Try or ByeTry or Bye

OneDrive Camera Upload Not Working

Workaround available iOS, Android Updated October 21, 2026

Quick answer

On iPhone it usually stops because of iCloud Photos 'Optimize Storage', Low Power Mode or Background App Refresh; on Android because of media permissions or metered-connection settings. Toggle Camera Upload off and on, then fix the phone setting that is blocking it.

Most likely fix: Turn Camera Upload off and on.

Symptoms

New photos and videos don't appear in OneDrive, the app shows 'Camera upload is paused', or only some photos upload.

Why it happens

  • iCloud Photos Optimize Storage keeps only low-resolution copies on iPhone
  • Low Power Mode, low battery or Background App Refresh off
  • Android media/camera permission problems
  • Camera upload over metered connections turned off
  • OneDrive storage full

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Turn Camera Upload off and on

    1. Open the OneDrive app > Me (or your profile) > Settings > Camera Upload
    2. Switch Camera Upload off, wait a few seconds and switch it back on
    3. OneDrive re-indexes the photo library; photos already uploaded are not duplicated

  2. 2. iPhone: fix iCloud Photos and background settings

    1. Settings > Photos: switch to Download and Keep Originals, or turn off iCloud Photos
    2. Turn off Low Power Mode and keep battery above 20%
    3. Settings > General > Background App Refresh: turn it on for OneDrive

  3. 3. Android: reset media permissions

    1. Settings > Apps > OneDrive > Permissions: set Photos/Media (Camera) to Deny
    2. Open OneDrive > Settings > Camera upload and turn it on again, granting the permission when asked

  4. 4. Android: allow uploads on mobile data

    1. OneDrive > Settings > Camera upload
    2. Turn on upload over metered connections/mobile data if you are not on Wi-Fi

  5. 5. Check storage and update the app

    1. Make sure your OneDrive storage is not full
    2. Update OneDrive from the App Store or Google Play, or reinstall it

This guide also covers

  • onedrive camera upload not working
  • onedrive not backing up photos
  • onedrive camera upload paused
  • onedrive photos not uploading iphone

Still not working?

If OneDrive keeps failing, you're not alone. See every OneDrive problem users report or the alternatives people switch to.

Other OneDrive errors