photos as your Lock Screen wallpaper"​

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Sounds like you have your Wallpaper set to Photo Shuffle as in this article. Scrolldown to section headed:

"Rotate multiple photos as your Lock Screen wallpaper"​

I looked at that article, and it doesn't seem to apply, because I don't have a password on my phone.

The instructions look different than what I have, but when I go to Settings > Wallpaper > Current > Customize > Customize Current Wallpaper, then I simply see an orangish screen, with...

<day>, <date>
<time>
<Add widgets>

 

[Mike Boreham]

What happens if you do what the article says (in the section about Rotate Multiple Photos) which is:

1. In the Settings app, tap Wallpaper.
2. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
3. Tap Photos, People, Photo Shuffle or Live Photo to choose your own photo. You can also select a wallpaper from a category such as Weather & Astronomy, Kaleidoscope, Emoji, Unity, Pride, Collections or Colour.

Then choose something other than Photo Shuffle?

PS Since this issue is security related about revealing your car license plate and model I am surprised you don't protect your phone!

 

[Ambrosia7177]

What happens if you do what the article says (in the section about Rotate Multiple Photos) which is:

1. In the Settings app, tap Wallpaper.
2. Tap Add New Wallpaper.
3. Tap Photos, People, Photo Shuffle or Live Photo to choose your own photo. You can also select a wallpaper from a category such as Weather & Astronomy, Kaleidoscope, Emoji, Unity, Pride, Collections or Colour.

Then chose something other than Photo Shuffle?

Yeah, but what about just getting back to the default which didn't squeal my car photos to the whole world? *LOL*

Also, while I was playing around trying to fix things, now I have a new Wallpaper that is yellow and i want to delete it but don't see how.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Yeah, but what about just getting back to the default which didn't squeal my car photos to the whole world? *LOL*

Also, while I was playing around trying to fix things, now I have a new Wallpaper that is yellow and i want to delete it but don't see how.

If your phone had been set to Rotate Photos, which it certainly sounds like it had been, you will have to select something else for the wall paper. Pretty sure one of the options listed in 3. in my last post will have the default iOS17 wall paper.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

If your phone had been set to Rotate Photos, which it certainly sounds like it had been, you will have to select something else for the wall paper. Pretty sure one of the options listed in 3. in my last post will have the default iOS17 wall paper.

@Mike Boreham,

Sorry to be a pain, but this still isn't working.

I don't see a way to delete the new Wallpaper that I created, and I don't want to delete my current Wallpaper as it looks how I want it.

Tried creating a new Wallpaper, but I when I tap on the empty boxes which is where you supposedly add widgets (e.g. Camera) it doesn't work.

I do see this under Settings > Photos > Memories & Featured Content > Show Featured Content = On

Am going to turn that off and see if it helps.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I am afraid I am out of ideas. The wall paper customisations are not completely straightforward. I suspect the solution is something simple so a visit to an Apple Store might sort it.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I am afraid I am out of ideas. The wall paper customisations are not completely straightforward. I suspect the solution is something simple so a visit to an Apple Store might sort it.

@Mike Boreham,

Let me play around and research some more - getting slammed today at work, so I need to focus on that first!

I'm pretty sure what I mentioned above might be the issue.

It is strange that there isn't some "Wallpaper manager" where you can add, edit and delete Wallpapers, right?

On my phone, I don't see a way to delete new Wallpapers once you create them, and like I said, when I started to create a new one, all I could do was change colors, I couldn't add a date or time or the Camera widget, and I sw no options for photos.

Will let you know what I discover.

Thanks!

 

[sw1tcher]

I think you might have "Show Featured Content" turned on. Turn it off (if it's on) and see if it fixes your issue.

go to Settings > Photos, scroll down and turn off Show Featured Content


What does the feature do?

How To Turn Off Featured Content In Photos App On iPhone - iOS Hacker

iOS displays user's featured photos and memories in different parts of iPhone. You can see these images in Photos app's For You page, Search and Photo

ioshacker.com

iOS displays user’s featured photos and memories in different parts of iPhone. You can see these images in Photos app’s For You page, Search and Photo widgets of the home screen.

While Photos app Featured Content is a nice feature that shows you some nice memories and photos of your loved ones, it can also be a source of annoyance for those who don’t want their private photos appearing on their iPhone.

When this feature is turned off iOS will no longer display your featured images and memories in different parts of your device. This is great for user privacy and those who want to disable Featured Content.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

I think you might have "Show Featured Content" turned on. Turn it off (if it's on) and see if it fixes your issue.

go to Settings > Photos, scroll down and turn off Show Featured Content

@sw1tcher,

Yeah, I came to that same conclusion in post #7 above.

As mentioned, I turned it off and will see if it works.

Thanks.

 

[Ethan.Albano]

At the beginning of the year, I noticed that photos on my phone start appearing as a screen-saver of sorts when my phone is idle - especially if it is plugged in.

If the other fixes aren’t working, it could be StandBy mode activating, thinking that the phone is on its side while charging. You can simply turn this off in Settings -> Standby, or while active, you can swipe left and right to change to a different StandBy wallpaper (for example, a digital clock).

Hope this helps!

 

[Ambrosia7177]

If the other fixes aren’t working, it could be StandBy mode activating, thinking that the phone is on its side while charging. You can simply turn this off in Settings -> Standby, or while active, you can swipe left and right to change to a different StandBy wallpaper (for example, a digital clock).

Hope this helps!

This is turning out to be a real pain...

Right now my phone is vertical - and plugged in charging - and I look over and see my car on display.

