How do I resolve the recurring error on a new Android phone, "We're sorry, OneNote failed to insert the picture."

Question

How do I resolve the recurring error on a new Android phone, "We're sorry, OneNote failed to insert the picture."

Katerina Roma 0

It inserts from the camera, but not from selected images.

I have done these steps already :

Cleared the cache of the application: Open Settings > Apps > OneNote > select **Storage > Clear Cache (**or Cache).
Made sure to let OneNote have permissions to access photos: Open Settings > Apps > OneNote > Permissions and enable access to Storage.
Restarted the device to fix this issue.
Clear storage & Clear Cache > Uninstall > Restarted device > Reinstalled

Still cannot insert pictures from images into OneNote.

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1 answer

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Answer 1

Hi @MaterinaRoma,

Welcome to Q&A forum.

Thank you for reaching out. Based on your description, it seems that inserting images via the camera in OneNote works correctly, but inserting selected images from your gallery results in the error: "We're sorry, OneNote failed to insert the picture."

To assist you better, please provided these information below:

Brand of your Android phone (e.g., Samsung, Oppo, etc.)
Android version currently running on your device
Are you inserting the image directly from your device or from a cloud service (e.g., Google Drive, OneDrive)?
What is the file format of the image you're trying to insert (e.g., JPG, PNG, HEIC)?
Were you able to insert selected images successfully on your previous Android device?

Please know that while our initial response might not resolve the issue right away, your input is incredibly valuable. With a bit more detail, we’ll work together to find the best solution for you.

You mentioned that Insert images from the camera work. So as a temporary workaround, I suggest you might try the following method (tested on a Samsung device running Android 15):

Open the OneNote app and choose to insert an image via the camera.

In the camera app, access your photo library.

User's image

Select an existing image from your library and insert it into OneNote.

User's image

Let us know if this workaround helps or if you need further assistance.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Kha-N 8,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-01T13:01:51.32+00:00

Hi @MaterinaRoma,

I hope you're doing well.

I Just wanted to follow up and see if there have been any updates on your issues.

Was the workaround I suggested helpful in resolving the issue? If you ran into any difficulties or have further questions, feel free to share. I am glad to assist you further.

Warm thanks.
Kha-N 8,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-03T12:23:08.9466667+00:00

Hi @MaterinaRoma,
It been a while, and I just want to check in on your issues. Was my provided workaround able to assist regarding your issues with OneNote on Android?
I understand you're looking for a more definitive solution. Unfortunately, based on my additional research and limited testing, the workaround I shared is currently the best available option. I’ve tested it and confirmed it works in my environment.If you have any questions or run into any issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out, I am willing to assist you as much as possible.