There are a few common reasons why a photo may not properly save after you try to save it:
Not Enough Storage Space
One of the most common reasons a photo won’t save is because your device doesn’t have enough available storage space. Photos can take up a significant amount of storage space, especially high resolution photos from newer smartphones and digital cameras. If your storage is full or nearly full, your device may not be able to properly save new photos.
To check your storage space, look at the settings on your device. On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see a detailed breakdown of used and available space. On an Android, go to Settings > Storage. If your device is low on space, you’ll need to delete apps, photos, videos or other files to free up room for new photos to save.
Connection Issues
If you are trying to save a photo online to a cloud service like iCloud or Google Photos, connection issues could disrupt the saving process. An unstable internet connection when you try to upload and save the photo could lead to errors and failure to save properly.
Make sure you have a strong WiFi or cellular data connection when trying to save photos to the cloud. If you are getting errors, try waiting until you have a better, more stable connection and then attempt to save the photo again.
App or Software Issues
Problems with the app or software you are using to take and save photos could also lead to saving failures. The app may have bugs that cause crashing or freezing when trying to save, or the app may not have proper permissions to access the storage location for saving photos.
Try taking photos and saving with the standard built-in camera app for your device instead of third party camera apps. Make sure any camera and photo editing apps have been updated to the latest version available. Also check the app permissions to ensure proper access to storage locations like your Camera Roll or Photo Library.
Corrupted Storage
In rare cases, errors or corrupted files in the storage location can prevent properly saving photos. For example, errors in your Camera Roll database on an iPhone or iPad could lead to new photos not saving there properly. Or on a computer, corrupted sectors or errors on your hard drive could interfere with photo saving.
To troubleshoot potential storage errors, you may need to try resetting your device or repairing disk permissions on a computer. Back up your files first, then try the reset or repair process. On an iPhone or iPad, a reset can often resolve Camera Roll database errors. On a Mac, you can use Disk Utility to try repairing disk permissions.
Incorrect Date & Time Settings
Out of date or incorrect date and time settings on your device could also lead to problems with photo saving. The metadata embedded in photos includes the date and time a photo was taken. If your device’s date/time settings are inaccurate, it could confuse the photo saving process and lead to errors or failures.
Make sure the date and time are set correctly on your device. Go to your settings app to check and adjust if needed. Setting the date/time automatically via the network should prevent issues with inaccuracy.
Image Format Not Supported
If you are trying to save a photo in an unsupported or uncommon photo format, you may get errors saving it properly. Most apps and devices support saving common image formats like JPG, PNG and GIF. Trying to save a photo in a format like BMP, PSD, RAW or other less common types could lead to compatibility issues.
Try converting the photo to JPG or PNG format before saving. Most apps and devices will have conversion options in the export or share settings for photos. Converting to a supported format resolves the compatibility problem.
Exceeding File Size Limits
Some apps and cloud services impose file size limits that could also lead to failed photo saving. For example, some web apps or cloud storage services may limit individual file uploads to 25MB or 50MB in size. High resolution photos taken on newer devices can sometimes exceed those size limits.
If running into file size limit errors, try reducing the photo’s resolution before saving. This will shrink the file size to meet the app’s limits. Look for export or share options that allow reducing megapixels or use a photo editing app to reduce resolution.
Fixing Metadata Corruption
In rare instances, a photo’s metadata can become corrupted, leading to issues with saving the image properly. Metadata includes extra data beyond the pixels that make up a photo — things like date, time, camera settings and more. If this metadata is corrupted, it can interfere with the saving process.
Fixing metadata corruption is an advanced procedure, but apps like MetaFix can analyze photos and repair damaged metadata on JPGs and other common formats. This may allow you to properly save photos that were failing to save due to metadata issues.
Checking for Save Location Access
Some apps require access to specific storage locations, like your Photos/Camera Roll, in order to properly save images. If that access has not been granted or was revoked, it could prevent photos from being saved.
Check the app permissions settings and make sure the app has access to the appropriate save locations for photos. Grant access if needed. This will allow the app to interface with the necessary storage locations for saving photos there.
Restarting and Testing with a Different App
As a general troubleshooting step for photo saving failures, try restarting your device and testing the issue again. Close any open apps, power down the device, then try saving photos again after restarting. This resets programs and memory and can resolve transient bugs.
You can also try using a completely different app to take and save photos. For example, switch from the built-in Camera app to a third party app and test if saving works there. This helps determine if the issue is isolated to a single app or is system-wide.
Backing Up and Resetting Device to Factory Settings
If all else fails, perform a full factory reset to restore your device to original settings. This will wipe your data and settings, resolving any corrupted files that may be interfering with photo saving capabilities.
Before resetting, fully back up your device data including photos you want to keep. Then perform the factory reset, set up your device again, restore your data, and try saving photos. As a last resort, this full reset can wipe out stubborn photo saving software issues.
