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Why is the camera upload feature on iOS slow in backing up the photos to my account?

Hi!!! I have just installed the app and opened an account (yesterday) to create storage for my phone photos so I can make room on my phone.

I have automatic uploads switched on and there are over 13,000 photos and videos on my phone.

I am curious how long it should take for the process to complete transfer from phone to app? The “backing up” action happened non stop for two hours yesterday morning and when I opened the app again this morning, it is showing as still underway - “backing up…….. 10894” - the number goes up and down.

I’m trying to figure out how it works and when it will be safe for me to remove the photos from my phone so I can make space to update iOS etc. I have done some random “audits” and found a number of photos from, for example, July 2023, which haven’t transferred over to the app.

Appreciate any advice, thanks!!

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Accepted answers

Jay

Hi @R3eny, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

It can take some time for that many images to be uploaded to your Dropbox account via the iOS Dropbox mobile app.

The speed can vary depending on your internet connection and speed, the number of images, and if there are any videos too in the upload queue (as they are larger than images).

I'd recommend keeping the phone connected to a stable internet connection and allow it time to finish the upload process.

If you have any further queries, feel free to message back.

All comments

Jay

Hi @R3eny, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

It can take some time for that many images to be uploaded to your Dropbox account via the iOS Dropbox mobile app.

The speed can vary depending on your internet connection and speed, the number of images, and if there are any videos too in the upload queue (as they are larger than images).

I'd recommend keeping the phone connected to a stable internet connection and allow it time to finish the upload process.

If you have any further queries, feel free to message back.

Rich

R3eny wrote:
I am curious how long it should take for the process to complete transfer from phone to app?

There are too many unknown variables to answer that. Things like file size, network speed, distance from the servers, any congestion along the route taken, etc., will all play a role in the speed. 13,000 files is A LOT to back up so it's going to take a while.

R3eny wrote:
The “backing up” action happened non stop for two hours yesterday morning and when I opened the app again this morning, it is showing as still underway

This is another issue you'll face, especially on an iOS device. Apple has very strict rules about how long an app can run in the background. If you're not leaving the Dropbox app open with the screen on (i.e. the device isn't self locking), then it will only continue to upload for a few minutes before Apple forces the app to shutdown.

R3eny

Thanks for these responses. It was connected to wifi the entire time, with the app open and the screen unlocked, yesterday. I thought it would take some time, but I was expecting that a couple of hours would have been more than enough. I might try it overnight tonight.

Walter

Thanks for the update on this and please let us know if anything else comes up @R3eny