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Wedding Studio Help Center

Uploads failing or stuck on iPhone (and other upload errors explained)

Most upload problems come down to where the photos are actually stored (in the cloud rather than on the phone), the connection, or the phone going to sleep. Here's how to fix each one.

Stuck on "Preparing..." or very slow to start

iPhones often keep only small previews on the phone and store the originals in iCloud. Before it can upload, the phone has to download each original first. With a big batch that can take several minutes, and it's slower on mobile data.

  • Be patient and keep the page open, or
  • upload in smaller batches of 20 to 30 photos, and
  • use Wi-Fi where possible.

The yellow "iOS Safari" notice

iPhones show a heads-up that Safari has a known bug when uploading many files over cellular data. It's just a warning and appears for all iPhone users. If uploads do fail:

  • connect to Wi-Fi, or
  • open the album link in Chrome instead of Safari.

Uploads fail partway through

  • Keep the phone unlocked and the page in front until you see "Upload complete". Locking the screen or switching apps can pause the upload.
  • Tap Retry upload on a failed file, or Retry failed files for the whole batch. Files that already finished don't need to be sent again.
  • Turn off Low Power Mode, which restricts background activity.
  • Open the link in Safari or Chrome directly, not inside Instagram, Facebook or another app's built-in browser.

Error messages explained

  • "This photo isn't downloaded to your phone. Open it in your photos app, save it to your device, then add it again." The photo lives only in Google Photos, Google Drive or iCloud. Retrying won't help. Open it in your photos app, download or save it to the device, then select it again.
  • "This photo is no longer available on your device. Please add it again." The phone cleared the file from memory mid-upload. Just select it again.
  • "Some files must be added again": remove those files from the list and re-select them.
  • "Guest limit exceeded": the couple's plan has reached its uploader limit. Couples, see How the guest limit works.
  • "Album Not Found": the link was mistyped or cut off. Scan the QR code again or ask for the link to be re-sent.
  • File type and size errors: see Supported file types and size limits.

Just got a new phone or updated iOS?

After a new phone or a major update, most of your library is still in iCloud and downloads gradually. Give it a day on Wi-Fi and power, or upload from a computer at icloud.com/photos by downloading the photos and uploading them from there.

Nothing works

Guests can always upload later from home. The album stays open until 12 months after the wedding. If a problem persists, email info@wedding.studio with the phone model, browser and a screenshot of the error.