[10:02 AM] Customer: Hi, after upgrading my self-hosted photo library last night, the mobile app stopped backing up photos. It just says “Waiting for server.”

[10:03 AM] Support: Hi! I can help with that. Which server version and mobile app version are you running?

[10:04 AM] Customer: Server is 1.112.1 in Docker, and the Android app is 1.112.0.

[10:05 AM] Support: Thanks. Can you still open the web interface and view your existing photos?

[10:05 AM] Customer: Yes, the web interface works normally. Uploading a photo through the browser works too.

[10:06 AM] Support: Good—that suggests the database and storage are healthy. In the Android app, please open Settings → Server and confirm the server URL. Is it a local IP address or a public domain?

[10:07 AM] Customer: It’s https://photos.example.net. I access it through Nginx Proxy Manager.

[10:08 AM] Support: Understood. Did you change anything related to HTTPS, your reverse proxy, or certificates during the upgrade?

[10:09 AM] Customer: I renewed the certificate yesterday, but browsers show it as valid.

[10:10 AM] Support: The mobile app may still have a stale connection. Please sign out of the app, force-stop it, clear its cache, and then sign in again. You shouldn’t need to clear app data, which could reset your backup selections.

[10:14 AM] Customer: I did that. I can sign in and browse photos, but backup still stays on “Waiting for server.”

[10:15 AM] Support: Thanks for checking. On the Backup screen, is backup enabled, and are the expected device folders selected?

[10:16 AM] Customer: Backup is enabled, but none of the folders are selected anymore. That must have reset during the sign-out.

[10:17 AM] Support: That would cause the waiting status. Select your Camera folder and any other folders you want backed up, then tap “Start Backup.” If Android prompts for photo access, choose full access rather than selected photos only.

[10:19 AM] Customer: I selected Camera and Screenshots. It started scanning and now says 37 items remaining.

[10:20 AM] Support: Perfect. Leave the app open until the initial scan finishes. For reliable background uploads, also set the app’s battery usage to “Unrestricted” and allow background data.

[10:22 AM] Customer: The upload completed, and the new photos are visible on the server. Will it create duplicates of photos that were already backed up?

[10:23 AM] Support: It should compare the files against existing assets and skip matching uploads. You may briefly see the total item count during scanning, but that doesn’t mean every file will be uploaded again.

[10:24 AM] Customer: Great. I tested with a new photo, locked the phone, and it uploaded after about a minute.

[10:25 AM] Support: Excellent. The issue was that no device folders were selected for backup after signing in again. Your server and reverse proxy appear to be working correctly.

[10:25 AM] Customer: Got it. Thanks for the help!

[10:26 AM] Support: You’re welcome! If background uploads stop again, check the folder selection, photo permissions, and battery restrictions first. Have a great day.