How to Fix iPhone Messages Keep Indexing and Attachments Not Showing Up

iOS 17 iMessage Photos and Messages Not Indexing

Recently updated my iphone 14 pro to iOS 17 and the first thing I noticed was that within iMessage, I was unable to use the search feature to look at old photos and messages. This was particularly noticeable when I pressed the contact icon to scroll thru photos and noticed that many were erratically missing. If I scroll within the chat, the photos are there, just not able to be searched. It has been 6 days since I updated and tried turning iMessage on/off via iCloud and turned the spotlight search feature on/off as well.

—An iPhone user from Reddit

Every time after an iOS update, some users found that they can’t access their older messages or iPhone messages not showing up. Some can only browse attachments, scrolling through the message thread, while pressing “i” to view what they’ve sent is unavailable. Others tap the Search feature, getting a message that says “More results will be shown once Messages finishes indexing”, then the Messages app keeps waiting to finish indexing.

Here in this post, we are trying to fix iPhone messages to keep indexing, and introduce some methods to view attachments.

Also Read: How to Fix iMessage Disappearing Messages or Photos >

What Does It Mean When Messages Need to Finish Indexing?

“I’m trying to access previous photos I’ve sent to my friends and family, but none of them are loading. When I click the info button in Messages, it says ‘Shared links, photos, and more will be shown once messages finishes indexing.’ What does that mean?!”

When you open a conversation in iMessage and see the message “More results will be shown once messages finishes indexing”, it means your iPhone is currently scanning and organizing your message data in the background. This process, called indexing, allows iOS to quickly show shared photos, links, and attachments in Messages search results and the info section of each chat.

In this situation, iOS hasn’t yet finished analyzing your message database. The content isn’t gone — it’s just temporarily unavailable until the indexing completes.

Why Does It Keep Saying “More Photos Will Be Shown When Indexing Finishes”?

“My iPhone has been showing ‘More photos will be shown when messages finishes indexing’ for two days. I updated to iOS 18.1 and it’s still stuck.” Sometimes, the message stays for hours or even days, which can be frustrating. Normally, indexing should only take a few minutes, but if your iPhone has a large number of messages, has recently updated to iOS 18/26, or has low storage, the process may stall.

Common reasons include:

• Recent iOS system updates or restoration from backup

• Low storage space is slowing down background processes

• Too many messages or media attachments

• iCloud sync or Messages in iCloud is temporarily paused

Below are 8 effective ways to fix the ‘more photos will be shown when messages finishes indexing’ issue. Let’s start to learn.

How to Fix iPhone Messages Always Waiting to Index

After you update your iPhone to a newer iOS version, the Messages app will index all your messages. But how long it takes depends on how many messages need to be indexed. Some users have had lots of messages for many years, so it takes a long time, even 24 hours. However, if your Messages seem not to be finishing indexing forever, you may take some other methods to fix it.

Method 1. Restart Your iPhone

Try restarting your iPhone, waiting for several minutes, and connecting your device to the Wifi network. Then check whether your device finishes indexing.

Method 2. Toggle on and off the Messages Button in iCloud

Open Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Toggle Messages on and off, and then on. After the steps, wait for some time to check.

Method 3. Toggle on and off Siri & Search in Settings

Step 1. Go to Settings, and tap Siri & Search.

Step 2. Scroll to the Messages app, and toggle off all Siri & Search options if they are already on.

Step 3. Power off your iPhone, wait for a few minutes, and power it on.

Step 4. Go back to Settings, tap Siri & Search > Messages, then toggle green all options.

Step 5. Finally, go to the Messages app and check if the indexing is finished.

Method 4. Update iOS

If the indexing problem remains after you try the above methods, consider updating your device to the newest iOS version. But first, you need to back up your text messages on your iPhone to avoid data loss.

To do this:

Step 1. Open your Settings > Tap General.

Step 2. Tap Software Update.

Step 3. Tap Download and install if an update is available.

Method 5. Check Your iPhone’s Language Setting

An incorrect language setting can prevent messages from indexing. To check the language on your iPhone:

Step 1. Open your iPhone’s Settings > Go to General >Tap Language & Region.

Step 2. Make sure the correct language is selected.

Step 3. Tap the back button until you’ve returned to Settings. Tap Siri & Search > Languages.

Make sure the correct language is selected.

