Google Drive Waiting to Upload Error - How to Fix

We have faced this particular Google Drive Waiting to Upload Error multiple times as soon as you try uploading files in bulk. It isn’t a pleasant experience at all especially when you have all the files stuck in progress. We did try a lot of ways in order to fix this bug and made a list that might help you out as well.

This isn’t rocket science and you can easily follow the steps even if you have just started using the application. Well, this particular error only occurs on your smartphone.

Using the web app and uploading items through it is hassle-free. The reason for this could be anything. It could be your unstable internet connection, lack of space on Google Drive, too many items uploaded in one go, etc.

Let us simply look at all the solutions to fix the Google Drive Waiting to Upload Error and make our lives better.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Google Drive Waiting to Upload Error

Here are a few things you can try to fix the error.

1. Restart your Smartphone

This might seem a little too generic but then we all do this no matter whichever error your face on your phone. So, we will be doing this here as well, and hopefully, it might work for us without having to go through the hassle of trying other methods.

Make sure you quit all the apps from the phone and then try restarting the phone. Once you have done that. Resume Internet connection and make sure it actually works. Try opening the app and see if all the files have resumed uploading as they should be.

Read How to Remove Google Drive Sharing Link

2. Force Quit an Android and iPhone

Next up, we will be looking at ways where you can try to close the app and stop all its current operations.

Now, this might close any progress or current tab you are working on, hence make sure it is the right thing to do. But for Google Drive, no progress will be lost and we can fix the error as well.

Both Android and iPhone have different interfaces, hence the process is different here. Follow the steps below for Android.

Open device Settings, and tap on Apps & Notifications.
Now, look for the Drive app in the list and tap on it.
Click on Force Stop.

As soon as you tap on the option, Drive will immediately stop all its operation on your phone. Now, you can try uploading your field again or simply resume the ones that are waiting to upload still.

For iPhone

Get on the Home Screen.
Keep your finger on the lower-middle part of the screen. Now hold and slide above.
All the recent apps you have used will open up on the screen.
Simply slide the Google Drive app upwards to Force Stop or Quit the app.

Both these methods are super simple to use and solve the purpose efficiently.

3. Check your Internet Connection

Another solution you can try is by simply checking your internet connection. There are times when your internet isn’t stable which is why you face Google Drive waiting to upload error.

Moreover, there is a particular option where all your files will only be uploaded when the Wi-Fi connection is enabled to save data.

This is where you need to check and make changes to such a setting as per your need. Here is how you can check.

Open Google Drive on your smartphone.
Head over to the three horizontal lines and tap on it.
Click on Settings.
Now, scroll down and toggle the button beside “Transfer Files only over Wifi”

Now, close the app. And restart your internet connection. Check and see if your files are starting to upload on the app again.

Read How to Remove Password from PDF Google Drive

4. Update your Google Drive App

If nothing seems to be working, you might need to update your app to a more recent version. The Google Drive waiting to upload error you might be getting could not be a generic one but rather some internal issue.

Hence, it can only be fixed when Google tries to fix the bug and replace it with something more stable.

For this, you will simply have to visit the play store or Apple store and update the app. If you are already using the latest version, try using the methods we have mentioned above again. The files can take time to upload but it will eventually happen.

5. Clear Cache

Lastly, we will be trying to clear the cache of the Google Drive app from your phone. The process is very different for both Android and iOS. Well, if you have no idea the reason behind doing this, then here is a basic idea.

The cache is simply small bits of data stored on your system that help different apps and websites load much faster. But sometimes the traffic of such data becomes huge and it needs to be cleared out.

This is what we will be doing on our Android phones. It will not clear the data of your app, rather clear the unnecessary ones.

Open device Settings.
Head over to Apps & notifications.
Look for the Drive app and tap on it.
Now, under the menu options, click on Storage.
Select Clear Cache.

Wait for the system to clear the cache from this app and then try restarting the app. You can now try to upload again or wait for the ones already in the queue to resume.

Conclusion

Did you try all the methods above? Now, the only way you can fix the Google Drive waiting to upload error is by using the method mentioned above. These look very basic but not all might work for you.

Hence start with the obvious ones such as restarting the phone and the internet connection. Mostly this works for users, but if it does not, try other methods as well.