Fix WhatsApp Photos Not Backing Up to Google Photos on Android

While the era of cloud and storage is evident, external memory chips are turning obsolete. Further, a smartphone’s internal memory becomes inadequate when it’s used to run many applications on the device. In this scenario, users tend to opt for cloud storage because it allows them to easily back up all their data in sync with the data on their devices, reducing the chances of losing it in the future. With that being the case, WhatsApp is a globally used social media messaging platform. Users on WhatsApp tend to exchange not just texts but photos and videos through the app and also create a backup of the same on Google Photos. However, we have found users complaining about an issue they sometimes face in the form of WhatsApp not backing up to Google Drive. In this article, we will discuss how to fix WhatsApp photos not backing up to Google Photos on Android.

Fix WhatsApp Photos Not Backing Up to Google Photos on Android

With the article progressing, we will find out the possible reasons why you might be facing the error and also try to fix this for you with suitable methods.

Note: Since Android smartphones do not have the same Settings options, they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Hence, ensure the correct settings before changing any on your device. These steps were performed on Samsung Galaxy S20FE 5G (Android 13 One UI 5), as shown in the illustrations below.

What are the Reasons WhatsApp Not Backing Up to Google Drive?

Let’s see a few reasons why WhatsApp not backing up to Google Drive:

• Poor internet connectivity: The foremost reason for any default in backing up and syncing data from an app or a device to cloud storage is an unstable internet connection and low internet speeds.
• Lack of storage: Any basic functionality to occur needs space in the phone’s internal memory. If there is a shortage of storage, it might affect the backing up process.
• Exhausted free Google Drive space: Google Drive has limited its space for users who use its cloud service for free. If the available slot has been exhausted, Google cannot back up anymore and save data.
• Outdated application: Using old and outdated software versions also affects the processes that the app runs in the background.

How to Fix WhatsApp Photos Not Backing Up to Google Photos on Android?

These are the solutions you can follow to help yourself resolve the WhatsApp photos not showing in Google Photos issue caused.

Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods

This error caused by Google Photos or WhatsApp is not a major issue and generally could be resolved only by performing certain basic level fixings.

1A. Reconnect to Internet

Whether you are connected to the internet through a cellular data network or through Wi-Fi, what actually matters is not the source but the speed.

• If you are using cellular data as the source, make sure of the settings and reconnect it.
• If you are connected to Wi-Fi, reboot the modem and connect to it again.
• Moreover, ensure you are connected to a 5GHz network as it is faster than a 2.4GHz frequency band.

You can also test the speed of your internet on the Speedtest website.

1B. Switch from Mobile Data to Wi-Fi

If you have been using your device over mobile data, you can switch it to Wi-Fi and check if it resolves your issue. Our suggestion is based on the speed and connectivity of the internet. Any discrepancy in speed can cause WhatsApp not backing up to Google Drive. Therefore, switching to Wi-Fi is an effective move to improve speed and make backup and sync smoother and faster.

1C. Restart Android Phone

One of the useful steps of basic troubleshooting to fix the error is restarting the device. It just gives a fresh start to all the apps and services, loads up files again, and solves minor glitches and irregularities caused in any app.

1. First, press and hold the Power button on the side of your phone.

2. Tap on Restart.

1D. Allow Backup over Cellular Network

If Backup is enabled on an Android phone, Google Photos will automatically back up and synchronize images to the cloud via Google Drive. Since backing up data to any cloud service consumes data in the background, in general users allow backup only when they are actively connected to Wi-Fi. We recommend you check the backup and sync settings if your device is being used over cellular data.

1. Open the WhatsApp app on your Android or iOS phone.

2. Tap on the three-dotted icon. 

3. Then, select Settings.

4. Tap on the Chats option from the menu.

5. Tap on Chat backup.

6. Turn on the toggle for the Back up using cellular option.

Also Read: 10 Ways to Fix Google Photos Not Showing All Photos

1E. Force Restart Google Photos

There are sometimes technical glitches that cause an error in loading files and obstruct basic functionality of an app. You can force stop and restart the app again.

1. Tap and hold the Google Photos app icon from the app drawer on your Android device.

2. Tap on the info (i) icon.

3. Tap on the Force stop option from the bottom.

4. Tap on OK to confirm.

5. Relaunch Google Photos and check if the error is resolved.

Method 2: Enable Google Photos Backup

If the option to back up is already disabled on Google Photos, it cannot create a backup for your images and save it. You can enable it by the following steps:

1. Open the Google Photos app on your Android phone.

2. Tap on your Profile icon from the top-right corner.

3. Tap on Turn on backup.

4. If you do not find the option to Turn on backup, tap on Photos settings.

5. Tap on Backup and turn on the toggle for it.

Also Read: Fix WhatsApp Stopped Working Today on Android

Method 3: Allow SD Card Access

If WhatsApp on your Android device saves files in the SD card and not the phone memory, access to the SD card would need to be enabled for WhatsApp not backing up to Google drive. To perform this:

1. Launch the Google Photos app.

2. Tap on the Profile icon > Photos settings option.

3. Tap on SD card access.

4. Tap on the Get started option to further follow the steps.

5. Then, tap on the Hamburger menu icon.

6. Select the SD card name from the menu.

7. Swipe down and tap on the WhatsApp folder on the SD card.

8. Tap on the USE THIS FOLDER option from the bottom of the screen.

9. Tap on Allow to grant Google Photos access to your WhatsApp photos.

Method 4: Allow Background Data Usage

We learned that backing up and synchronizing happen in the background using data, i.e., internet connectivity. If you have the background data usage disabled for Google Photos or WhatsApp, that could lead to such an error. Let us modify the settings to fix WhatsApp photos not backing up to Google Photos on Android using this method.

1. Tap and hold the Google Photos icon from the App menu of your Android device.

2. Tap on the info (i) icon > Mobile data option.

3. Turn on the toggle for the Allow background data usage and Allow data usage while Data saver is on options.

4. Follow the same process for WhatsApp.

Also Read: How to Delete Google Auto Backup Pictures

Method 5: Clear Apps Cache

Sometimes overloading and congestion caused by temporary files or cache data also interrupt the processes and trigger the reason why your WhatsApp photos not showing in Google Photos. Clearing them out helps.

1. Launch the Settings of your phone.

2. Tap on Apps.

3. From the list of applications, swipe down and tap on Google Photos.

4. Then, tap on Storage.

5. Tap on the Clear cache option from the bottom.

6. Repeat the same process for WhatsApp.

Method 6: Clean Space on Google Drive

By default, Google serves its users with 15 GB of cloud storage, beyond which the user has to buy storage plans from Google. Check if you still are left with memory on your drive for Google Photos to create a backup. If not, start deleting files to clear space on the drive, or buy yourself a Google Cloud storage plan.

Also Read: Fix Google Photos not uploading photos on Android

Method 7: Update WhatsApp and Google Photos Apps

Many times there are bugs in an app that are prone to cause errors. But, while developers constantly keep pushing updates to WhatsApp and Google Photos, we suggest you update both apps once so it would resolve if you notice that WhatsApp photos not showing in Google Photos.

1. Open Google Play Store on your device.

2. Search for Google Photos from the search bar.

3. Select Google Photos from the search results and tap on the Update option.

Similarly, update WhatsApp on your phone.

Recommended:

Backup is not an option anymore but has turned into a necessity and keeping the importance of files and data in mind, every user looks to preserve them at possible costs. We hope that this guide was helpful and you were able to fix WhatsApp photos not backing up to Google Photos on Android issue. Feel free to reach out to us with your queries and suggestions via the comments section below. Also, let us know what you want to learn about next.