Finally: iOS 26.1 Unlocks Seamless Background Photo Uploads for All Apps

Finally, iOS 26.1 unlocks seamless background photo uploads for all apps, with Apple relaxing a long-standing constraint that required backup apps to stay open in the foreground. On 28 October 2025, the release introduces a new PhotoKit capability called PHBackgroundResourceUploadExtension, which allows developers—once granted user permission—to upload photos silently in the background, even when the app is inactive.

For example, when backing up photos to a cloud service, users can initiate the backup and switch to another app or lock their device, and the upload continues without interruption.

According to Apple’s developer documentation, integrating this new extension involves creating and configuring the extension target, handling upload tasks, retrying failed uploads, confirming completion, and managing termination events; some actions still require explicit user consent, while others run automatically once the extension is activated.

This improvement may be partly influenced by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, with the aim of providing equal functionality to third-party applications and potentially preempting regulatory scrutiny.