[Feature] Local-Only Folders / Upload photos not a part of an auto-backed up folder

[yousefmansy1]

The feature

From my understanding on mobile the only way to upload a photo to the server is via a folder that is set to be automatically backed up.
My issue with this is there are times you may want to add a photo/video that is not in my typical camera folder.
(and I certainly don't want to backup my download folder for example)

Secondarily when adding photos to an album it'd be nice to be able to select which photos I want to upload that isn't necessarily part of my existing server gallery.

I feel like this has is probably been brought up elsewhere but I couldn't find any open issues.

Platform

• Server
• Web
• Mobile

[JW-CH]

I also brought this issue up on the discord once. I'd love to have three states for the folders in the mobile app. Ignore, Show, Back-Up

Ignore: Do not show in the timeline. Do not back up automatically.
Show: Just show in the timeline with the ability to back up manually. Do not back up automatically.
Back-Up: Show in the timeline and automatically back up to the server.

[yousefmansy1]

I agree, to be honest we can just copy the implementation of app that must not be named "Photos on device" section.

Within that view you can see the local pictures (with appropriate backup icon) and select individual files to upload (or add to album).

Might be an appropriate place to add the backup folder option as well.

[yousefmansy1]

To be honest I'm using both nextcloud and immich (yes, storing everything twice) and another killer feature for me is being a le to organize things as a nested directory structure and viewing this as a native file structure on my desktop.

I think that's out of the scope of this discussion though.

[leowinterde]

Sharing photos from the file browser via. share as upload to immich is also missing.

[MexHigh]

This would be so handy to just "share" the image from the local image library to upload it (e.g. via Android share intent)

[OJ7]

Secondarily when adding photos to an album it'd be nice to be able to select which photos I want to upload that isn't necessarily part of my existing server gallery.

I ran into this limitation recently. I have users who don't necessarily want to use auto backup, but only upload a subset of media files (e.g. from family events). The workaround is uploading via the mobile web ui each time and then manually adding those to albums.

[echondropoulos]

Really disappointed this feature isn't already available on mobile.

I have a large diverse family and I wanted a single app where we could all upload our favorite photos into predefined albums with ease.

Being able to upload a single photo from my phone to a shared album from within the app will achieve this, but Immich does not support this from within the app.

I would really appreciate this to be added!

[b-Tomas]

I would very much appreciate this feature. I certainly don't want to backup every single image I get on whatsapp, but every now and then there is one that I'd like to upload.
This feature is available on the App-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named and makes it quite easy to access non-backed up folders in the device, containing files that are not shown in the timeline, select multiple files and upload them manually. I believe it is a an ok UX from which Immich may take some inspiration.

Edit: And there is something else missing here I noticed. I think the ability to share files to the Immich app for them to be uploaded would be convenient.

My current workaround is: I create a folder called to-be-backed-up in my phone, and when someone sends me some pictures I'd like to save, I copy them into that folder, which is backed up by Immich.

[SHU-red]

+1

• Open image (in whatever app)
• Share --> Immich
  Backup done

EDIT:
What works as a quick-fix is to open up the images in e.g. Google Files and copy it to the Camera folder
Immich detects and backups the new photos

Enough for me right now but implementing the Android-Share-Function to Immich would be great

[bo0tzz]

#11905

[OJ7]

Should the above (new) issue be closed as a duplicate instead of this?

[bo0tzz]

Whoops, I switched them up. Thank you!

[mewtwotwo]

Whoops, I switched them up. Thank you!

Are there plans to implement this feature?

[AhmedNSidd]

A highly needed feature in Immich I'd say, especially for my use case. If family members and I are out on a trip, and we want to share our pictures with each other in a shared album, they shouldn't necessarily have to share their entire local device albums in order to add a select few pictures into the shared album.

Here's how the flow could look (as also alluded to by other commenters in this discussion):

1. Create a shared album with other Immich users who already have accounts.
2. Other Immich users can go directly to the shared album and press the button for adding their photos. There they have the choice to choose pictures from their Immich Library. Immich Library has everything they've uploaded to Immich already. They also have the option to pick the pictures from their local device photos. If they choose to pick photos from their local device, then they'll have the option to select a photo, or multiple photos, and upload them to the shared album.
3. Alternatively, instead of adding the photos to the shared album from the album directly, they can navigate to the local device photos in Immich's library. These photos needn't necessarily be backed up in order for a user to view them. There, they have the option to select a photo, or a group of photos to their Shared Album.

I think alongside with this feature request, we also need to prioritize this feature request as well in order to accomplish the vision highlighted above: #2266

[T0ytoy]

I would also love the same feature you are describing, for family and friends events, to let those people send photos without having to use the web interface or uploading their whole library!

[MexHigh]

I've worked around this by creating a dedicated user for this use case. Under this user I would create (empty) shared albums for each event with uploading enabled. This way, the family member don't even need an account to share their photos.

[csuno]

we came from Synology. And with their actual changes on ther apps (also "Synology Photos")... theree will migrate some user from synology to immich... but this is a big missig feature!

Our Family just wants to select and upload special selected pictures from there mobile gallery/library... and dont want to setup the whole Backupmechanism, also even with this it is much to complicate, to share a single photo to a shared album of all!

[Jolsty]

Will this feature be eventually added? It's very hard not being able to upload single files

[scoryllo]

I also hope it comes soon, it's the only feature missing for us.