8 best ways to fix Google Photos stuck while preparing for backup

Backing up important and memorable photos is one of my favorites Google Photos features. Unfortunately, some users cannot store their media files in the cloud because the Google Photos app gets stuck while preparing to upload their photos and videos. If the backup problem is not related to the network, some problems with the Photos application are often the culprits.

In this article, we have identified eight (8) foolproof ways to get your Google Photos backup run again every time it gets blocked. Check them.

1. Clear the Google Photos cache

It is an effective solution to many Google Photos problems on any Android device. If you have noticed that your Photos application is running slowly or that certain functions (backup and synchronization of photos) are not working properly, you should clear the application cache to solve the problem. Here’s how.

Step 1: Launch the Settings menu on your phone and press the “Applications and notifications” option.

2nd step: Tap the “View all apps” option.

Step 3: Locate and tap the Photos app.

Step 4: Press the “Storage and cache” option.

Step 5: Then tap the Clear cache icon.

Now try to make a backup of your photos again and see if it has passed the “ Prepare to backup ” phase. If the app is still stuck in this state, try the following fix below.

2. Check the backup and synchronization account

If your Google Photos app is blocked during the backup preparation phase, you need to make sure that your phone’s primary backup account and the Photos app backup account are the same.

This method worked magic for many users who had encountered this issue on their device. To make sure that your general phone backup and Google Photos backup are synchronized with the same account, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Launch the Settings menu on your phone and select the System.

2nd step: Press the Advanced drop-down button and select Save.

Step 3: Tap Account.

Step 4: If you have multiple accounts connected to your device, select your preferred primary backup account.

Step 5: Press OK on the next page to confirm your selection.

Step 6: If the primary account you selected is different from your Google Photos backup account, you will be prompted to replace it with the primary backup account on your device. Press Edit to continue.

Alternatively, to confirm that the Photos app backup account is the same as your phone’s primary backup account, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Launch the Photos app and tap the hamburger menu icon.

2nd step: Select Settings.

Step 3: Select “Backup and Sync” and verify that the backup account is the same as the primary backup account on your device.

If not, tap the current backup account and select the account that matches the primary backup account on your device.

3. Update Google Photos

You also want to make sure your Photos app is up to date. Application updates bring new features as well as improved performance and bug fixes. You should update your Photos app and try to back up your photos again.

Update the Photos app (Play Store)

4. Check the storage of the backup account

Google Photos may get blocked while backing up your photos and videos if your backup account has reached its storage limit. A typical Google Account is assigned 15 GB of free storage – shared between Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. If you’ve run out of free storage, you may run into problems backing up media using Google Photos. Here’s how to check if your Google Photos storage account has enough space for media backup.

Step 1: Launch the Photos app and tap the hamburger menu icon.

2nd step: Select Settings.

Step 3: Select “Backup and synchronization”.

Step 4: Check the gauge to check the amount of storage in your backup account that has been used.

If you’ve used up all 15 GB, you can either buy more storage or delete certain files in Gmail, Google Drive, or Google Photos.

5. Turn off the battery saver

The Android Battery Saver helps you extend the life of your battery. To do this, certain background processes such as saving and synchronizing images will be temporarily stopped. If your Google Photos app is blocked in the “Get ready to back up” step, turn off your device’s battery saver and try again.

You can deactivate the battery saver directly from your phone’s notification bar or go to Settings> Battery> Battery saver and press the “Deactivate now” button.

6. Remove the SD card

If the photos (or videos) you are trying to back up are on your device’s SD card, removing the storage card from your device and replacing it may help resolve this issue. It’s as simple as it is interesting, a good number of users have reported the effectiveness of this method to solve the “ Prepare to backup ” problem on the Photos app.

7. Restart the device

It might sound cliché, but restarting your smartphone is also an effective solution. If you started a backup on the Photos app, but the process seems to be stuck in the “ Prepare to backup ” step, restart your device and try again.

8. Reinstall Google Photos

Google Photos may not be able to take a backup of your media files because some of the data in its app is corrupted. Removing and reinstalling the app would help bring it back to its original state without a problem.

Installer Google Photos (Google Play Store)

Consider this solution as a last resort if all of the other methods listed above do not resolve the issue. You may lose unsynced data and have to reconfigure your Google Photos settings and customizations from scratch.