Why we use progress bars

Even in this era of fiber optics and other high speed internet connections, there are times when an upload, download or other process can take some time. We generally show a progress bar when an operation involves multiple files or includes a very large file so that you don't have to stare at a blank screen wondering if it is working.

You will note that we don't show time to completion. This is because the time is out of our hands. It depends on the size of the files you selected and the bandwidth of your connection at that exact moment, and that can vary. We show you how many files have been processed and how many are left, and sometimes we show you the stages of that processing so you can come to a conclusion about how long you have before the process complete.

if you are uploading 639 photos, it can take a while. A better bet might be to sort those photos into categories, events, dates, or by subject matter and create a folder for each, like "Jenny's Wedding" and "Summer vacation 2-26." Then upload them to a folder in smaller bunches. Not only will you have fewer photos to upload all at once, they will be better organized when you are done.

Updated on: 05/04/2026