iCloud Photos not syncing on an iPhone? 7 fixes to try
2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
Open Photos, tap Collections and tap your profile picture at the top. The line under your name says why syncing has stopped. Usually the iPhone is in Low Power Mode or Low Data Mode, the battery is low or iCloud is full. Connect to power and Wi-Fi and tap Sync Now.
iCloud Photos pauses by itself to protect the battery, your mobile data or the phone's temperature. The Photos app tells you the reason in one line, and each reason has its own fix.
Step by step
Read the status in Photos
Open Photos, tap Collections, then tap the profile button in the top corner. The status is shown below your name and the number of photos. On iOS 16 and earlier, open Library, All Photos and scroll to the very bottom.
Low Power Mode or Low Data Mode
Both pause syncing. Switch them off: Low Power Mode is under Settings, Battery. Low Data Mode is in the settings of the Wi-Fi network or of mobile data.
Low battery
Below 20% charge, syncing stops. Plug the iPhone in.
Optimising or poor network
If the status mentions battery optimisation, system performance or a poor network, tap Sync Now next to it, or wait a few minutes.
iPhone needs to cool down
A hot iPhone pauses syncing. Take it out of the sun and off the charger for a while.
iCloud storage full
New photos cannot be uploaded when iCloud is full. Delete what you do not need or move to a larger iCloud+ plan. Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, to see what takes up the space.
Leave it overnight
Connect the iPhone to power and Wi-Fi and leave it overnight. A large library or long videos need hours, sometimes days, for the first upload.
Good to know
Check that every device is signed in to the same Apple Account. Photos from another account never appear.
Do not switch iCloud Photos off and on to force a sync. Apple advises against it. It only starts the comparison from the beginning.
If the phone itself is full: iPhone storage full: 7 ways to free up space fast.
iCloud Photos is a sync, not a backup. A photo deleted on one device is deleted everywhere. For a real second copy, see how to back up an iPhone to a Mac or PC.
In short: Read the status in Photos, turn off Low Power and Low Data Mode, charge, Sync Now, let it cool, free up iCloud, leave it overnight.
- Apple Support: If your iCloud Photos aren't syncing to your device
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