Backing up important and memorable photos is one of my favorite Google Photos features. Unfortunately, some users are unable to store their media files in the cloud because the Google Photos app gets stuck while preparing to upload their photos and videos. If the backup issue is not network related, some issues in the Photos app are usually the culprit.
In this article, we’ve outlined eight (8) surefire ways to get your Google Photos backup back up and running. Check them out.
1. Clear Google Photos Cache
This is an effective solution to many Google Photos problems on any Android device. If you have noticed that your Photos app is running slowly or that some functions (photo backup and sync) are not working properly, you should clear the app’s cache to fix the problem. Here’s how to do it.
Stage 1: Launch your phone’s Settings menu and tap on ‘Apps & notifications’.
Step 2: Tap on ‘See All Apps’.
Stage 3: Find and tap the Photos app.
Step 4: Tap on the ‘Storage and Cache’ option.
Step 5: Next, tap on the Clear Cache icon.
Now try backing up your photos again and see if it passes the ‘Preparing to backup’ phase. If the app is still stuck in this state, try the next fix below.
2. Check Backup & Sync Account
If your Google Photos app gets stuck at ‘Preparing to backup’, you’ll want to make sure your phone’s primary backup account and the Photos app backup account are the same.
This method has worked magic for many users who are facing this issue on their devices. Follow the steps below to make sure your phone’s public backup and Google Photos backup are synced with the same account.
Stage 1: Launch your phone’s Settings menu and select System.
Step 2: Tap the Advanced drop-down button and select Backup.
Stage 3: Tap Account.
Step 4: If you have multiple accounts connected to your device, select your preferred primary backup account.
Step 5: Tap OK on the next page to confirm your selection.
Step 6: If the primary account you selected is different from your Google Photos backup account, you’ll be prompted to replace it with your device’s primary backup account. Tap Change to continue.
Alternatively, follow the steps below to verify that the Photos app backup account is the same as your phone’s primary backup account.
Stage 1: Launch the Photos app and tap the hamburger menu icon.
Step 2: Select settings.
Stage 3: Select ‘Backup and sync’ and check if the backup account is the same as your device’s primary backup account.
If not, tap the existing backup account and select the account corresponding to your device’s primary backup account.
3. Update Google Photos
4. Check Backup Account Storage
If your backup account has reached its storage limit, Google Photos may get stuck when backing up your photos and videos. A typical Google account is allocated 15GB of free storage shared between Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. If you have exhausted your free storage, you may encounter problems when backing up media using Google Photos. Here’s how to check if your Google Photos storage account has enough space for media backup.
Stage 1: Launch the Photos app and tap the hamburger menu icon.
Step 2: Select settings.
Stage 3: Select “Backup and sync”.
Step 4: Check the indicator to check how much of your backup account storage is being used.
If you have exhausted all 15GB, you can buy more storage or delete some files in your Gmail, Google Drive or Google Photos.
5. Turn off Battery Saver
Android Battery Saver helps you get more usage time from your battery. To do this, some background processes such as image backup and synchronization will be temporarily stopped. If your Google Photos app gets stuck at “Preparing to backup”, turn off your device’s battery saver and try again.
You can turn off battery saver directly from your phone’s notification tray or go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and tap the ‘Turn Off Now’ button.
6. Remove SD Card
If the photos (or videos) you’re trying to back up are located on your device’s SD card, removing and reinserting the storage card from your device may help resolve this issue. In such a simple and interesting way, numerous users reported how effective this method was in fixing the ‘Preparing to backup’ issue in the Photos app.
7. Reboot Device
This may seem cliché, but restarting your smartphone is also an effective solution. If you started a backup in the Photos app but the process seems stuck at “Preparing to backup”, restart your device and try again.
8. Reload Google Photos
Google Photos may not be able to back up your media files because some of the app data is corrupted. Deleting and reinstalling the app will help bring it back to its original, trouble-free state.
Consider this solution as a last resort if all the other methods listed above fail to fix the problem. You may lose some data out of sync and need to reconfigure your Google Photos settings and personalizations from scratch.
Keep Memories
Google Photos lets you back up your photos and videos and access them anywhere, anytime, on any device. With the above troubleshooting tips, the Google Photos app should no longer prevent you from backing up your photos and videos to the cloud.
Next: Want to know what happens when you delete photos and videos from Google Photos on Android, iOS and the web? Check out the explainer linked below for answers.
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