Method 6. Disable and Reenable Messages in iCloud

Turn Message syncing off and back on. If you have Messages enabled in iCloud already, you’ll need to turn it off, then immediately turn it back on. When you’re prompted to “Disable and Download Messages,” make sure your iPhone is connected to reliable Wi-Fi and a power source first. If Messages is off, simply turn it on. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Open your iPhone’s Settings. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the page > Tap iCloud.

Step 2. Tap Show All > Messages.

Step 3. Tap the switch next to “Sync this phone” to turn off syncing.

Step 4. Tap Disable and Download Messages when prompted. Tap the switch again to turn Messages back on.

Method 7. Retrieve the Indexing Messages via PhoneRescue

Suppose you’ve tried all the solutions above but still can’t resolve the ‘more messages will be shown after indexing’ issue, and you still want to access old messages and attachments. In that case, you should consider using a tool to recover them immediately. PhoneRescue for iOS is precisely such a tool that can rescue you from any iOS disaster. You can retrieve photos, messages, contacts, and more from your iOS device, iCloud, or iTunes backups—even if the backup itself is lost, damaged, or encrypted.

Moreover, it allows you to preview and inspect lost files before selectively recovering only the ones you need.

Here is how to restore your messages from backup.

To use this ultimate iOS data recovery solution, you need to download PhoneRescue. Install it beforehand and follow the steps given below to restore your iPhone from backup.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable. Launch PhoneRescue and check if the device is connected. Now select “Recover from Backup” and click the forward arrow button.

Step 2. PhoneRescue will automatically detect the backups on the computer and list them. You can now select or browse your desired backup.

Step 3. You can now either scan the selected backup or compare it with your existing mobile data.

Step 4. Select and recover your desired data. You can only choose Messages here.

Step 5. Once the data recovery is finished, you will see a recovery success screen.

Part 2. How to View Attachments in the Messages app

In this feature-packed release, iOS enriches our Messages/iMessages life. We can not only send iMessages with bubble or screen effects but also new Memoji stickers and Animoji can be customized in iOS. In addition, the improved search function makes it easier to find attachments. Then, how do we use it in the Messages app? The following methods may give you an answer.

Method 1. View Attachments From “i”

Step 1. Open the message box that you want to view.

Step 2. Click the name of the contact at the top, then tap “i”. In info details, you will see photos, videos, links or other attachments you’ve sent with the contact.

Step 3. Choose and hold the photo to show options: Save, Copy, Share and Delete.

Method 2. Touch One of the Photos to View All Photo Attachments

Step 1. Open the message.

Step 2. Touch any photo.

Step 3. Then tap the three-horizontal-line (Menu button) on the top-right corner (if you touch video, the three-horizontal-line is on the bottom-right corner), and all photos and videos will be listed here.

Method 3. Use the Search Box to View

Step 1. Open the Messages app.

Step 2. Swipe down and tap Search bar, frequently contacted and attachments are listed here.

Step 3. Click See All to view all Photos and Screenshots.

Additionally, you can use the Search box to search for iPhone text messages/iMessages or a specific text.

Further Reading: Fix iPhone not Receiving Texts/Group Texts >

FAQs About “Messages Finishing Indexing” on iPhone

Q1. How long does it take for an iPhone to finish indexing messages?

Usually, it takes a few minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your message history. If it lasts longer than 24 hours, try restarting your device or clearing storage.

Q2. How can I tell if someone is reading my text messages from another phone?

You can check your Apple ID sign-ins under Settings > Apple ID > Devices. Remove any unfamiliar device to ensure your messages aren’t syncing elsewhere.

Q3. Why can’t I see all the photos in iMessage chat?

If indexing is in progress or incomplete, your photos won’t appear immediately. Once the process finishes, all media will reappear under “Info.”

Q4. How do I speed up the indexing process?

Keep your iPhone plugged in, connected to Wi-Fi, and unlocked. Avoid heavy multitasking and ensure your storage is above 10% free.

The Bottom Line

In this post, we simply introduced new functions of the Messages app after iOS update, the ways to view attachments, and tried to fix the problem – iPhone Messages keeps indexing. We hope that those methods can work.

The “More photos will be shown when Messages finishes indexing” message is temporary, not a data loss warning. As long as your iPhone has enough storage and is connected to power, it should complete indexing automatically.

If you’re still stuck after trying all fixes, consider using an iPhone data recovery tool like PhoneRescue for iOS to retrieve your message attachments or photos directly from the device or backup — even if indexing never completes.