So apparently the attempts above don't work.

If I swipe left or right, I can indeed choose a clock or some other thing, but why is iOS slurping up my car photos?

(Actually I have seen the behavior you describe above, but didn't know how to tell iOS, "I don't want any of those!")

I just went to Settings > StandBy, and see the option you mention and turned it off.

Why is iOS being so nosey?

And did my latest update turn this on automatically?

 

[TracerAnalog]

I looked at that article, and it doesn't seem to apply, because I don't have a password on my phone.

The instructions look different than what I have, but when I go to Settings > Wallpaper > Current > Customize > Customize Current Wallpaper, then I simply see an orangish screen, with...

<day>, <date>
<time>
<Add widgets>

You don’t have a password on your phone, and you worry about people inadvertently seeing what car you drive??? I’d worry a a lot more about not having a password and losing your phone!!

 

[Ambrosia7177]

You don’t have a password on your phone, and you worry about people inadvertently seeing what car you drive??? I’d worry a a lot more about not having a password and losing your phone!!

I know, I know...

Look, I just use my phone as a hotspot and to - obviously - take pictures. I don't have any contacts or phone #'s in my phone, but yeah, I need to get around to a password. I just haven't put one on, because if I want to quickly snap a photo of a bird outside my window, I don't have time to log into my phone.

The problem with this whole thing of iOS grabbing photos from my phone and displaying them, is that I am often at the library, and I don't want people walking buy and seeing pictures of my life on display.

BTW, still testing the StandBy thing...

 

[Mike Boreham]

I just haven't put one on, because if I want to quickly snap a photo of a bird outside my window, I don't have time to log into my phone.

For info my Lock Screen has a camera icon and a torch icon along the bottom so I can open camera for a quick photo, or turn on torch without unlocking the phone.

 

[Ambrosia7177]

For info my Lock Screen has a camera icon and a torch icon along the bottom so I can open camera for a quick photo, or turn on torch without unlocking the phone.

Does that only work with certain iPhones or iOS versions?

 

[Mike Boreham]

Does that only work with certain iPhones or iOS versions?

It's been there a long time, don't know when it came in or what model. I don't believe I did anything special to put it there.

More info here.

Note you can also swipe left on the Lock Screen which is just as quick.

 

[TracerAnalog]

I know, I know...

Look, I just use my phone as a hotspot and to - obviously - take pictures. I don't have any contacts or phone #'s in my phone, but yeah, I need to get around to a password. I just haven't put one on, because if I want to quickly snap a photo of a bird outside my window, I don't have time to log into my phone.

The problem with this whole thing of iOS grabbing photos from my phone and displaying them, is that I am often at the library, and I don't want people walking buy and seeing pictures of my life on display.

BTW, still testing the StandBy thing...

Uhm you worry about the photo’s on your phone… so put a password in? Also, snapping a picture doesn’t require a password to be entered. Also: use FaceID. Also: create a focus wallpaper for when you’re in the library and set your wallpaper to any picture you like. Also: look up some ‘how to iOS’ videos on YouTube because I get the sense you do not really know how iPhones work (no offense meant, lot’s of people are not interested in investing time into how to operate their phone) so you can use the phone to your exact needs 😊

 

[Ambrosia7177]

Uhm you worry about the photo’s on your phone… so put a password in? Also, snapping a picture doesn’t require a password to be entered. Also: use FaceID. Also: create a focus wallpaper for when you’re in the library and set your wallpaper to any picture you like. Also: look up some ‘how to iOS’ videos on YouTube because I get the sense you do not really know how iPhones work (no offense meant, lot’s of people are not interested in investing time into how to operate their phone) so you can use the phone to your exact needs 😊

As mentioned, I never set up a password because I thought it would prevent me from taking spur of the moment photos.

I'm not worried so much of someone stealing my phone as walking by, looking at it, looking at my car, and then having issues with stalkers/thieves.

I have an old iPhone 11 Pro Max, so is the feature of having a password and being able to shoot photos without being logged in apply?

Whatever was on my phone before this issue started was fine - it was an orange screen with the date and time and that's it. Somehow I apparently bumped something and then whatever photos I was keeping started to appear. (I would never create a default option to show a photo of anything in my life like some people do.)

Correct, I am clueless about mobile and prefer to stay that way. My phone is my hotspot and camera and that's it.

I mean I am obviously curious to learn more, but what I mean is that I have no desire to put my whole life (and photos) on my phone like most people, which is why iOS deciding sharing my photos to anyone walking by is upsetting!

 

[TracerAnalog]

As mentioned, I never set up a password because I thought it would prevent me from taking spur of the moment photos.

I'm not worried so much of someone stealing my phone as walking by, looking at it, looking at my car, and then having issues with stalkers/thieves.

I have an old iPhone 11 Pro Max, so is the feature of having a password and being able to shoot photos without being logged in apply?

Whatever was on my phone before this issue started was fine - it was an orange screen with the date and time and that's it. Somehow I apparently bumped something and then whatever photos I was keeping started to appear. (I would never create a default option to show a photo of anything in my life like some people do.)

Correct, I am clueless about mobile and prefer to stay that way. My phone is my hotspot and camera and that's it.

I mean I am obviously curious to learn more, but what I mean is that I have no desire to put my whole life (and photos) on my phone like most people, which is why iOS deciding sharing my photos to anyone walking by is upsetting!

iPhone 11 takes pictures and has FaceID so it should not be a problem. Just look up focus mode and how to create a custom Lock Screen, shouldn’t take too long. Good luck!