9 Simple Ways to Fix Pictures Not Showing in iMessage

Is your iPhone or iPad no longer showing you pictures in iMessage? Luckily, there are some easy troubleshooting steps you can take to fix this issue! This How.com.vn article teaches you how to troubleshoot and fix images not showing up in texts on your iPhone.

Things You Should Know

If images don't load in iMessage, try the most common fix first: Reload iMessage in Settings > Messages.
Make sure you have MMS enabled and see if you need to enable "Low Quality Image Mode."
If images still aren't loading, switch to a different internet connection and make sure iMessage is enabled in iCloud.

Method 1

Method 1 of 9:

Reload iMessage

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1
Open the Settings app and tap Messages. You'll find in the fifth grouping of Settings. You'll have to scroll down to see it.
- You can reload iMessage by toggling a switch. If your phone just performed an iOS update, this can fix image problems in iMessages.
If the switch is grey, the feature is already off.
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Restart your iPhone or iPad. The steps to restart your iPhone varies depending on your phone model.
- For iPhone X and later, press either of the volume buttons, and the side key until a slider bar appears, then drag it to turn off your phone. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears to turn your phone back on.
- For iPhone 6-8 and SE (2nd&3rd gens), press the side button until a slider bar appears, then drag it to turn off your device. Press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
- For a first-generation SE or iPhone 5 and earlier, press and hold the top button until the slider appears, then slide it to power off your phone. Press and hold the top button to turn your phone back on.^{[1]XResearch source}
Go to Settings > Messages to see the toggle.
5
Tap the switch next to "iMessage" to toggle it on. The switch will turn green to indicate that the feature is active.
- If you still don't see images in iMessage, try restarting your iPhone or iPad one more time before moving on to the other troubleshooting steps.

Method 2

Method 2 of 9:

Enable iMessage in iCloud

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1
Open the Settings app and tap your name. You'll see your name at the top of the Settings app.
- If you're not receiving images in iMessage, try enabling iMessage in iCloud.
You'll see this in the second grouping of options.
3
Tap the switch next to "Messages" to toggle it on. This enables iMessage in iCloud and allows you to sync your messages across all devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac).
- If you don't see "Messages" under the "Apps Using iCloud" header, tap Show All.
- If iMessage is already enabled in iCloud, tap the toggle switch to disable it and then enable it again.^{[2]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 9:

Check Your iPhone Storage

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1
Open the Settings app and tap General. You'll find it next to a gear icon at the top of the third grouping of menu options.
- If you're not receiving images in iMessage, it may be that your iPhone storage is full.
It's in the middle of the General Settings menu in the third grouping of options.
3
Check if your storage is full. A graph at the top of the page shows how much storage is being used on your iPhone and what is taking up space (like apps, media, photos, messages, etc.).
- If your iPhone storage is full, you can free up space by deleting apps you no longer use. Alternatively, you can tap an app in the iPhone Storage menu and tap Offload app to delete the app without deleting the app data.

Method 4

Method 4 of 9:

Check Your Internet Connection

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1
Make sure you have a strong and consistent internet connection. Try opening a web page or using another app to see if you have a good internet connection. If a website, social media app, or YouTube video is running slowly or not loading, your internet connection may be the problem.
- A weak and inconsistent connection to the internet can prevent images in iMessages from loading, even if you check off all the other troubleshooting steps.
2
Connect to Wi-Fi instead of mobile data or vice versa. If you are connected to 5G or 4G, try connecting to a wireless network instead. If available, try connecting to a 5 Ghz network band using the following steps:
- Open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi. Tap a network name, enter the password, and tap Join.
- If you are connected to a Wi-Fi connection, disconnect from it and use mobile data instead.

Method 5

Method 5 of 9:

Check Your MMS Settings

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1
Open the Settings app and tap Messages. It's next to a green icon with a white speech bubble in Settings. You'll have to scroll down to see this option.
- If you are not receiving pictures in iMessage, check to make sure you have MMS enabled.
Make sure the toggle switch next to "MMS Messaging" is turned on. This toggle allows users to send multimedia messages (images and videos) over text. ^{[3]XResearch source}

Method 6

Method 6 of 9:

Enable Low Quality Image Mode

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1
Open the Settings app and tap Messages. It's the green icon with a white speech bubble in the 5th group of options.
- Your carrier may have limits on sizes for images, which makes you unable to see larger images. Fix this by turning on Low Quality Mode. You can always tap and view the image with higher quality.
If the switch is green, the mode is enabled. The images you send and receive will be smaller and of lower quality.^{[4]XResearch source}

Method 7

Method 7 of 9:

Reset Your Network Settings

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1
Open the Settings app and tap General. You'll find it next to a gear icon at the top of the third grouping of menu options.
- You may not receive images in iMessage if your network settings are wrong. Try resetting your network settings to try to fix the problem. Note that resetting your network settings will delete all your current settings, like any Wi-Fi networks, passwords, and Bluetooth connections. You will need to repair and reconnect to every network that you use.
It's near the bottom of the General Settings menu.
This option is near the bottom of the menu.
You will be prompted to enter your passcode.
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Enter your passcode and tap Done. Your iPhone will reset your network settings. ^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you're using an iPhone or iPad with iOS 14 or earlier, the menus are slightly different. Instead, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Method 8

Method 8 of 9:

Reset Your iPhone or iPad

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1
Open the Settings app and tap General. It's in the third grouping of menu options next to a gear icon.
- You should have a backup of your device since resetting to factory settings will also delete any personal files or data.
If you have an iPhone, this will say "Transfer or Reset iPhone," but if you have an iPad, you'll see "Transfer or Reset iPad" instead.
3
Tap Erase All Content and Settings. You'll see this at the very bottom of the page.
- If prompted, enter your phone's password or Apple ID password to continue.
- Tap Continue to confirm your action and read what will be deleted with your reset.^{[6]XResearch source}
- After it resets and restarts, you can set it up again with your Apple ID to see if you can see messages in iMessage.

Method 9

Method 9 of 9:

Contact Apple Support

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If you've tried everything and still can't see images in iMessage, contact Apple support. Call 1‑800‑APLCARE.^{[7]XResearch source}

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Tips

An older bug associated with Screen Time caused images in iMessage not to load. To fix that bug, users disabled Screen Time.
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