OneDrive - all kinds of issues

For each of the described behaviors, there are documented limitations or workarounds rather than a single root cause.

1. Backup on Android only working when the app is launched

On Android and iOS, camera upload and sync are not fully autonomous background services. Several conditions must be met:

• The OneDrive app must be running; swiping it away can stop automatic backups.
• Location Services should be enabled, because changes in location are used to trigger background activity.
• Some device settings or data plans only allow certain features over Wi‑Fi.

Recommended checks:

1. Open OneDrive > tap the account image > Settings > Camera backup.
2. Confirm the correct Camera backup account is selected.
3. If not on Wi‑Fi, ensure Data usage (or similar) allows backup over mobile network.
4. Ensure Backup only when charging is not selected if immediate backup is expected.
5. Keep the OneDrive app open periodically to force synchronization.
6. On some Android devices, ensure OneDrive is allowed to run in the background (for example via Settings > Battery > Battery Usage > OneDrive > Launch options > Manage Manually > Run in background).

These are platform and app constraints rather than a sign that files will appear in other accounts; uploads are tied to the signed‑in account.

2. Photos appearing in unexpected order

When camera upload “takes too long to set up or look for photos” or there are many photos, uploads can be delayed and processed in batches. This can result in:

• Photos uploading out of strict capture-time order.
• Apparent “random” ordering while the service indexes or finishes upload.

Contributing factors:

• Very large camera rolls.
• Inclusion of facial recognition and location data, which can slow processing.
• Network connections that prioritize downloads over uploads.

Mitigations:

1. Reduce the number of photos in the device camera roll by moving some to other folders.
2. Leave OneDrive running (ideally overnight) to complete uploads.
3. Avoid repeatedly signing out or reinstalling the app, as that restarts scanning and upload.
4. Search by filename returning wrong files

The provided context does not document a specific bug with filename search returning incorrect items, but it does note that if storage is exceeded or sync is incomplete, not all files will upload or index correctly. If camera roll or other content is not fully uploaded, search results may not match expectations because:

• Some files are not yet in OneDrive.
• Some files are partially uploaded or blocked by storage limits.

Checks:

1. Confirm that Microsoft storage is not exceeded; if it is, new files (including camera roll) will not upload or sync. See Microsoft storage quotas.
2. Verify that camera upload has completed (no long-running “setting up” state).
3. If issues persist after confirming upload and storage, use the official troubleshooting path for mobile app problems and, if needed, raise a support ticket from there.
4. Date scroll or timeline issues

The context describes that camera uploads can “take too long to set up or look for photos” especially with large libraries, facial recognition, and location data. During this period, views that rely on date-based indexing (such as date scroll/timeline) can behave inconsistently or appear stuck until indexing completes.

Workarounds:

1. Let OneDrive complete upload and indexing by leaving the app running for an extended period.
2. Reduce the number of photos in the camera roll.
3. Ensure the device is on a stable network and not in a low-power mode that restricts background activity.
4. Reliability and data safety

The documented behaviors—needing the app open, slower uploads with large libraries, and delays when storage is full—do not imply that photos will “start disappearing” or “appearing on other people’s accounts.” Files are associated with the signed‑in Microsoft account, and when removed from OneDrive they go to the OneDrive Recycle Bin for up to 30 days, where they can be restored.

For better control and space management:

• Consider whether every image in the Android camera roll needs to be backed up.
• Periodically clean up backed‑up photos using the OneDrive.com photo viewer instead of only managing from the mobile camera roll.

If the documented troubleshooting steps do not resolve the issues, the next supported step is to follow the “Troubleshoot OneDrive mobile app problems” guidance and escalate through official support so logs and account-specific details can be reviewed.

References:

• Automatically save photos and videos with OneDrive for Android
• Fix OneDrive sync issues on Android and iOS devices
• Troubleshoot OneDrive mobile app problems
• Troubleshoot OneDrive for Android app problems
• What is Microsoft cloud storage?
• Use OneDrive on Android and iOS devices