How to resolve missing songs and incorrect album art after iOS 26.2 update on iPhone 17 Pro?

Question

Level 1

9 points

How to resolve missing songs and incorrect album art after iOS 26.2 update on iPhone 17 Pro?

After installing iOS 26.2 all the songs on my new iPhone 17 Pro were gone. And on my Mac with the Tahoe 26.2 I have to re-download a number of songs in order to play them. And it was as easy as just copying the songs/albums back to the iPhone... no for some reason I was not able to easily copy the songs back to the iPhone.

Another very irritating issue was it was copying the wrong album art to the albums or not copying any album art to the album at all.

Long story short, I managed to get all the music back on the iPhone with the correct album art.

And it all the years of using Apple products this was the first time I had an issue with an installing updates. But man this really sucked!! Spent more than a few hours trying to fix all this.

Jim

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: 26.2 update issues.

Posted on Dec 18, 2025 4:04 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Dec 19, 2025 1:28 AM in response to Jim1732

It's not always the iOS update's fault! Many things can cause phone problems. If you tell people you think it's an iOS update, it might make it harder to fix or find a solution for the real issue.

Remember, the right question often leads to the solution!

Was/Is your device Jailbroken? If that's the situation, please be informed that attributing the issues to iOS updates may not be accurate.

iOS updates aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features. The majority of the issues after updates might stem from underlying, unmentioned factors. Updates won't typically alter personal data but may refine settings or features. Backup before major updates for safety. Review Apple's update details and backup advice for a smooth process.

Kindly consider checking your settings and addressing any device issues before attributing the issue to external factors. This could be a pure coincidence that the iOS update affected the iPhone functions.

Before initiating a standard iOS update, it's advisable to create a backup. Have you completed this step? If yes, proceed with the restoration from the backup.

See what each update does: OS — iOS 26, About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...

Reply

Answer 2

Jim1732 Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 19, 2025 5:10 AM in response to SravanKrA

Hello and thank you for your reply.

The phone is not and would never be jailbroken.

I also always do backups. Before the update the all the music was on my phone (barely a few months old iPhone 17 Pro) as I was listening to it earlier in the day. Immediately after the update I always look over the phone to make sure it still works as expected. It was then I discovered the music was gone.

as soon as I discovered the music was gone I began trying to figure out what was going on.

So I am pretty sure the update had something to do with my issue. This was far from my first update to an iPhone.

The album art issue was also not an issue until after this update. I stand by the title of my post.

Thanks again,

Jim

Reply

Answer 3

Dec 19, 2025 1:29 AM in response to Jim1732

Make sure all of your devices have Sync Library turned on and are signed in to the same Apple Account that you use with Apple Music.

If songs are missing from your music library after you turn ...

Reply