User Case: How Do I Force Upload Photos to iCloud?

Force Photos to Upload to iCloud
Force Photos to Upload to iCloud
 

I thought it was time to move my iPhone photos to the cloud in order to free up some space. But when I attempted to buy iCloud's 200 GB storage plan and upload the pictures, it only uploaded 1.3 GB. It doesn't appear to be uploading anymore, even though I keep checking on it every few minutes. Is it possible for me to force the photos to sync or upload everything manually?

- Question from Apple Support Community

Why Are My Photos Not Uploading to iCloud?

There are several reasons why your photos might not be uploaded to iCloud. Here are some things you can check:

  • Full iCloud Storage: If your iCloud storage is full, new photos won't upload.
  • Internet Connection: Ensure you have a stable Internet connection. A weak or unstable connection can prevent uploads.
  • iCloud Photos is Not Enabled: Make sure iCloud Photos is turned on in Settings。
  • Battery or Power Mode: If your device is in the Low Power Mode, uploads may pause.
  • Inadequate Device Storage: If your device does not have enough free space, the iCloud uploading process may stop.
  • Outdated Software: If your device is running outdated software, the uploading may not work well.

If you find your iCloud automatic uploading is not working, you can check the reasons above to find your causes.

How to Force Photos to Upload to iCloud

After knowing the reasons why your iCloud stops uploading, it is time to learn how to force photos upload to iCloud on your iPhone or Mac.

Before Force Photos to Upload to iCloud

There are some prerequisites that you may need to check before forcing iCloud to upload photos. This can make sure the following methods work at once.

1. Charge your device. Connect your device to a charger and make sure it is not in low-power mode.

2. Connect to a strong Wi-Fi. Automatic iCloud backups only start when your device is connected to a Wi-Fi.

3. Check your iCloud storage. If you do not have enough iCloud storage, photos cannot be uploaded from your device to iCloud.

Force Photos to Upload to iCloud on iPhone

Step 1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2. Click on your Apple ID and choose iCloud.

Step 3. Select Photos and enable Sync this iPhone if you have not enabled it before. If iCloud Photos syncing is on, you can click Sync Now to force iPhone to upload photos to iCloud.

Force Uploading Photos to iCloud on iPhone
Force Uploading Photos to iCloud on iPhone

There is another way to restart uploading photos to iCloud on iPhone. Go to the Photos app, if iCloud Photos is paused, there will be a yellow spot on the profile icon. Then, you can click the profile icon and tap Sync Now to force iPhone to backup photos to iCloud.

Force Photos to Upload to iCloud on Mac

Step 1. Open the System Preferences on your Mac.

Step 2. Click on your Apple ID and enter the iCloud page.

Step 3. Find Photos and switch on the button to force photos to sync with iCloud Mac. If you have enabled iCloud Photos before, switch off and switch on the button to re-enable it.

Force Mac Photos to Upload to iCloud
Force Mac Photos to Upload to iCloud

Bonus Tip: Easiest Way to Sync Another Cloud with iCloud Photos

If you also save photos on other cloud storage services like Google Photos, Flickr, or Dropbox but now want to gather them on iCloud Photos, MultCloud can lend you a hand by helping you create an automatic photo syncing task. MultCloud is a free cloud management service that offers robust functions for cloud-to-cloud file transfer, sync, and backup.

The Cloud Sync function is the right one to sync photos from another cloud to iCloud Photos. You can create a real-time sync task with this function so that not only old photos can be transferred to iCloud Photos but also the new-coming ones can be synced to it immediately.

You can refer to the example steps for syncing photos from Google Photos to iCloud Photos.

Step 1. Create a new account on MultCloud’s website.

Step 2. Click Add Cloud and the cloud logo to add Google Photos and iCloud Photos to MultCloud. When you add iCloud Photos, you have to go through the two-factor authentication.

Add Google Photos and iCloud Photos to MultCloud
Add Google Photos and iCloud Photos to MultCloud

Step 3. Choose the Cloud Sync function in the left sidebar and choose Google Photos in the left box and iCloud Photos in the right box. Then, tap on the Sync Now button to start syncing.

Sync Google Photos to iCloud Photos
Sync Google Photos to iCloud Photos

Note: If you want to real-time sync photos, you can toggle the button to Real Time Sync. Except for that, there are more sync modes you can use to customize your task, such as Two-way Sync, Incremental Sync, Cumulative Sync, Mirror Sync, Move Sync, Full Backup Sync, and Update Sync.

Cloud Sync Modes
Cloud Sync Modes

Conclusion

In this post, you can see the detailed steps on how to force photos to upload to iCloud on your iPhone or Mac. But before following the steps, please charge your device, connect it to a strong Wi-Fi, and make sure you have enough iCloud storage.

Moreover, if you want to assemble your photos in another cloud to iCloud Photos, you can utilize the MultCloud Cloud Transfer function. It can automatically transfer photos from a cloud like Google Drive, Google Photos, and OneDrive to iCloud Photos without downloading and uploading. Besides, you can take advantage of its sync modes to make your task personalized.

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