Cant download photos from Google Photos app to S21

[jako607]

I just got a Samsung Galaxy S21 and in my previous models (S20) when I open the Google Photos app and download a photo to my phone, it would put a working jpg in the DCIM folder under a new folder called "Restored". Now in the S21 when I download a photo from the app, it appears to download successfully but there is no visible Restored folder in my Gallery. If I go into my Samsung Files Manager I can see the photos in the downloaded section, but they are not jpg's or in any usable file format. If I try to click on them I get a message that says "None of the apps on your phone can open this type of file". It appears to not be downloading my photos as jpg's. This is new to the S21 and did not happen in any previous version of the Galaxy phones I had. Anyone having this problem?

The only workaround I can find is if I go into the Files app, find the photo file that is no longer in a readable format (that the phone has changed to just "downloadfile" name) and add ".jpg" to the end of the file name. It then magically makes the photo appear right there, as well as in the Restored app in my Gallery.

 

[mustang7757]

Ok so in Google photos app go to a older photo that's not in gallery go to 3 dots upper right corner if it gives option to download then click and you should see restored photo file pop up in gallery

 

[jako607]

That's exactly what I've been doing. It won't download as a jpg or show up in Gallery because the file format it seems to be downloading the picture in is unreadable on the device. It's not until I go find that unopenable downloaded file in the Samsung My Files folder, named "downloadfile", "downloadfile-2" etc. and rename the file with a .jpg at the end. Then it will become a visible photo and appears in the gallery. This default behavior of what the phone is doing with downloaded pictures is what I can't figure out. It's either Google or Samsung that is taking a jpg from Google Photos, and stripping it of the jpg file structure by the time it gets to my phone. I just set up this phone 2 days ago and have not made any changes to anything on the phone or in Google Photos app, so I can't figure out why photos are not downloading properly.

 

[mustang7757]

That's exactly what I've been doing. It won't download as a jpg or show up in Gallery because the file format it seems to be downloading the picture in is unreadable on the device. It's not until I go find that unopenable downloaded file in the Samsung My Files folder, named "downloadfile", "downloadfile-2" etc. and rename the file with a .jpg at the end. Then it will become a visible photo and appears in the gallery. This default behavior of what the phone is doing with downloaded pictures is what I can't figure out. It's either Google or Samsung that is taking a jpg from Google Photos, and stripping it of the jpg file structure by the time it gets to my phone. I just set up this phone 2 days ago and have not made any changes to anything on the phone or in Google Photos app, so I can't figure out why photos are not downloading properly.

It should be under DCIM folder

 

[mustang7757]

Make sure storage is set in permission on Google photos app


Edit: and gallery

 

[jako607]

Yeah I don't think you're understanding what's happening. See attached screenshot. I go to Google Photos and download an individual picture. It downloads successfully. I go to gallery and it's not there at all. So I go to My Files folder and there is a Restored folder. In this folder are all the pictures I've tried to download. Because somehow these photos are being changed when downloaded to these generic named unreadable files, you can't open them at all. You'll get an error if you try to open them. They won't show in Gallery anywhere as photos. But, if I long press on one of those "downloadfile" files (which should be jpg pictures) and rename it to add a ".jpg"at the end, it will suddenly turn into a proper jpg picture, be visible in this folder, and show in the gallery. If I don't do this manually for each picture, it will forever sit in this Restored folder as a "downloadfile" and never appear anywhere.

 

[mustang7757]

Ok , clear data and force stop both app and test again

 

[jako607]

Unfortunately that didn't work, but what seems to have worked, mostly, is completely uninstalling and reinstalling the Photos app. Downloading works for most photos now and all videos. It's still doing the issue described above for SOME photos but not all, and I can't figure out what the difference is between the ones that work and the ones that don't...they're both .jpg photos. But at least it's not ALL of them anymore. So weird.

 

[mustang7757]

Unfortunately that didn't work, but what seems to have worked, mostly, is completely uninstalling and reinstalling the Photos app. Downloading works for most photos now and all videos. It's still doing the issue described above for SOME photos but not all, and I can't figure out what the difference is between the ones that work and the ones that don't...they're both .jpg photos. But at least it's not ALL of them anymore. So weird.

Yeah I agree it's strange, I'm not experiencing that on my Note 20U , maybe wait until next update see if it fixes it .

 

[jako607]

Yeah it's bizarre but at least most photos are working and I know the workaround for those that don't

 

[phathiker]

Just wanted to chime in here that I was having the same issue. Google Photos was giving the indication that its being downloaded but the image isn't located anywhere on the phone, in other words, not downloaded. Just a side note, if Google Photos says "downloading" but then doesn't give the indication "downloaded" after then it hasn't worked.

I made sure the app had storage permission and then the thing that seemed to fix it for me.....go to the App details page and force stop the app and then clear the cache. After that, my images were downloading.