Android app does not sync photos in background despite disabled battery optimizations.

[canislupus11]

I have searched the existing issues, both open and closed, to make sure this is not a duplicate report.

• Yes

The bug

Description

The Immich Android app does not perform background photo synchronization. Uploads only start when the app is opened manually and stays in the foreground.
Background sync never triggers on its own, even after long periods of the device being idle.

Environment

Phone: Redmi Note 14 5G
OS: Android 15
Immich Android app: Latest version from Google Play Store
Immich server: Latest stable version

Battery / System Settings

All recommended settings are already applied:
Battery usage: Unrestricted
Battery optimizations: Disabled
Background activity: Allowed
Autostart: Enabled
Background data usage: Allowed
No data saver enabled

Despite this, the app is still not syncing in the background.

Steps to Reproduce

Enable background backup in the Immich Android app
Take new photos
Lock the screen and do not open the app
Wait several minutes (or longer)

Expected Behavior
Photos should automatically upload in the background without requiring the app to be opened.

Actual Behavior
No background upload happens.
Uploads only start after manually opening the Immich app.

The OS that Immich Server is running on

Debian based LXC

Version of Immich Server

v2.5.5

Version of Immich Mobile App

v2.5.5

Platform with the issue

• Server
• Web
• Mobile

Device make and model

Redmi Note 14 5G

Your docker-compose.yml content

No docker compose

Your .env content

No docker compose.

Reproduction steps

Enable background backup in the Immich Android app
Take new photos
Lock the screen and do not open the app
Wait several minutes (or longer)

Relevant log output

Additional information

No response

[alextran1502]

Can you help enable notification and see if it helps with the background task getting run better?

[alextran1502]

https://dontkillmyapp.com/

Xiaomi is pretty tough for background tasks in general

[canislupus11]

Can you help enable notification and see if it helps with the background task getting run better?

Enabling notifications did not improve the situation.
Additionally, no synchronization notifications appear at all — even when background backup is enabled and new photos are present.

Uploads still only start when the app is opened manually and kept in the foreground.

[alextran1502]

Can you help capture a screenshot of the backup setting page?

[canislupus11]

Can you help capture a screenshot of the backup setting page?

[sumpel36]

Can confirm the same behaviour/problem on Android for my girlfriends (Pixel 8a) and my device (Pixel 7).
Sync settings page looks same as canislupus11.
Also no power saving mode or battery optimization, etc.

[alextran1502]

@sumpel36 Do you have the app's notification enabled on your Pixel?

[sumpel36]

I thought I had but it looks like I only gave the permission but the actual settings in the app were disabled.
After enabling notifications I observed the following behaviour:
After taking a picture the "Media is being uploaded. Looking for new elements" notification is almost instantly triggered.

Now to the actual sync:
When the app was open before and send to the background before taking the picture I can't see the just taken picture in my timeline at all. I first have to kill the app and re-open it to have the asset visible in my timeline. But it was uploaded in the background though.

When I kill the app before taking a picture I can also see the notification being triggered instantly and when opening the after a couple of seconds I can see the asset in my timeline but with the sync icon stating "not synced". But this is just a false negative. When I open the asset and close it the icon updates.

From my point of view enabling the notification definitely changes something in the sync workflow which fixes the background sync but on the other hand it breaks other things :D

[mrvanes]

Enabling notifications for Immich solved all my background uploading problems.

[sumpel36]

Short addition to my previous finding:
Went on a hike today and took some pictures while obviously not connected to WiFi and having sync via mobile data disabled.
After taking the pictures I saw the notification again instantly and after arriving back and connecting to WiFi I let the app take its time. After around 15min I checked the app and saw all pictures in my timeline but none of them being uploaded (indicated by the sync icon).
Even after killing the app and having it in the foreground open for some time the status didn't chance.
So I checked whether or not they are visible on the web and they were which means the sync task was successful.
For me it really seems that enabling the notification somehow fixes the background sync but breaks the sync icon.

[MuzahidGithub]

Can confirm , v2.5.6 app no longer uploads on background, no notifications shows with permissions enabled, android 13, oneplus.

[kristijonas-jan]

First time Immich user, same problem on Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G.
App Version 2.5.6 build.3037
Server Version 2.5.6 (on Ubuntu Server)

All permissions (including notifications) on. Battery optimizations off.

Tried connecting to the server both through Tailscale IP and locally, results didn't differ.

Sync works when app is open, closing the app doesn't create any notifications. Adding a new image (taking a screenshot, downloading an image) does trigger a "Uploading new media... Checking for assets" notification. Doesn't show any progress though despite "Show background upload process" option being enabled. Notification disappears after opening Immich.

Logs (mostly opening and closing the app, at the end saved an image, then opened the app).

Immich_log_2026-02-21T115713.574211.log

[jokeks]

Can confirm for Fairphone 4 & 5. As soon as you close the the app upload stops.

If notifications are enabled, the the uploads will continue in the background (no notification is shown) for the Fp4 but not the 5.

Enabling the notifications on the fp4 and switching in an out of the app brings back the upload flickering #25829

Fp5:

Fp4: 2.5.6.build.3037
Same server