Separate the Immich Web Interface from the Server and Mobile App
The source symptom was not a simple container crash. Immich opened in a browser, displayed its navigation, failed to load the photo library, and could freeze both the Immich and ZimaOS tabs.
Multiple users reported that the Android app still worked while Chrome, Firefox, or other browsers failed. One author also tested Firefox without prior Immich history, so a cache problem did not explain every case.
Compare a clean browser session with the mobile app and note whether photos remain accessible. Mobile success plus browser failure narrows the scope to the web path or packaged frontend; failure on every client requires a broader server, database, storage, and resource check.
Protect Media Files and Database State Separately
Before uninstalling or changing volumes, verify where Immich stores uploaded assets or the external library. Copy important photos and videos to another disk, NAS, or computer and open a sample from the copy.
Albums, users, and other metadata depend on the database, so a folder of image files is not a complete application backup. Preserve a usable database dump together with the media and record the current volume mappings and Immich version.
Do not delete the photo-storage directory during app removal. If either the media copy or database recovery input is missing, stop before reinstalling and repair backup coverage first.
Rule Out Resource Pressure Without Assuming It Is the Cause
Immich machine-learning jobs can use substantial CPU and memory during initial processing. A community reply suggested disabling machine learning temporarily and observing whether the interface stabilizes.
Other participants had already completed machine-learning tasks, had capable hardware, or remained able to browse from mobile. The topic therefore does not prove that machine learning caused the shared browser symptom.
If system load is high, pause one job and retest the same library view. Improvement supports a resource branch; no change means restore the intended setting and continue instead of leaving features disabled without benefit.
Apply the Available ZimaOS or Immich Update Before Reinstalling
Several reports clustered around Immich 2.2.x, including one user who said 2.2.1 had worked before an upgrade. Another participant reported a stable 2.1.0 installation and proposed rolling back, but the topic does not document a completed rollback control.
The confirmed recovery came from a user who waited for the container update and then updated Immich through ZimaOS. The web interface worked again without reinstalling or restoring data.
After updating, reopen the same album in the browser, scroll the library, open an asset, and repeat after restarting the app. Keep mobile access and uploads under observation so success is not judged from one page load.
Reinstall Only After the Update Path and Backups Are Verified
One user uninstalled and reinstalled while using an external library and still encountered the problem. Reinstallation was therefore not the source-confirmed repair and should not be the first step.
If an update does not help, inspect logs and preserve the exact failure version. Reinstall only with verified media, database backup, volume mappings, and version-compatible restore instructions.
Recovery means albums, users, assets, mobile backup, and the browser library all behave under the original workload. If metadata is missing or the service still freezes, stop and restore the prior state rather than repeatedly deleting containers.
FAQ
Can I reinstall Immich without losing my photos?
Only with the storage directory preserved, but protecting photos alone does not preserve all albums and metadata. Keep a recoverable database backup too.
Why does Immich work on mobile but freeze in a browser?
That pattern narrows the failing path, but the topic does not prove one universal browser-side cause. The confirmed user recovery was a packaged update.
Should I downgrade Immich to 2.1.0?
A participant reported 2.1.0 working, but the thread did not document a successful rollback. Try the available supported update first and keep recovery inputs.
