Google Photos App not finding all photos on device

amydetjen · Sep 20, 2017

I am traveling with friends and want to smash some of their photos from Facebook. When I click on 'save photo to device', the pic is saved to a Facebook folder on my device, as advertised.

However, my Pixel connects to Google drive using the Google photos app. That app supposedly shows 'all photos on device' but doesn't find the Facebook folder.

I can't find a way to:

1. Add the Facebook folder to my Google drive.
2. Add the Facebook folder to the Google photos app.
3. Get Google drive to backup the Facebook photos folder.

Thanks in advance,

AB

codesplice · Sep 21, 2017

Hi AB,

You need to tell the Google Photos app which folders it should watch for photos. Do this by launching the Photos app, tapping the menu at the top left, selecting the Device Folders option, and then selecting the folder where the images are saved. Once there, you can flip the "Back up & sync" toggle at the top right.

amydetjen · Sep 21, 2017

Hi, thanks for the assist! The problem is that the Facebook folder isn't listed as an option.

I've done a couple of screenshots to show what's listed... The folder is on my device .../DCIM/Facebook but it doesn't show in Google photos. It used to be there!

Thanks again for the help.

svim · Sep 21, 2017

That's odd, if you have a folder that's the default to save Facebook images inside that DCIM folder it should be automatically detected by the Google Photos app. Maybe try this. Go into the Application manager in your phone's Settings and find the Google Photo app. Open it, tap on the 'Force stop' button and then on the 'Clear cache' button. With the Google Photos app wiping the app's cache will result in wiping its thumbnail images (not the actual images) so when you start up the Google Photos app again you should scroll down through everything to get re-indexed and the thumbnails get re-loaded.

amydetjen · Sep 22, 2017

Thanks, great things to try! However, it didn't work. I even tried uninstalling Facebook and reinstalling it (not recommended if you're in a foreign country). They're doesn't seem to be any way I can 'add folder to list' or anything like that.
This is so amazing annoying!!
Any other ideas?

anzhuoshouji · Sep 22, 2017

Then, can you just move the photos in the facebook folder to another folder which can be selected as google photos backup folder by google photos app?
If it still does not work, i'm afraid that you have to connected your phone to a computer, copy the facebook photos to it and backup them to cloud with the app installed on the computer.

Dannydet · Sep 22, 2017

Ditch the Facebook app and download your photos using a browser instead

svim · Sep 22, 2017

This just gets more puzzling. Try confirming that the Facebook app is actually saving images into the DCIM/Facebook folder. Use this file manager app, File Expert, to look into those folders:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xcxin.filexpert&hl=en
Check that there is indeed a 'Facebook' folder inside that main DCIM folder, and that there are actually photos in it. If not, in the FB app's Settings menu double-check that DCIM/Facebook folder is what is set as the images download folder.
Also, you're often referring to Google Drive -- just to confirm are you using the Google Drive app to view your photo library or the Google Photos app?
One last thing you might want to look into is access your photo library online via a computer browser. If you go to https://photos.google.com and log into your Google account that should show an exact duplicate of what's in the Google Photos app on your Pixel. Are any of those FB images showing up there? If so, that would at least indicate things are working as they should, except for the display issue with the Google Photos app on your phone.

amydetjen · Sep 23, 2017

Wow, I so appreciate your help.

1. Yes, the DCIM/Facebook folder is there, and it has photos. The first screen capture shows it.

2. Even though I'm on my phone, I went to the desktop sure for Google drive, and the photos aren't there. They aren't being backed up from Facebook either! See seconds screen grab.

I don't know if I turn to Google support or Facebook support!??

Dannydet · Sep 23, 2017

Listen to my suggestion from earlier.
Facebook and Google support will not help you.

svim · Sep 23, 2017

In the Google Drive app on your Pixel, if you go into its Settings menu there's an 'Auto Add' option that you can toggle on or off to, "Automatically put Google Photos into a folder in 'My Drive'. Is that on or off?
Also, in Google Photos app, if you go into its Settings menu there's an 'Google Drive' option that you can toggle on or off to, "Show Google Drive photos & videos in your Photos library' Is that on or off?
Reading back through your postings apparently you prefer to use the Google Drive app to view your photo library and not Google Photos, yes?

amydetjen · Sep 23, 2017

Dannydet, thanks, but telling me that nobody will help me and 'don't use Facebook app' is not actually helpful to me. I want to use the app.

amydetjen · Sep 23, 2017

Svim, thanks for hanging in there with me! I went to Google drive settings and made sure 'auto add' was set to 'on'.

I don't really want to use Google Drive, no, I want to use Google Photos. I put up screenshots of Drive to show the settings.

Trying to follow your advice, I can't actually find settings in Google Photos (see screen shot). If I click on the three horizontal bars, that opens Drive. It's weird, right?

svim · Sep 23, 2017

amydetjen said:
... I can't actually find settings in Google Photos (see screen shot). If I click on the three horizontal bars, that opens Drive. It's weird, right?

Not sure which of those four screen shots you're referring to but no matter. I'm wondering if we're both looking at the same thing. In my Google Drive app to get to its Settings menu, I click on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner, and then scroll down to the actual Settings link. In my Google Photos app to get to its Settings menu its the same, I click on the hamburger menu in the upper left corner and towards the lower end is the Settings link. Both apps have a lot their own settings options of course but also a confusing cross-over with each other. I've never really relied on Google Drive to manage anything as far as my photo library, always just use Google Photos on my phone and https://photos.google.com on a computer.
Anyway, I don't think the Facebook app is the problem here. If all the images you've been putting into that DCIM/Facebook folder are there, than it's doing what you've set it to do. I also don't think the Google Drive app is an issue, it's not meant to be any kind of real photo library manager, it's a file management/archive utility. For some reason Google Photos doesn't appear to be detecting and indexing everything in your DCIM folder.

A bochur · Sep 24, 2017

Do you see those photos in the default gallery app?

If not, go into the folder in your file manager, find the Facebook folder, in settings of the file manager manager press to show hidden folders, then look for a file called .noMedia if it's there, delete it.
That should solve it

Waffleflammen · Oct 4, 2017

Can you upload a screenshot of what you see when you go to Settings > Backup & Sync > Backup Device Folders

That's where I see my option to include Facebook, downloads, screenshots and snapseed (app)

xcrazyczechx · Apr 16, 2018

Move the folder out of DCIM. It can stay on the SD card. Use the MY Files app on your phone. For some reason Google Photos does not see anything in there. You will then see it under Device Folders is Google Pictures.

Google Photos App not finding all photos on device

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