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Guests can't upload photos

Why a photo upload to the shared album might fail or seem to vanish — album settings, file type and size, and host approval — and how to fix it.

Last reviewed 4 min read

On this page8 sections
  1. What the album accepts
  2. Most likely causes
  3. "I uploaded a photo but it's not showing"
  4. How to help
  5. Album limits and hosting
  6. If the issue continues
  7. Common questions
  8. Related articles

When a guest can't add a photo to your shared album — or uploads one and then can't find it — it's usually the album settings, the file itself, or the photo simply waiting for your approval. Good news: in the default setup, guests don't need an account to upload, so it's rarely a sign-in problem. Here's how to sort it out.

What the album accepts

  • File types: JPEG, PNG, WebP, and HEIC/HEIF (the format iPhones use). Videos, PDFs, and other files aren't photos and are skipped.
  • Size: up to 20 MB per photo.
  • How many at once: up to 30 photos per upload.

Most likely causes

  • The album or guest uploads are turned off. If your photo gallery isn't enabled, or guest uploading is off, guests see "Album not available" or "Uploads are off — the host hasn't opened guest photo uploads for this event yet."
  • The file isn't a supported photo. A video or an unusual file type won't upload. A too-large file is rejected with "File too large: [size]MB. Maximum: 20MB," and a wrong type with "Invalid file type… Accepted: JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC."
  • Too many at once. More than 30 in one go returns "Please add up to 30 photos at a time." They can upload in batches.
  • The event isn't live, or was canceled. Guests can't upload to a draft that hasn't been sent, or to a canceled event. (A past event is fine — albums stay open after the party.)
  • The album is set to invited guests only. If you've locked the album down, a guest must sign in with the email they RSVP'd with; someone not on your guest list is turned away with "Not on guest list."
  • It uploaded — you just haven't approved it yet. This is the big one (see below).

"I uploaded a photo but it's not showing"

This is almost always working as intended. Guest photos wait for your approval before they appear in the album. After a guest uploads, they see a friendly "Thank you! Sent" with a note that the photos are on the way and the host will add them. Until you approve them, the album may even say "No photos have been shared yet — check back once the host approves the first uploads."

So if a guest says their photo "disappeared," reassure them it's held for your review — then approve it from your gallery and it appears for everyone.

How to help

  1. Turn the album on. Make sure your photo gallery is enabled and, if you want guests contributing, that guest uploads are on.
  2. Approve pending photos. Guest uploads sit in a review queue — approve them so they show in the shared album.
  3. Check the file. Ask guests to use JPEG, PNG, WebP, or HEIC, under 20 MB, up to 30 at a time. Very large phone photos can exceed 20 MB — a slightly smaller copy uploads fine.
  4. For a locked album, have guests sign in with the exact email they used to RSVP so they're recognized as invited.
  5. On a weak connection, an upload can time out with "Couldn't reach the server. Check your connection and try again." — trying again on stronger signal usually does it.

Album limits and hosting

Every paid event includes room for 100 album photos, and the photo pack raises that to 500 — if you hit the ceiling you may see "Photo limit reached. Upgrade to approve more." Note that only approved photos count toward the limit, so guests can keep sending even when you're near it. Albums are hosted for about a year; if hosting has ended, uploads and viewing stop with "This album's hosting has ended." See After your event: keepsake mode and Plans and pricing.

If the issue continues

If uploads still fail with a supported file on a good connection, and the album is on, ask the guest to try a different browser or device. If it persists, email us at info@invitebird.com with your event and we'll dig in.

Common questions

Do guests need an account to add photos? Not in the default open album — anyone with the link can upload. Only if you lock the album to invited guests do they need to sign in with their RSVP email.

Why don't guest photos appear right away? They're held for your approval so nothing unexpected lands in the album. Approve them from your gallery and they show for everyone.

A guest's iPhone photo won't upload. HEIC/HEIF from iPhones is supported. If it still fails, it's likely over the 20 MB limit — ask them to send a smaller copy, or upload fewer at once.

Can guests upload after the event? Yes — the album stays open after the party, so the memories can keep coming. See After your event: keepsake mode.

I hit the photo limit — how do I add more? Only approved photos count. To raise the ceiling from 100 to 500, add the photo pack — see Plans and pricing.

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