8 Troubleshooting Tips For When iCloud Photos Are Not Syncing

8 Troubleshooting Tips For When iCloud Photos Are Not Syncing.

ICloud Photos lets you sync and access photos across all iCloud-compatible devices. In most cases, this feature works fine. However, sometimes you may find that iCloud photos are not syncing. In this case, your photos will not be uploaded from your device to iCloud.

This happens for many reasons. Maybe the server you are trying to upload photos to is down? Or maybe your mobile data is limiting photo uploads? Below we will show you how to fix all of this.

Make sure the iCloud server is not down

If you have any issues with iCloud, including photos not syncing with iCloud, the first thing to do is check to see if there are any glitches on Apple’s servers. Apple offers a web page that displays the status of its servers.

1. Open a new browser tab and go to the Apple Status website.
2. You will see the status of each Apple server. Find the server labeled “Photos” and check the status.

If the photo server is down, your photos won’t sync to iCloud. You need to wait for Apple to restore the server.

Ensure that iCloud photos sync is enabled on your devices

One of the reasons your iCloud photos are not syncing might be because the sync option is disabled on your devices. You need to enable the iCloud Photos option on each of your devices where you want to access your synced photos.

Enabling iCloud Photos on iPhone / iPad

1. Open Settings on your device.
2. Click on the banner with your name at the top of the screen.

3. Tap the iCloud option on the next screen.

4. Select “Photo” from all the options available on the screen.

5. Turn on iCloud Photos.

Enabling iCloud Photos on Mac

1. Click Launchpad in the Dock, find Photos, and open it.

2. Select the Photo option from the top menu bar and click Settings.

3. Select the iCloud tab on the next screen.
4. Check the iCloud Photo Library option.

Check iCloud storage requirements

By default, your iCloud account offers 5GB of storage for your photos and other files. If you have exceeded this storage limit, this may be why your iCloud photos are not syncing.

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One way to fix this problem is to free up space on your account. You can do this by deleting unneeded files from your account. This includes your Drive files, photos, videos, and other data.

Another way to fix the problem is to upgrade your current data plan. Apple offers several paid professional plans to get more space on your account. You can also sign up for a larger plan right from your iPhone and iPad.

Allow your iOS device to use unlimited mobile data

Your iPhone and iPad have a feature that limits the number of photos that can be synced to your iCloud account while you’re using mobile data. If you have a lot of data from your mobile data provider, you can turn off this setting and fix the issue where your iCloud photos won’t sync.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap the Photo option.

3. Select the Mobile Data option.

4. Enable the Unlimited Updates option.

Sign out and back into your iCloud account

One thing you can try to get rid of the photo syncing issue on iOS and Mac devices is to sign out of your iCloud account and then sign back in.

On iPhone / iPad

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Click on the banner with your name above.

3. Scroll down and tap the Exit option.

4. Sign in to your iCloud account.

On Mac

1. Click the Apple logo at the top-left corner and choose System Preferences.

2. Select iCloud.

3. Click the Exit button.

4. Sign in to your account.

Update the iCloud app on your Windows PC

If your iCloud Photos won’t sync with your Windows computer, one of the reasons this might happen is because you have an older version of the iCloud app Updating to the latest version should fix the problem.

Update iCloud for Windows using Update Manager

1. Search for an Apple software update by searching for Cortana and open it.

2. Select iCloud from the software list and click Install at the bottom.

3. Wait while iCloud updates on your PC.

Update iCloud for Windows by re-downloading it

1. Open your browser and go to the iCloud for Windows website.
2. Click the download link to download the iCloud app to your Windows computer.

Reset network settings on your device

Your iPhone or iPad uses network settings to connect to Apple servers. If you run into a problem with these settings, your iCloud Photos won’t sync.

If you are unsure which settings are causing the problem, reset all network settings to their defaults.

1. Launch the settings app on your iOS device.
2. Scroll down and tap the General option.

3. Scroll down to the bottom and tap the Reset option.

4. Select the Reset Network Settings option.

5. Your iPhone will ask you for a password. Enter the passcode and your network settings will be reset.

Update your Apple devices

If your devices are running an outdated version of iOS or macOS, this could be the reason your iCloud photos are not syncing. Updating your devices to the latest versions of their respective operating systems should fix the problem.

Updating iOS on iPhone / iPad

1. Open the Settings app on your device.
2. Tap the General option.
3. Tap the Software Update option.

4. You will see a Download and Install option if an update is available. Tap this option to update your iOS device.

Update macOS on Mac

1. Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and select About This Mac.

2. Click the Software Update button.

3. The Mac App Store opens where you can update your version of macOS.

Did any of the above methods fix the problem with syncing iCloud photos on your devices? Let us know in the comments below.

If the problem persists, try using Google Photos on your iOS devices

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8 Troubleshooting Tips For When iCloud Photos Are Not Syncing