How to Fix “Error Occurred while Loading a Higher Quality” on iPhone?

When iPhone users encounter the “Error Occurred while Loading a Higher Quality” message, it usually happens while attempting to access photos or videos, suggesting a problem with fetching media stored in iCloud or on the device in a higher resolution or quality​.

Other possible solution include:

• Outdated iOS: If your iPhone’s iOS isn’t updated with the latest patches from Apple, this might lead to compatibility issues with iCloud, causing the high-quality versions of photos or videos to be inaccessible.
• Optimize iPhone Storage: If your iPhone is set to store lower-quality images on the device and keep the higher-quality ones in iCloud to save space, an error can occur when it fails to load the better version from iCloud in real-time.
• Camera Configuration: Incorrect camera settings, such as the ‘Record Video’ quality option, may prevent the necessary video codecs from loading, resulting in an error when opening a video.
• Corrupt iOS: If the phone’s operating system is corrupt, it can cause multimedia modules to malfunction when launching photos or videos, leading to errors.

1. Add or Remove the Problematic Video to Favourites

A minor glitch within the iPhone’s multimedia functions can sometimes prevent videos from playing. Adding (or removing) the affected video to (from) favourites can potentially resolve the error. Before attempting this, make sure there is sufficient space on iCloud; if not, free up some space by either purchasing an iCloud subscription or deleting older data.

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and select the problematic file.

   

2. Next, tap on the Heart icon to add the video to favourites.

   

3. Afterwards, remove the video from favourites and verify if the video can be played without error.

2. Perform a Hard Restart of the iPhone

A temporary technical issue in the iPhone’s internals can lead to the high-quality loading error. A hard restart might help. First, make sure the device isn’t in Low Power Mode, which could impair syncing with iCloud.

1. Quickly press and release the volume up button, followed by the volume down button.
2. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

   

3. Release the side button and wait for the iPhone to power on, then check if the error has been resolved.
4. If not, put the iPhone on charge after locking it.
5. Once fully charged, see if the error persists.
6. Alternatively, connect it to a computer and launch iTunes to see if the problematic files open correctly there.

3. Update iOS to the Latest Version

By updating iOS to the latest version, you are making sure that your iPhone has the most recent bug fixes and compatibility updates from Apple. This can resolve the error by resolving any underlying software issues that may be causing the problem with fetching media in higher resolution or quality.

1. Make sure the iPhone is fully charged and connected to Wi-Fi.
2. Go to Settings > General.

   

3. Select Software Update. If an update is available, download and install it.

   

4. After updating, restart the iPhone and check if the error has been fixed.

If the problem persists, make sure the iCloud account is not locked by logging in via a web browser.

4. Disable and Re-Enable iCloud Photo Sync

Communication issues between the iPhone and iCloud might result in the error as the file might not be retrievable in real time. Disabling and re-enabling the photo sync could help.

1. Open Settings and tap on the Apple ID.
2. Select iCloud > Photos.

   

3. Toggle off iCloud Photos.

   

4. Also, disable Upload to My Photo Stream, then restart the iPhone.

   

5. Upon restart, re-enable iCloud Photos and Upload to My Photo Stream.
6. Check if the error is resolved.

5. Edit the Video Within the Photos App

Sometimes, a glitch in the multimedia modules might prevent videos from playing correctly. Editing the video before viewing might clear the error.

1. Open the Photos app and select the problematic video.
2. Tap Edit, then select Revert.

   

3. Choose Revert to Original and see if it resolves the error.

6. Manually Backup the iPhone via iCloud

A glitch in the communication between the iPhone and iCloud may cause the photo/video loading error. This process can potentially resolve the high-quality loading error by allowing the iPhone to sync properly with iCloud, resolving any issues related to retrieving high-quality photos or videos in real-time.

1. Open Settings and tap on the Apple ID.
2. Go to iCloud > Backup.

   

3. Press Back Up Now and wait for the backup process to finish.

   

4. After completion, check if the high-quality loading issue is resolved.

7. Change iCloud Storage Mode to Download and Keep Originals

Sometimes to conserve storage, iPhones are configured to retain lower-quality photos/videos locally, with the better versions on iCloud. This could cause the error when real-time retrieval doesn’t succeed.

Switching to Download and Keep Originals might solve the problem by syncing the original files back to the device.

1. Close the Photos app, navigate to Settings, and tap on the Apple ID.
2. Go to iCloud > Photos and enable Download and Keep Originals.

   

3. Restart your iPhone, then activate airplane mode upon restart.

   

4. After a 10-second wait, disable airplane mode and check if the error is resolved.

8. Disable ‘View Full HDR’ in the Photos App

By disabling the View Full HDR option in the Photos app, you are adjusting the settings related to the High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature. This can potentially resolve the error by preventing the iPhone from struggling to process images with full HDR, which may have been causing the high-quality loading issue.

1. Open iPhone Settings, tap on the Apple ID, then select iCloud > Photos.
2. Turn off View Full HDR.

   

3. Restart the iPhone to check if the high-quality loading issue is resolved.

9. Disable Cellular Data in Photos

One way to potentially resolve the issue is by disabling cellular data usage for the Photos app. By doing so, you make sure that the device prioritizes using Wi-Fi for accessing and downloading photos and videos, preventing potential errors that may occur when trying to load higher-quality media over cellular data.

1. Go to iPhone Settings and select iCloud > Photos.
2. Tap on Cellular Data to disable it, then navigate back to turn off Auto-Play Videos and Live Photos.

   

3. Restart the iPhone, re-enable the previously disabled settings, and verify if the photo/video loading error is resolved.

10. Edit the Camera Settings of the iPhone

Adjusting the camera settings of the iPhone, such as choosing a more compatible format and toggling off certain features like Smart HDR, can resolve the high-quality loading error. These adjustments help fix potential codec compatibility issues and processing glitches, allowing for smoother playback of photos and videos.

1. Navigate to the iPhone Settings and select Camera.

   

2. Choose Formats and select Most Compatible.

   

3. Return to the previous menu and disable Smart HDR.

   

4. Open Preserve Settings and turn on Camera Mode.
5. Restart the iPhone and check if the video error has been cleared.
6. If the issue persists, modify Record Video to 4K at 60 FPS or 1080P HD at 30 FPS to determine if it resolves the error.

   

   

11. Reset the iPhone to Factory Defaults

This can clear out any underlying software glitches or corruption that may be causing the problem, basically giving the iPhone a fresh start.

However, it’s important to note that performing a factory reset will erase all data on the device, so it should only be done as a last option and after backing up essential data.

1. Backup the iPhone’s important data first with this guide.
2. In Settings, go to General > Reset.

   

3. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
4. Wait for the process to complete, then set up the iPhone again and check if the high-quality loading error is resolved.
5. If the issue still occurs, consider restoring the iPhone from a previous backup to see if it helps.