OneDrive File Issues

How to Reset OneDrive Photo Sync After Deleting Files on iPhone

Steve K Oct 15, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user wants to reset the OneDrive sync cache on an iPhone to restart photo uploads after previously deleting the photos from both OneDrive and its recycle bin.

How to Reset OneDrive Photo Sync After Deleting Files on iPhone

Product: Microsoft OneDrive
Device & OS: iOS / iPhone
Scenario: Attempting to re-upload local iPhone photos to OneDrive after they were permanently deleted from the cloud storage.
Observed behavior: Photos that were deleted from OneDrive and emptied from the recycle bin do not automatically upload again from the iPhone.

Before you start

Make sure you remember your Microsoft account email and password, as you will need to sign back in after resetting the application.

Solution 1Recommended

Reinstall the OneDrive App on iOS

The most effective way to clear the OneDrive sync cache on an iPhone and force a fresh photo sync is to completely uninstall and reinstall the app.

Because iOS does not have a native 'Clear Cache' button for third-party apps, deleting the app is required to wipe its local memory. This process forces OneDrive to rescan your iPhone's camera roll and upload photos that it previously marked as deleted.

Delete the OneDrive App

Press and hold the OneDrive app icon on your iPhone's home screen. Tap 'Remove App', then select 'Delete App' and confirm to uninstall it.

Restart Your iPhone

Power off your iPhone completely and turn it back on. This ensures all temporary system cache related to the app is cleared.

Reinstall from the App Store

Open the App Store, search for 'Microsoft OneDrive', and download the application again.

Re-enable Camera Upload

Open the newly installed OneDrive app and sign in. Navigate to Settings, tap 'Camera Upload', and toggle it on to restart the photo synchronization process.

Deleted Files Notice: Resetting the app clears the local cache but will not restore files permanently deleted from the OneDrive recycle bin. It only forces the app to upload photos that are still physically stored on your iPhone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why aren't my photos uploading to OneDrive after I deleted them?

OneDrive keeps a hidden record of synced files to avoid uploading duplicates. When you delete photos from OneDrive, the app remembers they were uploaded previously and will not automatically re-upload them unless the sync cache is cleared by reinstalling the app.

Can I recover photos after emptying the OneDrive recycle bin?

Once files are permanently emptied from the OneDrive recycle bin, they cannot be recovered through OneDrive. You will need to check if the original photos are still on your iPhone's local storage, in your 'Recently Deleted' album, or backed up to iCloud.

Is there a button to clear cache directly in the iOS OneDrive app?

Unlike Android, iOS does not provide a direct 'Clear Cache' button for most apps in the system settings. The most reliable way to clear the OneDrive cache on an iPhone is to uninstall the app, restart your phone, and reinstall it.

Document & File Issues