Photoshop won't open photos from an iphone [2019]

[daniell73806327]

Hello! Just wondering if anyone else is having an issue with this. I noticed the file extensions on the photos that won't open are capitalized while others that I CAN open are in lowercase. I didn't think that really mattered but even after changing them I still can't open the iphone images. They're simple JPEGs with the extension ".JPG"

I get the "Could not complete your request because of a program error" warning when I do.

Please help!!!

[davescm]

Can you attach an example (use the reply button next to your first post)

Dave

[daniell73806327]

I tried to upload it but it wouldn't even let me do that! (I've attached a screenshot below)

[davescm]

Click more to edit your reply and you should see a link below the reply box to attach a file. Try that

Dave

[daniell73806327]

[jane-e]

Hi

Are the photos Live photos or bursts?

Jane

[Lisa5C56]

I found that if I haven't used any special features (portrait, etc) I can open my iphone picture just fine with PS 2021. This is a pain because I like the portrait option on the iphone.

[Bowserb46]

I don't know why, but my up to date iPhone pictures will not open in the latest Photoshop.  Indeed, if I just copy from the iPhone to the PC, the files will not open and don't evan have metadata.  However, if I select a photo in the iPhone, I can email it to myself, then save the attached photo.  The resulting saved jpeg has basic metadata (date and time but no camera or exposure info) and will open.

[phillippa kl10740117]

I am having the same issue. Upgraded to Ventura andPhotoshop 2022, and photos imported from myIphone 6 will not open. I would appreciate any advice

[Yahel12]

I'm having the same problem. That's why I'm here – I was hoping to find a solution.

[Yahel12]

Here's the message that I get (below).

 

[melissab37862352]

YES!! Looking for a solution too.. I have a client who sends me all of their photos this way and it takes me hours to screenshot them in order to use them.. and then quality becomes terrible as well.  Adobe should be able to handle this !!  I have even tried converting with an online converter and it still won't open them. 

[davescm]

It looks like either:

a. The file is not actually a jpeg. This can be checked looking at the file header with a hex reader - it should start FF D8

or

b. The file does not conform to the jpeg specification. Photoshop is strict in its file parsing and will reject a file that does not conform

or

c. The file is corrupt

Dave

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I have seen other reports on the forum that for some reason their default setting to produce .heic files had a .jpg/.jpeg extension, which obviously messes things up. 

[Greg_S.]

I can only speak about the experience of users in Photoshop Elements, but as @davescm has suggested, many phone applications do not use conforming jpeg specs.   It is usually possible to open these files in an application that accepts these non-conforming files and simply save them. Adobe Photoshop Elements will then accept the file because the file specs have now been conformed.  Examples of applications that will do this are the Windows Photos app or the Paint app.  I know nothing about Macs so can't give you a suggestion there.

[Jose S.]

I had the same problem; the image did not open using Photoshop because of an unknown or invalid JPG marker type. After trying different options, I found out that it worked after I looked at the original photo I took using my iPhone. It had the live option on and I had to turn off the live option in it.  Then, I airdropped it to my laptop and it finally opened in Photoshop. I'm using Photoshop 2020 and I noticed the file got bigger than the old live version that did not open. Essentially, the photo has to be without "Live" to open up in photoshop. I hope this helps.

[WAILI WILLY31003467ws3a · Accepted solution]

I found the same problem as yours, and I open the .JPGs in Adobe Lightroom, then export as .jpg, everything solved 😄

[Bowserb46]

So, if I understand all the replies here, Apple iPhones create offspec JPEGs.  The solution is to replace just a simple File Open with at least two other steps, then followed with File Open.  It's interesting what we allow Apple to get away with.  If this were a Microsoft problem or an Adobe problem, there would be Flames from every quarter.  Oh well, at least I know it's not me, and I have company.

[nathann12941225]

I have same problem with PS 2024 and my new iPhone 15 Pro.  Never had this issue with my old iPhone 11.  However, some files come over as "HEIC" and those PS will open.  But most are just jpg.  As mentioned above, i can open in LR and export it, and PS will open it.  I can even edit the photo in PS from within LR, no problem.

