Stuck at Syncing Items to iCloud? Here’s How to Fix

If your Photos app gets stuck while syncing items such as photos or videos to iCloud, it can be due to poor internet connectivity, software glitches, or conflicting settings. Fortunately, there are a few troubleshooting methods that can fix this issue and allow you to sync your photos to iCloud with ease.

In this article, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide to solving this problem. Read on to learn how you can sync your photos to iCloud.

1. Turn on iCloud Photos

The absence of the iCloud Photo Library, or not using it, can be one of the reasons why photos are not synced to iCloud. The Photos app syncs photos to iCloud only if the iCloud Photo Library is enabled on the device. Therefore, if you’re experiencing issues with syncing your photos to iCloud, it’s important to ensure that the iCloud Photo Library is enabled on your device.

Here’s a step-by-step process of checking if iCloud Photo Library is enabled on your device:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Apple ID.
2. Scroll down and select iCloud.

   

3. Under the apps using the iCloud section, locate the Photos option and tap on it.

   

4. On the next screen, turn on the toggle next to Sync this iPhone.

   

5. Once you’ve enabled iCloud Photos syncing, exit the Settings app and re–upload the photos to check if they sync or not.

2. Check the Network Connection

If you are still having trouble syncing your photos to iCloud, one possible reason could be a poor or unstable network connection. In this case, you may see an error message that says, “Make sure your network connection is active and try again.” This error message indicates that your device is unable to connect to iCloud servers and upload your photos due to a network issue.

Make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi or cellular network. You can check this by going to the Settings app and selecting Wi-Fi or Cellular, depending on your connection type.

3. Reset your network settings

If your network connection appears to be fine, but you are still experiencing difficulties syncing your photos to iCloud, you need to reset your network settings. By doing so, you will eliminate all networks stored on your device, and any potential bug in the network settings causing the issue will also be removed after the reset.

1. Go to the Settings app and select General. 
2. Scroll down to open Transfer or Reset iPhone.

   

3. Now select Reset > Reset Network Settings.

   

4. Finally, confirm your action by tapping Reset Network Settings once again.

   

4. Restart your device

Sometimes, simply restarting your device can help resolve network-related issues. To do this, press and hold the Power button until the slide to power off screen appears, then swipe to turn off your device.

After a few seconds, press and hold the Power button again until the Apple logo appears to turn your device back on.

By following these steps, you will be able to resolve any network-related issues that were preventing your photos from syncing to iCloud.

5. Use the Editing Method

Editing the photos first and then uploading them to iCloud can help you with syncing issues. By doing so, you can trick the app into treating the edited photos as new versions of the original photos and starting the upload process for these new versions. It may seem like a counterintuitive solution, but it has worked for many users and is a commonly recommended workaround for this issue.

1. Open the Photos app on your Apple device and select the photos that you want to sync to iCloud.
2. Once you’ve selected the photos, tap on the Edit button located at the top of the screen.
3. Rotate all the selected photos in one direction (e.g., clockwise) by clicking on the rotating icon located at the bottom of the screen.
4. After rotating the photos in one direction, rotate them back to their original orientation by clicking on the rotate icon again.
5. Once you’ve rotated the photos in both directions, click on Done located at the bottom right of the screen to save the changes.

   

6. You will now see the progress indicator to show that uploads have begun. If you don’t see any progress, wait for a few minutes and check again.
7. If the progress indicator is still not moving, try repeating the process again or force quitting the Photos app and restarting it.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to fix any sync issues that were causing the Photos app to get stuck while syncing photos to iCloud.

6. Contact Apple Support

If you have followed all the methods and you are still unable to connect to the App Store, the next best course of action is to contact Apple Support. They may be able to assist you further and provide additional troubleshooting steps.

To contact Apple Support:

1. Open the browser on your device.
2. Visit the Apple Support website at https://support.apple.com/.

   

3. Scroll down and look for Support at the bottom of the page. Click on the “+” icon in front of Connect. A sidebar will open, click on Contact Us.

   

4. Select the product or service that you are having issues with, such as your iPhone, iPad, or Apple ID.

   

5. Look for the specific issue that you are experiencing and select it.
6. Choose to either chat with an Apple Support representative, schedule a call, or request a call by clicking on Call Us.

By contacting Apple Support, you will have access to trained professionals who can help you troubleshoot the problem and find a solution.