Google Photos is a powerful app that enables you to store unlimited photos and videos on cloud storage. Being a product of Google, this app is considered very sophisticated and reliable. However, it is also a fact that as the popularity of Google Photos is growing, a lot of issues are being faced by the users.
It is not rare to see users posting about the issues like Google Photos not working, Google photos loading, synching, etc. There are a variety of minor issues that may lead to such problems. Here, in this post, we will discuss the troubleshooting steps to fix Google Photos in various devices.
Why is my Google Photos app not working?
It is difficult to predict the exact reason why you are facing troubles with using Google Photos. Still, there are some common reasons responsible for many Google photos problems as given below.
- Using an outdated version of Google Photos.
- Interruption in Internet connection.
- Incorrect backup or synchronization settings.
- Any third-party app installed on your device hindering the performance of Google photos.
- Problem with your Google Account.
Fix Google Photos not working on Android

In case Google photos app isn’t opening or responding on your android device then you should check the steps given below.
Fix – OK Google Not Working
- Go to the google play store and update Google photos if an update is available.
- Just like a web browser Google play app also has cache memory. If Google Photos won’t load properly then you should clear the app cache and try to run Google photos again.
- Make sure you are logged in with your Google account.
- Check the storage of your android device and ensure that it has enough space to open an app like Google photos.
- In case the problem persists for a longer time then you may reinstall Google photos from the Play store.
How can I solve “Google Photos isn’t working” problem on iPhone?
You may follow the steps listed below in case you can’t open or load Google Photos on an iPhone.
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- First of all, ensure that you are not using an obsolete version of Google Photos. In this case, you should update the app from the play store.
- Go to the app settings and clear the cache of Google Photos.
- Try to load Google photos on the web and ensure that there is no problem with your Google account.
- Uninstall Google Photos and install it once again from the app store in case the issue continues.
Google Photos Not Backing Up on Android and iPhone
If you are facing problems related to the backup of Google Photos then you may try the following troubleshooting measures. Please note that these solutions are applicable to both Android and iPhone users.
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Check the status of your Backup
- To start with, you should run the Google Photos app on your Android device. You can find the app icon either on your home screen or in the app drawer.
- Click on the menu icon that will appear in the top left corner of the screen.
- Scroll down in the menu and choose “Settings”.
- Tap on the “Back up & sync” option displayed within the settings menu.
- Now, your backup status will appear on the “Back up & Sync” screen. This will indicate whether your device is currently backing up photos or the backup is paused.
- You can get more details about the backup status by tapping on the “Backup Details” button.
Troubleshoot the Backup
- Check the size and format of the file – A photo can’t exceed 200 MB or 200 megapixels. Videos can’t exceed 10 GB in size.
- See which files are backed up – To find all your backed-up photos and videos, you may simply visit photos.google.com.
- Free up the space – If your device is running out of space for backup then you may remove blank or empty photo and video files from your Android/ iOS device.
- Open the Files by Google App on your device.
- Tap on “Images” or “Videos”.
- Go to the top right corner and tap “More” followed by “Sort by”, and “Smallest First”.
- Choose the file you want to delete and tap “Move Files to Trash”.
Note – To select more than one photo or video files, touch and hold the first file, then tap the other files you want to delete.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may try restarting the app, check your internet connection, and clear out the cache and cookies.
Make sure that the backup settings are enabled.
This can happen due to using an outdated app. Try updating the app and the problem should be fixed.
Refresh the app or make sure the albums are organised properly.