[Bowserb]

New info.  Display iPhone folders in Bridge.  Jpg files will not open into Photoshop; HEIC files will.  Neither display thumbnails in Bridge.   However, I used Windows explorer copy and paste to copy a jpg file from the iPhone folder to a new folder I created on the PC.  The copy I put in a pc folder (copy-paste only, nothing else) acts like a normal jpg file:  Thumbnail shows in Bridge, spacebar displays full screen, double click the thumbnail and the file opens in Photoshop.  This also works with iPhone RAW files.  Problem solved.

[frustratedintn]

It's absolutely amazing to me that this problem has been occuring for at least 4 years now.  I reported it back in 2020 and still Adobe doesn't even acknowledge the issue.  I have thousands of pix imported into PSE13, just recently updated to PSE2020, and still no joy.

I found a Windows photo import and organizer program called CopyTrans Photo.  It is capable of importing all pix from an Iphone, and will even convert them to .jpg on the fly.  I was about to give up until I found it.  I'm not a representative of that company, just someone who is very happy to have found the program.  It works, and you can then import them into PSE.

[PECourtejoie]

I could convert this discussion to a bug report, but so far, I don't think that Dave's question has been answered, nor a sample faulty file provided, therefore troubleshooting is difficult.

[Bowserb]

OK, here's my latest.  iPhone 13 iOS 17.4.1.  Photoshop 25.6.0.  Bridge 14.03.200.  I connect to PC (Win11, up to date) with USB via hub built into one of my monitors.

* When I connect, or the first time the phone is on after connecting, I get a message on the phone "Allow this device to access photos and videos? Don't Allow or Allow."  I select Allow.

* Open Windows file explorer I see Apple iPhone and under that Internal Storage.  (Note if I don't select Allow in the previous prompt, then Internal Storage shows as empty.)  Under internal storage there appears to be a folder for each month there are pictures or videos.  In the listings, jpg, mov, and heic files all show as thumbnail images.  I have previously selected "always" to Photoshop for jpg and heic files and Media Plater for mov files under Open With.  Double click any of these files will open Photoshop or Media Player.

* In Bridge, all three file types show as PS or Media Player icons--not thumbnails.  If I double click a jpg or heic file, nothing happens.  Nothing.  If I select a jpg or heic file and press the space bar, Bridge either reports an error and closes, or just closes.  However, if I first COPY and PASTE those jpg or heic files from the phone to a folder on the PC, then the jpg files open when double clicked and display full screen when selected and space bar pressed.  Heic files copied to the PC will open when double clicked in Bridge but only display an icon when spacebar is pressed.

* I have no idea what makes a picture on the iPhone a JPG vs a HEIC file.  I have both "associated" with Photoshop.  Best case for use is to copy files from the phone to a folder on the PC.  Then, Jpegs at least are totally normal after being copied.  HEIC files will open but not display full screen in Bridge.  Jpegs opened in PS can be saved back as jpegs.  HEIC files will open but save back as PSD files.

I think this sums up the state of iPhone files behaviour with Photoshop and Bridge.  I don't know why, but it appears iPhone files are less than 100% compliant with file format standards.  At present, I'm dealing with it.

[Colleen Cochran]

I had that problem. When I brought photos over to the computer, they were turned into .JPG which wouldn’t open in Photoshop. I needed them to be HEIC format. In my iphone, I hit Settings - Photos - And under TRANSFER TO MAC OR PC, I switched from Automatic to Keep Originals. Problem solved.

[amalgamsab]

Hi Daniell, I too found that "Photoshop 2021–2024 = Import Images from Device:  iPhone" wouldn’t connect (it had an unlockable lock or was greyed out). Then with advice from this community I found that there’s an Apple app which (was installed with the OS) called ‘Image Capture’—it does the task (that Photoshop once did) perfectly.