eBay Photo Upload Failed (“Try Again”)? Causes & Fixes (Step-by-Step)

When eBay refuses to upload your photos, you’re stuck before your listing even begins. Sellers commonly report cryptic errors like “photo failed to upload”, “image processing error”, or simply no reaction when clicking Add Photos.

These issues usually come from a small set of controllable factors: file size, file type, browser glitches, eBay mobile app bugs, network timeouts, or workflow limitations.

This guide covers the core technical causes behind upload failures… and how to fix them fast.

1. File Size Limits: When Your Photo Is Too Large

eBay has hidden-but-strict limits for image file sizes. Even if your photo meets the visual requirements, it may fail to upload because:

• The file is too large (often > 7–10 MB depending on category/system load)
• The image has an excessive resolution (eg. 12–48 megapixel smartphone shots)
• You exported it at maximum quality in editing software

✅ Fixes

• Shrink the resolution to around 2000–3000 px on the longest side.
• Use “Save for Web” or “Export → JPG 80% quality” in your editor.
• If using iPhone HEIC files, resize or convert before upload (details below).
• If uploading multiple files at once, reduce all their sizes, one oversized file can break the batch.

2. File Type Issues: Unsupported Formats, HEIC/HEIF, and Mislabelled Files

A major source of upload errors is unsupported or malformed file formats.

For iPhone users:
Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible
This forces JPEG instead of HEIC for future photos.

For Samsung users:
Camera → Settings → (Optional: Advanced picture options) → High Efficiency Pictures: Off
This forces JPEG instead of HEIF for future photos.

3. Browser Upload Bugs: When eBay’s Uploader Freezes or Ignores Files

Even sellers with perfect photos sometimes hit glitches in the browser uploader.

If the uploader works in a different browser, the problem is usually with your browser, not your files.

4. eBay Mobile App Photo Access Bugs (iOS + Android)

Photo upload failures on mobile apps are extremely common, especially after app or OS updates.

They usually come from:

• App lacking permission to access photos
• Phone storage permission conflicts
• Corrupted cached photos
• eBay app bugs after updates
• HEIC processing edge cases
• Selecting too many photos at once

Fixes on iPhone

• Settings → Privacy → Photos → eBay → All Photos
• Restart the eBay app
• Force-close and reopen Photos app
• Convert HEIC to JPEG using Photos → Duplicate as JPEG
• Update the eBay app to the latest version

Fixes on Android

• Settings → Apps → eBay → Permissions → Allow Photos & Media
• Clear cache (not data)
• Try the built-in file picker instead of the gallery app
• Restart the phone if thumbnails fail to load

The mobile app uploader is historically less stable than eBay’s desktop uploader, so if mobile uploads fail repeatedly, switching to desktop is often the fastest fix.

5. Slow Network Timeouts: Uploads Stalling or Failing Mid-Transfer

Even if the files are perfect, upload errors can happen simply because the connection is unstable. Large photo uploads are transferred in chunks; if any chunk fails due to packet loss or timeout, the upload aborts.

If you’re on a slow or unstable connection, uploading from a laptop on a stable network is often the fastest and most reliable solution.

6. Alternative Upload Workflows Using Hosting Tools

If eBay’s upload tool keeps breaking, many sellers adopt a hybrid workflow using an external image host.
This doesn’t rely on uploading photo files directly through eBay’s interface and is often faster and more reliable, especially for bulk listing workflows.

This approach is especially useful for sellers managing large photo libraries, multiple variations, or batch-based listing workflows. For single manual listings, eBay’s native photo uploader is still recommended for primary gallery images.

Summary: Quick Fixes for eBay Photo Upload Errors