When to Seek Repair for Hardware Issues
In rare instances, photo saving failures could indicate a hardware issue like a faulty camera or storage drive. If troubleshooting does not reveal a software issue, it may be time to seek hardware repair.
Signs of a hardware problem include the camera itself not working, significant device lag, crashes/freezes, or persistent storage errors. Taking your device to a repair shop can allow technicians to assess the camera, memory card slot, storage drive, and other hardware that could be failing.
Summary of Troubleshooting Tips
To recap, try the following solutions to troubleshoot photo saving failures:
- Check for low storage space, delete unused files
- Ensure you have a strong, stable internet connection
- Update camera/photo apps, verify permissions
- Scan and repair any storage corruption or errors
- Make sure date and time settings are correct
- Convert to compatible formats like JPG or PNG
- Reduce photo resolution or dimensions if exceeding file size limits
- Use metadata repair tools to fix corrupt image metadata
- Confirm apps have access to required save locations and storage
- Restart device and test issue with different apps
- Back up and reset device to factory settings if needed
- Seek hardware repair for potential camera, storage failures
Following this troubleshooting guidance can help identify and resolve the vast majority of photo saving failures. Contact technical support or a repair technician if problems persist after exhausting all software-related solutions.
Why Photos May Not Back Up to iCloud
If using an iPhone and backing up photos to iCloud, there are some specific issues that could prevent photos from properly backing up:
- Low iCloud storage space – Upgrade your iCloud storage plan to allow backing up more photos.
- WiFi/cellular data connection problems – Ensure you have a strong connection to iCloud servers.
- iPhone storage full – Your iPhone may need local storage to temporary store photos before uploading to iCloud.
- iCloud Photo Library disabled – Make sure iCloud Photo Library is enabled in your iCloud settings.
- Optimizing iPhone storage setting – This setting offloads full resolution photos, so they may not backup fully.
- Syncing and backup disabled – Check Settings to make sure backup and iCloud sync functionality is on.
Checking each of these common iCloud backup issues can help troubleshoot photos not properly backing up from an iPhone.
Why Photos Won’t Save on Android
For Android devices, there are also some specific things that could lead to photo saving problems:
- Storage space full – Android needs free space to save photos. Delete apps or media to free up internal storage.
- Slow/unstable internet – Saving to the cloud requires a consistently strong internet connection.
- Restricted app permissions – Make sure the Camera app has permission to access storage.
- SD card issues – An unmounted, corrupt, or slow SD card can cause saving errors.
- Camera app crashing – Camera app errors will prevent accessing the photo to save it.
- Google Photos sync off – Enable backup and sync in the Google Photos app.
Checking these common problems on an Android phone or tablet can help identify why photos are not saving correctly.
Troubleshooting Photo Saving Issues on a Computer
For photos not saving properly from a digital camera to a computer, here are some things to check:
- Camera connection – Use the cable that came with the camera and connect to a USB port directly on the computer.
- Import settings – The computer should be set to import photos automatically.
- Sufficient hard drive space – Check available disk space and clear space if needed.
- Software updates – Update your computer OS, photo editing/management apps.
- Driver updates – Update USB and camera-specific drivers.
- Different USB port – Try connecting camera to another USB port on computer.
- Damaged cable – Test with a different USB cable to rule out cable issues.
Troubleshooting the connection, software, and hardware can help resolve photo saving problems from a camera to computer.
Recovering Unsaved Photos
If your photo did not save properly and is now missing, there are some recovery options to try getting it back:
- Cloud backups – Photos may be retrievable from cloud backups like iCloud or Google Photos.
- Device backups -Restore your device from the most recent backup.
- Phone or camera internal memory – Data recovery software can sometimes find unsaved photo files.
- Photo recovery apps – Apps like RePicvid claim to restore unsaved images.
- Computer cache or autosave files – Some photo editors create temporary working files of photos.
While many photos are irretrievably lost, these options provide some chance to regain unsaved images in specific scenarios.
Preventing Photo Save Failures
To help avoid photo save problems in the future, follow these best practices:
- Maintain plenty of free storage space on your device
- Keep your device operating system and apps updated
- Use reputable camera and photo editing apps
- Verify app permissions allow access to required storage locations
- Enable automatic sync and backup services like iCloud and Google Photos
- Periodically clear out all cached data and restart apps/device fully
- Import or copy photos off your device to create backups
Implementing preventative measures maximizes the chances your photos will properly save where intended.
Conclusion
Photos failing to save properly can lead to immense frustration and lost memories. However, by methodically troubleshooting the potential software- and hardware-related causes, you can identify solutions to get your photos saving correctly again.
Check for storage space errors, connection issues, incompatible formats, corrupt metadata files, incorrect date/time settings, problematic apps, and faulty hardware. Following photo saving best practices can help avoid problems in the first place. With persistence and care, you can overcome the annoyances of unsaved photos.