Top 8 Ways to Fix Google Photos Save to Device Not Working
Some Google Photos users don't see the photos they upload to their gallery or their Camera Roll. Others see errors like "Oops, something went wrong" or "Problem recording in filmstrip" when uploading photos or videos from Google Photos.
Whatever the problem, here you will learn how to fix the problem of saving Google Photos on the device which does not work on Android and iOS.
Why the backup on the device is missing in Google Photos
Before we move on to the solutions to fix the problem, let's see why Save to Device may not be available in some situations.
Multiple images
If you try to download multiple images from Google Photos on your Android phone, it will not work. In such cases, you will not see the Save option on the device at all. You must download the images individually. However, it is possible to upload multiple photos to iPhone, as shown below.
Photo stored on the device
If the photo is already stored on your phone, you will not see Save on the device. For these photos, you will get the option Delete from device.
Download albums
The recording option on the device is not available for your albums. You must upload individual photos stored in the albums. However, you can download photos from shared albums in Google Photos on your phone.
Now let's see the solutions to fix the problem of recording on the device which is not working properly.
1. Restart the phone
Sometimes this is just a temporary problem, and a quick reboot could fix it. So restart your phone, then try to download the photos.
2. Download correctly
Many users try to upload the photos the wrong way. They select the photo on the Home screen of the Photos app, then tap the three-dot icon at the top. This is incorrect. You will only see the option to delete or archive.
The right way is to open the photo by tapping on it. Once the photo or video is in full screen, tap the three dots icon at the top. You can also swipe up on the photo. Finally, tap Save on device or tap Download.
On iPhone, you can also use the help of the Share button to upload one or more images. To do this, select multiple images on the Google Photos home screen. Tap the share icon. Select Save images.
3. Check in the right place
When you download an old image from Google Photos, you won't find it at the top. Instead, it will be available on the same date as that associated with the image in Google Photos. For example, if you added the photo on June 23, 2019 and download it to your phone, you will have to scroll down in Google Photos to view it in the June 2019 section.
4. Grant the necessary authorizations
When you download photos or videos from Google Photos, your phone must have storage permission to store them. To verify and grant permissions, follow these steps.
Grant storage permission on Android
Step 1: Open the phone settings and go to Applications and notifications / Applications.
2nd step: Look for photos under All apps. Tap Permissions.
Step 3: Make sure it has storage authorization.
Give access to storage on iPhone
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2nd step: Go to Privacy, then Photos.
Step 3: Tap Google Photos. Select Read and write.
5. Check available storage
Since you are downloading something, you need to have enough storage on your phone to store it. If the files are missing even after using the Save to device option or if you get errors such as unable to upload to Google Photos, check the available storage space. If the storage is full, see the tips for freeing storage on iPhone and Android.
6. Update the Google Photos app
If the Save to device option is missing, you must use an older version of the app. We suggest you update the Google Photos app from the respective stores on Android and iPhone. Find out how to find out if an app update is available.
7. Clear the cache (Android only)
If you can't upload photos even by tapping Save on the device, try clearing the Google Photos app cache on your Android phone or tablet. By clearing the cache, your photos will not be deleted.
Here's how.
Step 1: Open Settings and go to Applications / Applications & Notifications.
2nd step: Under All apps, tap Photos.
Step 3: Tap Storage, then tap Clear cache. Restart your phone.
8. Upload photos from shared album
You can upload one or more photos from shared albums without any problem. To do this, open the shared album under the Sharing tab. Select the photos you want to upload. Tap the download icon at the top.
Try the workarounds
If none of the above solutions help, we have workarounds you can use right now. First, some Google Photos users have suggested adding the photo or video to an album in Google Photos. Then download the file to your phone from there.
Second, you can share the photo with other apps and then download them to your phone from them. For example, on iPhone, you can add them to the Notes app using the option available under the share icon. Third, you should try to add your account by deleting the account from Google Photos first.
Finally, Apple does not support all video formats. If the problem is with only one video, this type of video may not be supported and therefore you cannot download it.
Patiently waiting
If you've recently added the photo or video to Google Photos and are now trying to upload it to another device, you need to be patient. You may be able to view photos or play video normally, but recording to the device will not be available. In such circumstances, give Google some time to process the data.
Then: Do you want to transfer images from Google Photos to another account? Find out how you can do it from the link below.