Google Photos is one of the most reliable cloud backup services available, but it occasionally develops a frustrating problem where uploads become stuck on messages such as “Preparing Backup” or “Backing Up 1 of XXX.”

When this happens, new photos stop syncing, videos remain trapped in the upload queue, and many users wrongly assume their memories are safely backed up when they are actually still stored only on the device.

The problem affects both Android and iPhone users and is often caused by a small issue that can be resolved within minutes.

If your uploads have been frozen for hours—or even days—this guide walks through the most effective fixes, starting with the easiest solutions and progressing toward deeper troubleshooting if necessary.

Why Google Photos Gets Stuck During Backup

Google Photos relies on several systems working together simultaneously.

The app needs:

• A stable internet connection
• Available local storage
• Available Google account storage
• Proper background permissions
• Healthy media files
• Active account synchronization

If any of these components fail, backups may stop entirely.

In many cases, the issue is similar to what users experience when Android background services stop functioning correctly, which is why guides such as How to Stop Background Apps on Android Permanently (2026 Method) often become relevant during troubleshooting.

Fortunately, most backup failures have straightforward fixes.

Start With These Quick Checks

Before changing settings or reinstalling anything, perform these basic checks.

Check Your Internet Connection

Google Photos cannot complete uploads without a stable connection.

Switch between:

• Wi-Fi
• Mobile data

and test whether uploads resume.

If possible, connect to a completely different Wi-Fi network to eliminate router-related issues.

Weak or unstable connections often cause Photos to remain indefinitely on the “Preparing Backup” screen.

Connect Your Phone to a Charger

Large uploads are sometimes slowed or paused while the device runs on battery power.

Plugging the phone into a charger removes power-saving restrictions and often resumes stalled uploads automatically.

This is especially common when uploading:

• Long videos
• 4K footage
• Large photo libraries

Check Available Google Storage

One of the most overlooked causes is simply running out of cloud storage.

Google Photos shares storage with:

• Google Drive
• Gmail
• Google Photos

Users on the free plan receive 15GB shared across all services.

If storage is full, backups will stop.

You can check available storage through Google’s account storage dashboard and remove unnecessary files or upgrade to a larger plan if required.

Disable Battery Restrictions

Android battery optimization systems are designed to improve battery life, but they sometimes interfere with backup applications.

This is one of the most common causes of backup interruptions.

Open:

Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization

Locate Google Photos and set it to:

Don’t Optimize

This prevents Android from aggressively limiting Photos while uploads are in progress.

If your phone frequently suffers from overnight battery drain, you may also want to review Why Your Phone Battery Drains Overnight (Android Fix, 2026) because some background restrictions overlap with backup-related behavior.

iPhone Users

On iPhone, verify that:

Settings → General → Background App Refresh

is enabled for Google Photos.

Without background refresh permissions, uploads may pause whenever the app is not actively open.

Update Google Photos and Your Device

Software bugs occasionally cause upload queues to freeze.

Updating both the application and the operating system eliminates many known issues.

Check for:

• Google Photos updates
• Android system updates
• iOS updates

Outdated software versions often contain unresolved sync bugs that have already been fixed in newer releases.

Identify a Corrupted File

One damaged file can block hundreds of healthy uploads behind it.

This is especially common with:

• Interrupted video recordings
• Edited videos
• Downloaded media files
• Files transferred from older devices

A useful clue is when the backup always freezes at the exact same number.

Examples:

• Backing up 1 of 432
• Backing up 17 of 205
• Backing up 82 of 740

If the number never changes, a specific file is likely causing the problem.

Browse recent videos and photos and temporarily move suspicious files to another folder or computer.

Then restart Google Photos and check whether uploads resume.

Clear Google Photos Cache (Android)

Cached data occasionally becomes corrupted.

Android users can safely clear cache without deleting photos or changing account settings.

Open:

Settings → Apps → Google Photos → Storage → Clear Cache

After clearing cache:

1. Restart Google Photos
2. Wait several minutes
3. Check whether backup begins moving again

This is one of the safest troubleshooting steps available.

Re-Sign Into Your Google Account

Account synchronization errors sometimes prevent Photos from communicating properly with Google’s servers.

Remove and re-add your Google account:

Settings → Accounts → Google → Remove Account

Then:

1. Restart the phone
2. Add the Google account again
3. Open Photos
4. Re-enable backup

This refreshes authentication tokens and resolves many synchronization-related failures.

Clear App Data (Advanced Android Fix)

If nothing else works, you can completely reset Google Photos.

Open:

Settings → Apps → Google Photos → Storage → Clear Storage

This does not delete photos already backed up to the cloud.

However, it will:

• Sign you out
• Reset settings
• Rebuild the backup database

After signing in again, Photos creates a fresh upload queue and often resolves stubborn synchronization problems.

Reinstall Google Photos

Reinstalling should be treated as a last resort.

Delete the application:

• Android: Uninstall updates or reinstall from Play Store
• iPhone: Remove app and reinstall from App Store

Then:

1. Restart device
2. Reinstall Photos
3. Sign in
4. Enable backup again

This completely refreshes application files and eliminates any software corruption.

Use Desktop Uploads for Large Libraries

If thousands of files refuse to upload through mobile devices, consider using a desktop browser.

Upload through:

photos.google.com

Large libraries often upload more reliably through desktop internet connections, especially when dealing with extensive video collections.

This also helps isolate whether the problem exists on the phone or within the Google account itself.

How to Confirm the Problem Is Fixed

Once troubleshooting is complete:

1. Open Google Photos
2. Tap your profile picture
3. Check Backup Status

A healthy backup should display:

Backup Complete

or show active progress that continues increasing over time.

If uploads continue moving forward rather than freezing at a specific number, the issue has been resolved.

Users can also review Google’s official Google Photos backup troubleshooting documentation for additional account-specific guidance.

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