How to Re-Upload Missing iPhone Photos to OneDrive
Question details
Users need to re-upload their entire iPhone camera roll or missing older photos to OneDrive when the app incorrectly reports that all photos are already backed up.
- Product
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Device & OS
- iPhone (iOS)
- Scenario
- Backing up the iPhone camera roll to Microsoft OneDrive via the automatic camera upload feature.
- Observed behavior
- OneDrive's automatic camera upload skips older photos and falsely reports that the camera roll is already completely backed up, even after resetting or reinstalling the app.
Ensure your iPhone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and has sufficient battery life before attempting to sync or re-upload a large number of photos.
Disable Optimize Storage and Manually Upload Photos
Turning off iCloud's Optimize Storage ensures original photos are stored locally on your iPhone, allowing OneDrive to access and upload them.
If iCloud is set to optimize storage, full-resolution photos are removed from your device to save space. OneDrive cannot upload these cloud-only files unless they are downloaded back to the local storage.
Go to your iPhone Settings, tap on your Apple ID name at the top, select 'iCloud', and then tap 'Photos'. Ensure that 'Download and Keep Originals' is checked instead of 'Optimize iPhone Storage'.
Launch the Microsoft OneDrive app on your iPhone and sign in if necessary.
Tap the '+' (Add) icon located at the top right of the screen.
Select 'Upload', then tap 'Photos and Videos'. Manually select the missing older photos from your camera roll that were previously skipped, and tap 'Done' to begin the upload.
Reset OneDrive Camera Upload Settings
Restarting the camera upload feature can force OneDrive to rescan your iPhone's camera roll for unsynced photos.
Open a Microsoft Support Request (For Business Accounts)
If you are using a Microsoft 365 Business account and the app persistently skips files, Microsoft Support can investigate the backend upload logs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is OneDrive skipping my older iPhone photos during backup?
OneDrive often skips older photos if iCloud's 'Optimize Storage' feature is enabled. This feature removes full-resolution photos from your device to save space. Since the original files are only stored in iCloud, OneDrive cannot access or upload them until they are downloaded locally.
Does reinstalling the OneDrive app fix the camera upload issue?
Reinstalling can occasionally resolve bugs by refreshing the app's cache. However, if the app still falsely registers the camera roll as backed up, it is typically an issue with iCloud storage settings. You will need to turn off Optimize Storage or manually upload the missing photos.
How do I manually upload photos to OneDrive on iOS?
Open the OneDrive app, tap the '+' (Add) button at the top right, select 'Upload', and choose 'Photos and Videos'. You can then manually select the specific pictures from your iPhone's camera roll that you wish to upload.
Can I leave OneDrive in the background while it uploads photos?
iOS restricts background activity for third-party applications to save battery. For large uploads or when forcing a sync of your entire camera roll, it is highly recommended to leave the OneDrive app open on your screen until the upload finishes completely.
