With Optimise iPhone Storage turned on, your iPhone keeps a small copy of older photos and videos and leaves the full file in iCloud. Ayyam needs the full file. Open the photo or video once in the Photos app so it downloads, then pick it again.
What you see
- While Ayyam fetches it, the editor counts the seconds, like Opening… 8s, or for a video Getting the clip from your library… 8s.
- After 12 seconds it adds Still going. If this clip lives in iCloud, open it once in Photos first.
- If it can’t get the file, it says This picture is not on the phone yet — open it once in Photos to download it, then try again., or the same for a clip. A technical reason follows in brackets.
Fix it
- Leave the editor: tap ✕ on a photo, or the back arrow on a video.
- Open the Photos app and find the photo or video.
- Open it and wait until it has fully loaded. A video should start playing.
- Check that your phone is online, then go back to Ayyam and pick it again.
If it fails when you share
When you post several photos or videos, the ones you didn’t open in the editor are read from your library after you tap Share post. If one can’t be read, the card on Home says Couldn’t post and names it by its place in the post, like Item 2 could not be prepared, followed by the reason.
| The reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ayyam can’t read it from your photos. Allow photo access in Settings, then Retry | Ayyam has lost access to your photos. In your phone’s Settings, open Ayyam and allow access to Photos, then tap Retry on the card. |
| it could not be prepared | Open that photo or video in the Photos app to make sure it’s on your phone, then tap Retry. |
Good to know
- To keep every photo and video on your phone, turn on Download and Keep Originals in your iPhone’s Settings, under Photos. It uses more space.
- Even a video that’s on your phone takes a moment to open: the editor copies it out of your library first, and a big one takes longer.