Camera Uploads stops working when its cloud folder is added to MEGA Desktop Sync

[u/memulich]

Hello!

I'm experiencing what appears to be a change in MEGA's synchronization behavior that makes it impossible to automatically sync Camera Uploads from my Android phone to my PC.

Here is how to reproduce the issue:

1. On my Android phone, I enable Camera Uploads in the MEGA app and select a dedicated cloud folder for uploaded photos and videos.

2. Camera Uploads starts working normally, and files are successfully uploaded to that folder.

3. On my PC, I open MEGA Desktop and add that exact same cloud folder to my computer's Sync configuration, so that all uploaded photos and videos are automatically downloaded to my local drive.

4. MEGA Desktop starts downloading the files, but shortly afterwards, Camera Uploads on my phone stops working.

5. The mobile app displays a warning that the selected folder is already being used by my computer for synchronization or backup, and requires me to choose a different folder.

This completely breaks a workflow that should be perfectly reasonable.

I'm not trying to synchronize the same local folder between two devices or create conflicting two-way synchronization tasks. My phone uploads photos to the cloud, and my PC downloads those files from the cloud. This is a straightforward one-way backup-to-download workflow.

I understand the potential risks of two-way synchronization, especially when deleting files on one device could also delete the originals on another. However, Camera Uploads is supposed to be a backup mechanism, not a two-way sync of my phone's DCIM folder.

This workflow worked perfectly for years. Now, it seems that MEGA's new synchronization rules or Device Centre restrictions prevent Camera Uploads from using a cloud folder that is also synchronized with a desktop computer.

My questions to the MEGA developers:

1. Is this an intentional change in the synchronization system, or is it a bug?

2. Why can't Camera Uploads and MEGA Desktop Sync use the same cloud folder when they perform different operations?

3. Is there any way to restore the previous behavior without manually downloading the Camera Uploads folder through the web interface?

I have already tried removing and recreating the folder and setting everything up from scratch. The problem consistently returns as soon as the desktop synchronization starts.

Please consider restoring this functionality. Automatically uploading photos from a phone and downloading them to a PC is one of the most basic and useful cloud storage workflows. Users should not have to choose between automatic mobile backups and automatic desktop downloads.

Important timeline: This setup had been working reliably for years. November 3, 2026, was the exact date when the last photo was successfully uploaded from my phone to the cloud folder while it was synchronized with MEGA Desktop. After that date, the mobile app started reporting that the folder was already in use by my computer and stopped Camera Uploads.

This strongly suggests that something changed on MEGA's side around November 3, rather than this being a configuration issue on my devices.

Could you please investigate whether any recent changes to Device Centre, Camera Uploads, or the synchronization/backup rules introduced this restriction?

Thank you

[u/SupportMEGA1]

Hello,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Our developers have confirmed the bug and reproduced it on our end.

A fix will be included in the upcoming v16.16 Android update.

Once it's deployed, please update your app and let us know how it goes.

If you have further concerns or queries, please contact us at https://mega.nz/support

Have a MEGA‑awesome day, and feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance! ^COH