Help! Thousands of photos, symbols, etc are in my OneDrive

Pam Cox 0 Reputation points
2026-10-06T18:32:51.6+00:00

I got a notification a week ago of blurry photos in OneDrive. I went there to investigate and there were hundreds of pictures of men, women, symbols, emojis, porn, etc I've never seen or know anything about! It took me a couple hours to delete them all one by one. A few days later I get another blurry notification and there's more photos. I spent the last few days researching and I can't seem to get it to stop. There are 1000's of photos now and the last date I see anything was October 2. It's only on my Android phone, not on my laptop going to OneDrive site. Any way to delete these on my Android without having to do them individually? I do not see a delete all tab or option.

Additionally, can I just do away with OneDrive and not utilize it since my phone backs up photos to Google Cloud.

I looked on tbe site from my laptop and there is nothing suspicious, no other shared people, no folders not mine. I changed password and added 2 step sign on a couple days ago.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Android
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-10-06T18:33:09.07+00:00

    Those images are commonly caused by other app folders on the Android device being included in OneDrive camera upload. OneDrive Memories and related photo views can then show pictures that are not from the main camera roll, such as social media app folders, downloads, and screenshots.

    To stop more of them from appearing on Android:

    1. Open the OneDrive app.
    2. Select Me.
    3. Open Settings.
    4. Select Camera upload.
    5. Choose Organise by source.
    6. Check which folders are included.
    7. Uncheck any folders that should not upload.
    8. If needed, use Categorize in sub-folders so uploads go into separate folders such as Screenshots.

    To remove the existing photos on Android:

    1. In the OneDrive app, tap and hold a file to start selection.
    2. Select additional files.
    3. Tap Delete and confirm.

    Important limits and behavior:

    • In the OneDrive mobile app, only 20 files at a time can be deleted.
    • On Android, the Recycle Bin can be emptied all at once by opening Me > account > Recycle Bin and tapping Delete All.
    • Deleted OneDrive files stay in the Recycle Bin for 30 days for personal accounts.

    If thousands of items need to be removed, using OneDrive.com is the supported path when more than 20 files must be deleted at once.

    If OneDrive is no longer needed, it can be stopped or removed. For Windows, the documented way to stop sync is:

    1. Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar and select Settings.
    2. Select Accounts.
    3. Select Unlink this PC.

    Warning: deleting files from OneDrive can remove them from synced devices, and deleting shared items removes them for everyone. Permanently emptying the Recycle Bin cannot be undone.

    If the issue continues after excluding folders, technical support is available from within the OneDrive mobile app by opening the app and gently shaking the device.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. Francisco Montilla 31,530 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-07T03:03:11.09+00:00

    Hello,

    Sounds like your account is fine and was never actually hacked. The mobile app displays local pictures found on your device in addition to what is saved in your cloud. Many mobile games and communication apps download thousands of temporary ad images or files behind the scenes and your gallery is likely pulling them in. Since you already checked on your computer and saw nothing, that confirms these files are purely local to your phone storage and never made it to the cloud.

    Can you open the app settings on your phone and look under the camera backup or device folders section? I want to know what extra device folders are showing up in that list.

    Once you tell me which local folders are showing up there, we can figure out exactly where the junk is coming from and I can tell you how to wipe them out all at once or how to disable the app completely if you no longer want it.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.