If you keep getting the ‘unable to share photos’ error on your iPhone, you could be dealing with a bad internet connection. Try disconnecting and reconnecting back to your WiFi. You can also try restarting your router if this doesn’t do the trick.
The problem can also pop up due to minor system glitches. You should be able to take care of this by
restarting your iPhone.
I’ve faced the issue once before on my iPhone 12. I didn’t panic as I figured that it was due to a poor internet connection. Follow the below fixes to have it working again.
How Do You Fix the ‘Unable to Share Photo’ Error on iPhone?
There are many ways to fix the
unable to share photo on iPhone error, and they include:
Solution 1: Check Internet Connection (Have a Stable Connection)
The main reason you won’t be able to transfer iCloud photos is due to a bad internet connection. There are a few ways to take care of this. If your signal is poor because you’re far from your router, you can move closer to it. However, if it’s your router that’s acting up, you will have to reset it.
Alternatively, you can turn cellular data on and stop using your WiFi network. Your cellular data connection might be more reliable than your WiFi.
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Solution 2: Disable Low Power Mode
If you’re
low on charge and enable low power mode, the issue could pop up. Your system won’t be able to function like it normally does – it will restrict the processes to save power which can ultimately cause the transfer error.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Open Settings
- Go to Battery
- Turn Low Power Mode option off
Once done, charge your phone, then share your
iPhone photos. Hopefully, you’ll be good to go.
Solution 3: Disable Optimize iPhone Storage Space
Apple allows you to optimize your photo and video storage, which can seem like a good idea if you have a lot of files on your iPhone. However, having the feature running can sometimes cause issues when sharing photos and videos.
To fix this:
- Open Settings
- Click on [Your Name] > iCloud
- Select Photos
- Choose the Download and Keep Originals option
Solution 4: Sign Out of iCloud Account
Signing out and back into your iCloud account can also help. This will help clear any minor bugs or glitches that were on your account.
Here’s what you do:
- Launch Settings
- Look for your name and click on it
- Scroll down and click on the Sign Out button
- Wait a couple of seconds, restart your device, then sign back in
Solution 5: Restart iPhone
You might keep getting an error message if you’re trying to share iCloud photos and your OS is glitching out. Not to worry, taking care of this is easy. You only have to turn your iPhone off and on again.
However, if the glitch is stubborn, you will have to take things up a notch and force-restart your device.
To force-reboot the iPhone 8 and later models, as well as the SE 2 and 3:
- Press and let go of the Volume Up button, then switch to the Volume Down button and do the same
- Press and hold the Side button until you see the startup screen
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus:
- Press and hold the Power button and Volume Down button until the Apple logo appears
iPhone 6, 6S and SE (1st gen):
- Press and hold both the Power and Home until you see the startup screen
Solution 6: Reboot iCloud Photos Library
Although I haven’t had luck with this fix before, I know several iPhone users who have been able to get rid of the issue by turning their iCloud photo library off and on again.
Here’s how iPhone users can do this:
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Photos & Camera
- Toggle the iCloud photos library button off
- Wait a few seconds and turn it back on
Once done, open the Photos app, then check whether the sharing photos error still pops up.
Solution 7: Reset Network Settings
Resetting your network settings might help if the above fixes don’t get rid of the iPhone error. This will help clear any faulty network settings that might have been causing you a network-related issue, or conflicts with how iCloud works.
To
fix iPhone unable to share photos message:
- Open the Settings app
- Go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone
- Click on the Reset option
- Click Reset Network Settings
- Enter your device passcode to confirm
Just keep in mind that when you reset your network settings, you will lose all saved WiFi passwords and Bluetooth pairings in the process, so make a note of them.
Solution 8: iOS System Recovery Software
If all else fails, it might be time to use system recovery software. They’re pretty hardcore and reserved for the most complex software problems. There are a couple of these tools on the market, so you need to be careful about which you choose. I’ve have had luck with
iPhixer before.
To fix unable to share photos error:
- Download and install the iPhixer tool on your Mac/PC
- Launch the software after it installs
- Wait for the screen with Standard and Advanced Mode to load
- Choose Standard Mode
- Connect iPhone to your computer using a lightning connector or USB cable
- Tap on the Next button
- Press the Download button to confirm (new firmware package will be installed)
- Select Start and hit Enter
- Wait for the process to be done and check whether you still get the photo sharing error
Standard Mode normally fixes stubborn software problems, but in case you’re still having no luck, you can swap to Advanced Mode. Keep in mind that some users have complained about data loss in Standard Mode, even though it doesn’t happen all the time.
If you go with Advanced, you’ll face data loss when the new firmware file is installed.
I also know that
Tuneskit is a popular choice. You can try it out if the error message pops up.
To share pictures again:
- Download and install Tuneskit
- Launch it, then click on the Start button on the first page
- Choose the Standard Mode option
- Click Next
- Click on the Download button to confirm (wait for the firmware package to install)
- Tap on the Repair button
Final Thoughts
If you’re facing the unable to share photos error, you can easily fix this with a few clicks.
Usually, it pops up when you have a bad internet connection. You can disconnect and reconnect back to your WiFi or reset your router to take care of this.
It could also appear when you have low battery mode switched on. Some people use this to save battery juice but underestimate how much it restricts daily processes.