Fix PHP Image Uploads

The image-upload endpoint in my custom-built PHP backend is failing when mobile apps attempt to push photos. Everything else in the API works; only this upload call is throwing errors and preventing files from being stored on the server and shown later in the feed.

What I need from you is a rapid deep-dive into the existing codebase: trace the request flow, identify any validation or permission snags, patch whatever is blocking the transfer, and verify that the final file is correctly saved, renamed (if the logic calls for it), and returned in the JSON response. Please keep existing folder structure and naming conventions intact.

You’ll have SSH and Git access to the staging server plus the latest APK/IPA builds so you can reproduce the problem on real devices. Once fixed, run a round of tests from both iOS and Android, document the calls in Postman, and push the working code through a clean pull request.

Deliverable
• Updated PHP upload controller, helper functions, and any server-side config tweaks, committed and merged after successful mobile verification.

I’m ready to grant access right away, so be prepared to start the moment we agree on the hand-off time.