Do you want to find out solutions for iCloud Photos not syncing? This seven-solution guide has everything you need to know to fix this issue.
iCloud Photos not uploading is the most common issue among all Apple users.
However, iCloud provides 5 GB of free storage to every Apple customer, which is, a gift for all iOS users. But, after a while, it stops syncing our images and videos, leaving one to wonder what causes this and what potential fixes may be at hand.
As you must be eager to know all the solutions to your photos not uploading to iCloud, this guide is here to help you.
Solution 1: Check Your Settings
When your devices aren't up-to-date with their settings, you can face problems like iCloud photos not syncing.
For such issues, check your iPhone, iPad, or Mac settings to see and solve the problem.
Right Apple ID
Check if you are using the right Apple ID.
Note: If you want your iPad, iPhone, and Mac data to sync, make sure you use the same Apple ID across all of your devices.
iCloud Photos Turned On
Another possible cause of iCloud photos not syncing on the device is that you might not have turned on iCloud Photos on your iPhone.
Follow these steps to enable Photos on your iOS devices quickly.
On Your iPhone or iPad
First, go to Settings.
Tap your name at the top of the screen and then go to iCloud.
Select Photos and activate the green flip next to Sync this iPhone/iPad.
On Your Mac
Choose the Apple menu first.
After that, choose System Preferences.
Click on Apple ID.
Click on iCloud in the sidebar, then go to Photos.
Activate the option Sync this Mac.
And you have turned on iCloud Photos syncing on your device!
Solution 2: Maintain A Stable Internet Connection
The poor or not-so-strong stable internet connection could be the reason why your iPhone photos not uploading to iCloud.
Solve this by simply checking your device's internet connection and stability.
Check Wi-Fi Connection
- Look at your Wi-Fi connection to see if it is On or not.
- Make sure your Wi-Fi signals are strong.
- Stay within the range of your router.
- If you still cannot get a stable Wi-Fi connection, restart your iOS device as well as your router to fix the issue.
Enable Using Cellular Data to Sync
One reason why your iCloud photos are not showing on your device is that you cannot access a strong Wi-Fi connection. Hence you want to use cellular data instead.
Here's what you should do:
Step 1: Go to your iPhone's Settings menu first.
Step 2: Choose Cellular Data and turn it on now.
Step 3: Now, go down a bit and enable the iCloud Drive option.
When you do this, your iCloud Drive data can continue to sync over your cellular connection even if you do not have a Wi-Fi connection.
Reset Network Settings
If all solutions above don’t work, try resetting the network settings.
Reset Network Settings on iPhone & iPad
Step 1: Go to Settings on your device and select General.
Step 2: Click the option labeled Transfer or Reset iPhone at the last of the screen.
Step 3: Now select the Reset option.
Step 4: Select Reset Network Settings to delete all network information from your iPhone.
Step 5: Then enter the passcode for your iPhone.
Once you input your passcode, your network settings will be reset.
Reset Network Settings on Mac
Here are a few things you can do to reset the network settings on your Mac.
- Step 1: Select the Apple menu from the top left corner of the screen.
- Step 2: Click on System Preferences.
- Step 3: Select Network now.
- Step 4: Choose Wi-Fi, then click the minus sign (-) in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Step 5: Press + and choose Wi-Fi from the drop-down menu to add it again.
- Step 6: Click Create, then click Apply.
Solution 3: Make Sure iCloud Storage Is Not Full
iCloud stops syncing photos once you've used up your free 5 GB storage. Here are the things you can do to free up more space:
Upgrade Storage Plan
iCloud provides its users with three different storage plans from which they can choose the most convenient for them regarding affordability and storage requirements.
If your iCloud storage is full, you can upgrade the plan.
Free Up More Storage
Apart from upgrading the storage plan, you can also delete some old files to make space in your iCloud.
In case you have images, videos, or files in your iCloud that are not important, delete them to free up storage in your device.
If you want to learn more about getting more iCloud storage, check out this article: How to Get More iCloud Storage on iPhone.
Solution 4: Check Your Battery Power
When your device's battery is low, or you've activated its low power mode, iCloud stops syncing photos temporarily.
Here's what you can do to prevent the syncing from stopping:
Charge the Device
Keep your iPhone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi so that iCloud can continue syncing your data while its battery charges.
Change Battery
Keep checking your device's battery to see if it is frequently draining and causing the syncing process to stop working. If so, you should replace the battery to improve the overall performance.
Turn Off Low Power Mode
Sometimes the phone stops uploading photos to iCloud in low power mode. You can switch off low power mode to keep syncing photos.
Solution 5: Make Sure Local Storage Is Not Full
When local storage is full, iCloud photos cannot be downloaded to your device.
Optimize iPhone Storage
You should optimize iPhone storage if your photos not syncing with iCloud or iCloud photos are not showing on your device.
You can use Apple's Optimize iPhone Storage option if you need more space on your iPhone.
This option saves your high-resolution photos and images in iCloud but replaces them with smaller device-size versions for your phone. This way, you can free up some space on your device.
Reduce Storage
Remove all unused files, apps, extra images, and videos to free up space and reduce storage.
Other Solutions
Besides the solutions listed above, you can try a few other things to resolve the issue of iCloud photos not syncing on your devices.
Restart The Device
If your iPhone photos not syncing to iCloud, there may be some system glitches.
Try restarting your device to see if that makes it sync again.
Update The System
Check if your device has been updated to the current version. If not, then update it just before syncing your data to iCloud.
Below are some easy-peasy steps you can take to update your iPhone and iPad.
- Step 1: Go to Settings and select General.
- Step 2: Choose Software Update from the menu.
- Step 3: Select the Download and Install option.
Better Option for Photo Backup-MobileTrans
In case you'd like to try anything different and a better option for photo backup other than iCloud. Then, here is the big reveal for you all, which I've kept for last: Wondershare MobileTrans. MobileTrans is a trustworthy software to help Mac and Windows users move, restore, and back up their data efficiently.
The Backup & Restore feature provides you with a stable backup plan to make a copy of your photos on your computer and restore data in case of any loss.
Features:
- 18+ data types: WhatsApp, messages, photos, contacts, voicemail, videos, etc.
- Quickly and conveniently back up your photos to PC
- Restore music and other purchase content from an iTunes backup
- Restore your deleted WhatsApp messages and other data
MobileTrans is easy to download for Windows and macOS. Download MobileTrans for free to solve all of your backup and transfer concerns.
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safe & secureFinal Thoughts
Everyone's worst nightmare is losing their backup. And when iCloud photos not syncing on your device anymore, it's easy to imagine this dread becoming a reality.
You can prevent this fear from coming true by ensuring that your iCloud data is constantly synchronized across all your devices.
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Rafael Kaminski
staff Editor