IOS onedrive does not upload all photo's

Hi @Bas van Duuren | Jan van Duuren & Zn,

Thank you for posting your question on Microsoft Q&A Community. We're happy to help you with your concern.

I understand how inconvenient it can be when your photo backup doesn’t behave as expected, especially when the app reports that syncing is complete but clearly isn’t.

Here are some potential steps you can follow to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

1/ Check OneDrive App Settings

• Open the OneDrive app.
• Tap the “Me” icon at the bottom right.
• Go to Settings > Camera Upload.
• Ensure Camera Upload is toggled ON.
• Confirm that upload preferences (Wi-Fi vs. cellular) match your current connection.

2/ Verify iOS Permissions

• Go to your iPhone’s Settings > Privacy > Photos.
• Make sure OneDrive is set to “All Photos”.
• Also check Settings > Privacy > Camera and ensure OneDrive has access.

3/ Check Storage Space

• Confirm that your OneDrive account has enough storage available.
• If OneDrive is full, new uploads will silently fail even if the app says it’s synced.

4/ Update the App

• Ensure you’re using the latest version of OneDrive from the App Store.
• App updates often fix bugs and improve sync reliability.

5/ Restart and Reinstall

• Restart your iPhone.
• If the issue persists, uninstall and reinstall the OneDrive app.
• After reinstalling, re-enable Camera Upload and permissions.

6/ Manual Upload Workaround

• If automatic upload fails, try manually uploading photos:
  • Open OneDrive > Tap “+” > Choose “Upload” > Select photos from your gallery.

7/ Check for File Format Issues

• Some iOS photos may upload with unsupported extensions (e.g., .image).
• These files may not preview correctly in OneDrive. Renaming them to .jpeg can help.

8/ Background App Refresh

• Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
• Ensure OneDrive is enabled so it can sync in the background.

9/ Network Stability

• Uploads may pause if the network is unstable or if the app is closed.
• Try switching to a different Wi-Fi or mobile hotspot.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, please let us know:

• Your iOS version and OneDrive app version.
• Whether you’re using a personal, work, or school account.
• If the issue occurs across multiple devices.

Hope my information helps. Please reach out again if you need any further assistance.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

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Thank you for the reply,

I have took all these steps. Unfortunately the manual upload is also bugged as it will not upload all photo's selected. All the pictures involved are .jpeg as shown in the information in the IOS photos app.

When i re-installed the app, I enabled photoroll upload again in the Onedrive app. The app took some time to "setup" but after that it again says "Backup complete". I am still missing photos.

I am using Onedrive with my work account, i have used 280GB of the 1TB my account has.

Iphone 13 pro - 512GB - IOS 18.6.1

Onedrive version 16.20.8

Today I updated the onedrive app to this version trying to fix my issue without luck.

I dont know about other devices as this iPhone is the only device i have with photoroll upload enabled. I use onedrive and sharepoint on Windows without issues on the same network

Hi @Bas van Duuren | Jan van Duuren & Zn,

Thanks again for your detailed update.

Based on your setup:

• Device: iPhone 13 Pro (512GB)
• iOS Version: 18.6.1
• OneDrive Version: 16.20.8
• Account Type: Work account (280GB used out of 1TB)

Here are some additional steps and insights that may help:

1/ Upload in Smaller Batches

• Manual uploads of large photo sets can silently fail. Try uploading 10–20 photos at a time to improve success rate.

2/ Check for Hidden Upload Locations

• Sometimes photos are uploaded to unexpected folders (e.g., root “My Files” instead of “Camera Roll”). Use the OneDrive web portal for work accounts (typically via your organization’s Microsoft 365 login) to check all folders.

3/ Background Sync Limitations

• iOS restricts background activity. Even if OneDrive says “Backup complete,” uploads may pause when the app is closed or the phone is locked.
• To improve reliability:
  • Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and ensure OneDrive is enabled.
  • Keep the app open and the phone unlocked during uploads.

4/ Network Stability

• Weak or unstable connections can interrupt uploads. Try switching to a different Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot.

5/ File Format Check

• You mentioned the photos are .jpeg, which is supported. However, if any were edited or saved in a different format (e.g., .heic or .jpeg-large), they might not upload properly. Try converting one of the problematic photos to .jpg and re-uploading.

6/ Web Portal Verification

• Since you're using a work account, log in via your organization’s Microsoft 365 portal (e.g., https://portal.office.com) and check OneDrive there. This can help confirm whether the photos are uploaded but not visible in the mobile app.

If the issue persists:

• Try uploading a few photos using the OneDrive web interface to rule out app-specific issues.
• If available, test with a different device using the same account.
• Consider submitting a support ticket through your organization’s IT or Microsoft 365 admin portal with the details you've provided.

Please let me know if these steps works or if you need any further assistance. I'm here to help.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

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