WARNING: Samsung Gallery doesn't sync/backup WhatsApp media to OneDrive anymore !!!

[Pancak3ZZ]

WhatsApp media is shown in the gallery but cannot be synced/backed up to OneDrive ANYMORE, with NO WARNING! A google search will show that many many people have been having this issue for a long time.

The pictures tab shows whatsapp media as well as a little tick in the OneDrive icon supposedly indicating everything is backed up, but whatsapp media ISN'T.

Only in the albums tab of Samsung Gallery can one see that WhatsApp Images/Videos/Documents have the little OneDrive icon crossed out, tapping on it will open the "albums to sync" settings page which does NOT list the whatsapp media folders.

I have found no way around this nor any setting to make Samsung Gallery list WhatsApp media folders as albums to sync.

Only realized this once I opened my onedrive photos on pc and saw half of my gallery missing, thank god I didn't "free up space" in a long time or I would've lost a lot of memories.

Please fix this!!!!!

[Pancak3ZZ · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone thanks for your replies,

While there is apparently no way to back up whatsapp media to onedrive through samsung gallery, unlinking onedrive from samsung gallery according to these instructions (link below) will make the Camera upload feature in the onedrive app reappear, which does let you select whatsapp media folders for backup. Please note this is not a 2 way sync, so deleting stuff in your gallery will not delete it in onedrive once it's been uploaded, contrary to when gallery and onedrive are linked.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/samsung-gallery-and-onedrive-99c4e77b-8e63-4ddc-aede-19f8... 

Conclusion: Still a mystery why samsung gallery displays whatsapp media but doesn't let you sync it. The way it's displayed (pictures above) is still misleading and needs to be fixed. Imagine resetting whatsapp for whatever reason thinking "oh all the media was downloaded to samsung gallery so everything's backed up in onedrive, it's safe" but then half your pictures with friends and loved ones are gone.

[Pancak3ZZ]

I get they're technically different things, but to the vast majority of users they functionally serve the same purpose: both a way of securing their pictures on the cloud in case the device breaks or gets lost/stolen.

In my opinion a technicality like this doesn't justify the confusion/worry, amount of troubleshooting required and possible major loss of data for users, especially ones who are not tech-savvy and who purposely rely on automatic systems like sync/backup.

[Robin999]

No, you're wrong. Syncing and backing up are two totally different things. It's not a technicality, it's a fact.

https://proton.me/blog/backup-vs-sync#:~:text=The%20short%20version%20is%20that,are%20reflected%20ac....

[Joef1]

I have the same issue, there is no reason for the whatsapp images and whatsapps videos "albums" to not show up in the "albums to sync" list.

[Carlos-C]

Phone Settings.

Accounts and backup.

Manage accounts.

Find. OneDrive account.

Tap Sync Account.

Then enable " Media Picker".

Look on onedrive and should now see everything being uploaded.

Enjoy 😉

[marksimys]

The Whatsapp and Telegram folders are not made available. only Facebook. Strange. 

[SpaceKat1515]

Hi!
I was having the same problem.
I can't solve it actually, but I found an easy way to deal with it:

You can go to WhatsApp and unmark download media in the phone, and wherever a picture or video that someone share with you, you can directly save it.

It will create a new folder named WhatsApp and surprise! you can mark with folder to be synchronized with OneDrive.

Not the best solution, but it is what it is.

[IA_Riqueza]

This worked, but I can not be doing that all the time... it will be exhausting...

I prefer google drive to this

[Rob9889]

Can't belive in 2025 this is still an issue

[SteveSimons]

Can you please tell me what exactly does enabling "Media Storage" (I have Storage and not Picker) ??

I'm really trying to understand the difference as I'm not finding what I enabled...

Thank you.